Dialogic® IMG Integrated Media Gateways Now Support More Services in More Network Environments

Parsippany, NJ - May 18, 2009 - Dialogic Corporation ("Dialogic"), a global provider of world-class products and technologies for multimedia and signal processing, today announced an impressive new suite of availability and service-enabling features on the award-winning Dialogic® IMG Integrated Media Gateways. The IMG Gateways (IMGs) help carriers leverage existing SS7 networks and connect subscribers to IP-based enhanced services. The IMGs have recently been extended to act as a multimedia border element with capabilities such as SIP mediation, topology hiding and media transcoding.

Extended Multimedia Border Element Functionality

With the introduction of Dialogic® IMG System Software Release 10.5.2, the robust multimedia border element functions of the IMG Gateways have been expanded to include new SIP mediation capabilities. In addition to support for SIP-to-SIP translations, the IMGs now offer SIP-to-SIP-I and SIP-to-SIP-T interworking. This helps carriers to satisfy their ever-increasing needs for connectivity between networks that use incompatible SIP variants as is often the case between wireless and wireline networks.

"We were very pleased when Dialogic introduced their SIP-to-SIP interworking capabilities coupled with high-density transcoding on the IMG Gateway," says Paul Amick, Executive Vice President of PhoenixSoft, a long-time Dialogic partner. "The IMG gives us the ability to implement topology masking, a vital feature for our wholesale Voice over IP solution, without having to deploy both a gateway and a session border controller. We are very enthusiastic about Dialogic's continued expansion of SIP mediation and transcoding capabilities and we will continue to integrate IMG Gateways into our Cirrus Softswitch solution."

Enhanced Service Availability Features

With the introduction of IMG System Software Release 10.5.2, the IMGs offer a compact 1U gateway footprint coupled with resiliency features that are important in a carrier environment. New capabilities designed to help improve service availability include support for a graceful upgrade procedure in SS7 networks and N+1 redundancy for DS3 links across multiple gateways. These features can help service providers keep their revenue-generating VoIP infrastructure and applications up and running with fewer interruptions while enjoying the advantage of a space-efficient configuration.

The ability of the IMGs to integrate with leading third party load balancing technology will help service providers to further enhance application availability and business continuity.

Mr. David Aviv, Vice President Carrier Services at Radware, comments, "The powerful combination of Radware's AppDirector load balancing switch and Dialogic's IMG Gateways creates a highly scalable solution for leading edge SIP applications which includes transcoding for voice, fax, and tones. With new features such as support for SIP-to-SIP-I, translations, Dialogic continues to raise the bar for connectivity between wireline and wireless networks." He adds, "We are also impressed with the seamless fit between the rack-and-stack architecture of the IMG Gateways and the SIP load balancing and traffic redirection technology of Radware, which makes the products scalable and readily adaptable to carrier environments."

Broader Any-to-Any Connectivity Capabilities

With the release of IMG System Software Release 10.5.2, Dialogic also has extended the versatile "any-to-any" network connectivity of the IMGs by adding new signaling and service layers. Carriers can use the newly introduced SIGTRAN M3UA to enable subscribers on circuit-based networks to connect to next generation enhanced services. For unified communications applications, revenue-generating services such as Message Waiting can now be supported with the incorporation of Transaction Capability Application Part (TCAP) in the Dialogic® IMG 1010 Integrated Media Gateway.

In addition, support for clear channel codecs now allows service providers to backhaul clear channel video and data over IP networks, so they can connect between 3G video handset users and video-enabled network services.

Harold Klett, Dialogic General Manager for Service Provider Platforms Product Group at Dialogic, sums up the market significance of the new capabilities of IMG System Software Release 10.5.2: "We continue to improve upon the robust functionality of the IMGs in order to enable our customers to deploy more services in more network environments and with enhanced resiliency options. The ability to deploy innovative applications in a variety of demanding hybrid and IP network environments gives our customers strong competitive advantages that help ensure their success."

Multimedia Border Element (MMBE)

What Are Multimedia Border Elements?

Carriers use Session Border Controllers (SBCs) for signal translation and security, but most SBCs lack key multimedia features. In its new white paper, Dialogic first surveys today's essential border requirements, including:

SIP mediation
Media translation and transcoding
Conversion of signaling protocols other than SIP
Critical security functions

Dialogic then introduces the concept of the Multimedia Border Controller (MMBE) and explains how an IMG can act as an MMBE.

Want More Details? Read the Executive Summary Below

Using an MMBE on the Network Edge

For several years, carriers have been migrating from circuit-switched networks to more flexible network topologies based on IP. To increase flexibility and reduce costs, carriers initially kept existing circuit switches in place and used media gateways to convert to IP. However, carriers are now taking the next step and building services with all IP-based elements, typically using the SIP protocol. These emerging SIP-based networks offer enormous potential for generating new services and increasing revenue per subscriber, but the introduction of IP throughout the network also creates challenges.

Although carriers often use Session Border Controllers for signal translation and security, most do not include the hardware-based signal processing needed for media transcoding. For all-IP environments, new elements are required that can mediate signaling, transcode among different media formats, and handle basic security issues. Dialogic has developed the concept of the Multimedia Border Element (MMBE) to meet these needs, and its carrier-proven products, such as Dialogic® Integrated Media Gateways, are exceptionally well-suited to serve as MMBEs.

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