PortaOne News

PortaOne Announces PortaSwitch Maintenance Release 22, Unveils �Long-Life� Designation For Qualifying Releases

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0700

MR22 Brings Visible Call Forwarding, Registration Authentication Caching, MP3 Voicemail And More to VoIPCall Control/Billing Platform; Now Available for Staging System Deployment

PortaOne today announced PortaSwitch Maintenance Release 22 (MR22), a major new release of the company’s flagship VoIP call control and subscriber management platform. Featuring a number of important upgrades that add value and performance for customers and service providers alike, MR22 is now available to current PortaSwitch owners for field testing, with no additional license fee required.

Concurrent with today�s announcement, PortaOne is also unveiling a new “long-life” designation for sanctioned prior releases of PortaSwitch. �Long-Life� denotes the most stable version of PortaSwitch that will be supported with bug fixes, minor improvements and other software support for an extended period of time, enabling customers to better plan the evolution of their PortaSwitch systems.

�Long-life� status will be assigned to certain maintenance releases only after extensive field test in real commercial operations. A new maintenance release, such as MR22, may gain �long-life� status after going through several consecutive builds and providing its long-term stability. Effective immediately, the �long-life� designation is applied to Maintenance Release 20, the last version of PortaSwitch to run on the FreeBSD operating system.

PortaSwitch MR22 brings a number of new performance features to PortaOne�s innovative platform that is capable of handling the complete call control and converged VoIP billing functions of a diversified digital services company. The 64-bit Oracle Enterprise Linux product consists of a real-time billing system, class 4 and 5 SIP softswitch, and application servers that deliver converged VoIP billing and provisioning, SIP call control, unified messaging, IP Centrex and hosted IP PBX, callback management, IVRs, conferencing and more.

New to PortaSwitch via Maintenance Release 22 are the following:

Users can now see where a forwarded call comes from

Going far beyond the typical Caller ID readout, Visible Call Forwarding allows hosted IP PBX users to see the source of forwarded calls. Operators and receptionists who receive calls for multiple companies, for example, are now able to greet callers with the correct information based on the intended corporate destination of the call; employees who are substituting for colleagues can answer a call from a sales queue differently from calls forwarded from a technical support queue.

PortaSwitch capacity to process registration attempts doubles

A new capability in the SIP proxy for PortaSIP, PortaSwitch�s Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) softswitch, enables caching of successful registration information. Under normal circumstances, when an IP phone goes online it provides PortaSwitch with information about its current location on the Internet; the new capability doubles PortaSwitch�s ability to process registration attempts on a per-second basis, thus better protecting the system from a �registration storm� that is either unintended or part of a denial-of-service attack. Please read more on caching authentication during IP phone registration in the dedicated article.

iPhone users can playback their voicemails

A convenient new feature for businesspeople, MP3 voicemail is an addition to traditional WAV recording that allows voicemails attached to outgoing email to be played on new MP3-compliant platforms such as iPhones. A license for three �ports� will be provided by PortaOne free of charge to all customers upgrading to MR22, enabling up to three voicemails to be converted to the MP3 format simultaneously (licenses for additional ports can be obtained by contacting the PortaOne sales team).

PIN-less customers will enjoy higher level of security

A new layer of protection for residential VoIP users, password protection ensures that popular PIN-less dialing services based on outgoing ANI or CLI are not spoofed. Part of the PortaUM prepaid calling component of PortaSwitch, the new feature prompts customers for their password before allowing access to such services. The improvement allows service providers to gain a competitive advantage when rolling out dialing services and to offer these services to a larger customer group.

User reports improve

This new feature enables users to quickly see desired subtotals in the system�s custom reports. It is very useful for situations including cost/revenue summaries where providers wish to see breakouts for each customer.

Service providers can share revenue with their customers

Payback rates enable service providers to attract customers by allowing them to receive credits for incoming calls from other PSTN networks. In the payback scenario, service providers receive revenue from other telcos for terminating a call to the provider�s network, thus allowing them to share revenue with the end-user.

Clients can call through PortaSwitch directly from their mobile phones

Thanks to a new partnership with WLCom, PortaSwitch now interoperates with the WLCom Mobile Communication Client, enabling calls to be made from the iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Symbian and Windows Mobile platforms. The addition lets end users employ a single phone and unified list of contacts while still saving on long distance and international calls.

The detailed description of all new features incorporated in PortaSwitch MR22 can be reviewed in the PortaSwitch New Features Guide.

�PortaOne�s service goal has always been to keep our customers at the very forefront of the fast-changing VoIP industry. We believe the debut of MR22, as well as our new ‘long-term� designation, will provide a comprehensive and powerful development path for any PortaSwitch user,� said Andriy Zhylenko, chief technical officer for PortaOne.

All current PortaSwitch owners whose staging platforms are covered by PortaOne�s PortaCare technical support program are eligible to obtain MR22 for testing purposes. Minimum hardware requirements, listed at http://portaone.com/hw , are the same as for full commercial installations.

Users who already have a staging license can simply contact their PortaOne support team; to order a new staging license, interested users should write to sales@portaone.com.

Caching Authentication during IP Phone Registration Introduced with MR22 Results in 100% PortaSwitch Performance Increase

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0700

A new feature for caching authentication results allows service providers to double PortaSwitch's capacity in terms of registration attempts processed per second, and to protect the system from a “registration storm” (whether unintended or part of a denial-of-service attack).

Under normal circumstances, when an IP phone goes online it provides PortaSwitch with information about its current location on the Internet (in SIP terms, this is called registration). It then periodically repeats this so as to keep the contact information updated (this is called re-registration, although technically the information exchanged between the IP phone and PortaSwitch is not any different from that exchanged during initial registration). Subsequent registrations occur at the interval programmed into the IP phone, which is usually somewhere between 10 minutes and one hour.

