Hosted VoIP

Over the past decade, Voice over IP (VoIP) has become a real alternative to traditional PSTN-based telephony, largely because of the cost benefits it offers. For years, however, a key barrier to adoption has been voice quality, which often mimicked wireless networks rather than the PSTN. 

 

For the most part, those issues have today been resolved, thanks to various traffic management tools and enhanced voice codecs.  However, with the growing adoption of IP-based communications, the opportunity exists for reaching far beyond the limitations of the PSTN’s 3.4 kHz bandwidth limitation.

 

Thus far, though, the struggle has been ensuring the VoIP market is mature enough to support a conversation about wideband audio – and the answer to that may finally be yes.  Saying the time is, indeed, here, AudioCodes is making the bold move of adding high fidelity voice to its product line with its new HD VoIP strategy, based on its VoIPerfectHD technology. 

 

“We’ve seen an opportunity, where the market has finally reached an inflection point where enough of the service provider and enterprise infrastructure is pure IP-based,” explained Alan Percy, director of market development at AudioCodes (News - Alert). “We can finally step beyond the limitations of the PSTN when it comes to voice quality.”

 

AudioCodes’ new HD VoIP initiative is a collection of wideband, standards-based coders that will help providers and enterprises break free from traditional limitations and deliver high fidelity audio. HD VoIP will deliver increased clarity, greater intelligibility, and richer sound — all with the end result of significantly improving the user experience by doubling the audible voice spectrum.

 

Anyone who has enjoyed a high definition VoIP call well understands the difference, which might most accurately be described as the jump from AM radio for FM stereo radio. In fact, the move to high definition audio likely will create similar equipment and service growth as the introduction of FM stereo, and later, compact discs did.

 

But, according to Percy, it’s about more than simply the technology — it’s about creating affinity for services, and consequently, driving increased federation within the service provider community. 

 

On the one hand, users with access to HD VoIP services will hear the higher quality audio and will be driven to use it — and also to convince others to adopt it. Likewise, in order to protect their customer bases, other providers will be inspired to not only adopt the technology, but will also seek to peer with other carriers to enable intercarrier high fidelity voice.

 

In order to drive these opportunities in the market, the first HD VoIP product from AudioCodes will be its HD VoIP transcoding resource solution that will aid in the conversion of signaling between carriers.

 

What has precluded the widespread adoption of high definition voice is its relative obscurity. Despite the efforts of some equipment manufacturers, the provider space has been largely quiet, and service has been limited to small HD islands, where users of a particular service could talk to one another, but not to others. The transcoding resource is a key element of connecting these HD islands. By enabling providers to interconnect their services, AudioCodes can facilitate increased adoption of high definition voice — a boon for the entire market.

 

“We’re putting our stake in the market and making a concerted strategic effort to invest in high definition voice,” said Percy.”

 

Indeed, the success of high fidelity voice depends on the entire industry ecosystem — from equipment manufacturers to application developers to service providers. Developers and providers have expressed an interest, but as with any new technology, someone has to step to the forefront and break the proverbial logjam. That’s what AudioCodes is seeking to do with its HD VoIP initiative. While it is not the provider itself, it will enable providers to deliver a sticky new voice service to their users.

 

“AudioCodes is creating a whole new market opportunity and introducing a key competitive differentiator for our partners and customers,” said Shabtai Adlersberg (News - Alert), chairman, president and CEO at AudioCodes. “It’s about bringing a new real sense of quality to VoIP communication, enabling improvements to business productivity and clear interpersonal communication between people and across wireline, wireless, and IP networks.”

 

Importantly, AudioCodes has based its VoIPerfectHD on industry standards, rather than proprietary technology, which will further help drive adoption. 

 

As with any new technology, there is always a fear of have to rip and replace exiting infrastructure. To limit this, AudioCodes is providing HD VoIP as a software upgrade to much of its existing Mediant and IP Media product lines. This is part of the company’s strategic approach heading into the new year, where it will look to enable providers and enterprises to squeeze more life out of their existing equipment, while benefitting from the latest VoIP technology, including HD VoIP. Of course, the Mediant line of gateways is a natural fit for that endeavor, helping connect legacy equipment to VoIP services in order to increase their useful life.

 

AudioCodes’ current and planned HD VoIP-enabled products include: the IPmedia 3000 Media Server, Mediant 3000 Media Gateway, Mediant 1000 MSBG, and the Mediant family of Microsoft (News - Alert) certified basic Hybrid Gateways.