Communication Solutions

Acme Packet (News - Alert), a session border control solutions company, has announced that Thing5 LLC, a provider of voice and data messaging services to the hospitality industry, is using Acme Packet’s Net-Net session border controllers (SBCs) for SIP trunking to multiple service providers for PSTN origination and termination. This selection was made to provide Thing5 will critical security and call routing for its IP messaging network.

Thing5 offers support for the voice communications of all La Quinta and Extended Stay hotels. Its managed network services support more than one thousand hotel properties. The company’s messaging solution and SIP trunking service delivers an average monthly savings of 55 percent per hotel property compared to TDM trunks, with additional savings possible with hosted PBX and voicemail services.

High available configurations of Net-Net SBCs are deployed in Thing5’s data centers where the hotel chains’ off-net calls destined for the PSTN originate and terminate via the Net-Net SBCs through SIP trunks to various service providers. Thing5 also uses Acme Packet’s Net-Net element management system (EMS) to simplify configuration and management of the SBCs.

Acme Packet’s Net-Net SBCs receive inbound calls over SIP trunks from several providers in Thing5’s network. The platform then routes them to more than one thousand hotel locations. For outbound calls from the hotels to the PSTN, the Net-Net SBCs load balance calls to different service providers.

The Net-SAFE from Acme Packet is a security architecture that provides denial of services (DoS) attack protection, topology hiding and access control to help ensure Thing5’s network availability.

The Net-Net SBCs are also used to maximize the reach of Thing5’s messaging network through the provision of hosted NAT traversal for IP phones used by hotel mobile and remote workers. Thing5 experienced a rapid and easy deployment due to Acme Packet’s extensive field proven interoperability and programmable header manipulation tools on its Net-Net SBCs.

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“Ensuring our network security and ability to control VoIP calls was paramount in deciding to implement SIP trunking and realize the costs savings that it provides. The fact that Acme Packet's SBCs are used at our SIP trunking service providers’ borders enabled us to more quickly get the production network running and demonstrates that Acme Packet is an experienced leader in enabling the interconnection of VoIP networks.”

“SIP trunking between enterprises and service providers is a growing application aimed at reducing communications costs and Thing5 is leading the way in the hospitality industry,” remarked Seamus Hourihan, Acme Packet's vice president of marketing and product management, in Monday’s statement.

“Our Net-Net SBC feature set is solving the challenges associated with direct VoIP connections between networks on both sides of the SIP trunk--at the enterprise and service provider borders.”

As the demand for VoIP continues to increase, so does the demand for solutions that can guarantee network availability, as well as voice quality when working with operations on both sides of the SIP trunk.

Acme Packet is making waves in the industry by providing not only direct cost savings, but also ultimately improving the experience for the customer by delivering network availability to increase total quality. In doing so, it is helping to further drive demand for its solutions and protecting the customer base.