Since the IP phone is the initiator of the registration, there is really nothing PortaSwitch can do to control the process and make re-registrations more or less frequent. (It can, however, advise the IP phone of a time to re-register again, but nothing prevents the IP phone from ignoring this and sending another registration request sooner).

Example

Let’s assume, 30,000 properly configured IP phones (which re-register every 30 minutes) would generate about 17 requests per second for processing by both PortaSIP (parsing SIP messages and generating responses) and PortaBilling (performing account authentication).

Yet just 500 IP phones registering too often (e.g. once every 30 seconds) due to a mis-configuration or a firmware bug would result in the same load on the system – and what happens when the number of such �impatient� phones starts growing is easy to imagine.

When dealing with a network which contains a large number of IP phones whose re-registration interval is not automatically provisioned from PortaSwitch along with other configuration settings, the average rate of registration is a significant concern.

In order to prevent a situation where a few �rogue� IP phones create a significant load on PortaSwitch, the SIP proxy in PortaSIP performs caching of successful registration information.

During the initial registration, the credentials provided by an IP phone are validated in PortaBilling as usual, and this information is stored in the database following successful registration. Later, when a new registration request arrives from an IP phone, PortaSIP first checks its location database to see whether there is already a registration for that phone number, with the matching contact data (IP address and port on which it is accessible).

If a previous registration exists and occurred recently, then PortaSIP simply replies back to the IP phone confirming successful registration. This saves resources on the PortaSIP side (since this process is much shorter than the normal dialog for handling a SIP REGISTER request) and creates zero load on the billing engine (since no authentication request is sent).

This process is repeated upon subsequent re-registrations, until eventually the registration information becomes �too old� or the IP address and/or port provided in the request do not match the ones stored in the database (i.e. the IP phone is attempting to register from a new location). At that time the normal registration process will take place: the IP phone receives a challenge request, it sends back a reply calculated using its username and password, and an authentication request is then sent to the billing engine for verification.

In spite of how this may sound, simply confirming registration without verification by billing carries absolutely no security risks in this scenario. If an �evil hacker� sends a REGISTER request spoofing the real customer�s IP address and port, he will only accomplish a reconfirmation of the original customer�s location. If he uses a different IP address or port in an attempt to intercept the customer�s incoming call, the cached information will not be used, and thus he would have to provide valid password information.

The �caching interval� is set to one half of the �recommended registration� interval, so this does not really create more �stale� sessions (where a phone is considered to be online when it has actually already disconnected from the Internet) than the normal scenario. The performance increase is tremendous: on a system with a 5-minute caching time, the amount of registrations per second that a single PortaSIP instance can handle increases 100% (from 400 per second to 800).

The detailed description of this and other features incorporated in PortaSwitch MR22 can be reviewed in the PortaSwitch New Features Guide.

For more information about PortaSwitch and its features please contact your support team or application engineers.

Codatel Networks Uses PortaSwitch To Introduce Regionally-Hosted Wholesale Call Termination Services To Asia-Pac Carriers

Mon, 09 Aug 2010 00:01:00 -0700

Partitioned Hosting On Australia-Based Equipment Lowers Acquisition Cost, Minimizes Call Latency; Codatel Networks’ Industry-Leading PortaSwitch Platform Delivers Optimal Performance.

Codatel Networks, an Australian IP telephony and converged communications systems provider, today announced the immediate availability of regionally-hosted wholesale and retail billing partitioning services to VoIP carriers and service providers. The capability, driven by the advanced and proven PortaSwitch VoIP call control/billing platform and hosted on Australian infrastructure, assures carriers in the Asia-Pacific region access to one of the best telecom systems on the market with no upfront capital investment.

Codatel develops, markets and supports innovative IP telephony and multi-platform converged communications systems to the full range of carriers, from Tier One to small and midsized companies. The privately-owned company, which also serves a range of retail customers, is well situated for helping IP-focused telecoms compete effectively in the Asia-Pacific region at minimal cost.

About Codatel Networks

Codatel Networks develops, markets, and supports innovative IP telephony and multi-platform converged communications systems, using the latest technologies to provide practical, user-friendly solutions for small and medium-sized businesses, home-office entrepreneurs, professionals, middle managers and executives.

The company is a privately-owned corporation and is rapidly expanding into the Asian Pacific region to better cover new emerging markets. The company's head office is located in Melbourne, Australia.

Today, Codatel Networks is established in market niches that hold a great potential to enhance how business communication is conducted.

Codatel Networks is continually working to improve existing products and services and to introduce new ones to satisfy existing, as well as new, customer needs.

“For virtually all new or existing telecoms in this part of the world, tapping into next-generation IP infrastructure meant going to wholesale providers in Europe or North America. Such distant solutions often introduce voice latency into customer calls—not a preferable situation by any means,” said Zafer Khodr, General Manager of Codatel Networks. �Our PortaSwitch system, positioned much closer to our carriers� intended client base, minimizes or eliminates this problem altogether.�

The comprehensive product consists of a real-time billing system, class 4 and 5 SIP softswitch, and application servers that deliver converged VoIP billing and provisioning, SIP call control, unified messaging, IP Centrex and hosted IP PBX, callback management, IVRs, conferencing and more.

Codatel Network�s implementation of PortaSwitch is further enhanced with the inclusion of PortaOne�s PortaBilling100 Advanced application. PortaBilling100 Advanced features simultaneous multiprocessing and a dedicated database architecture to improve performance within the core billing server.

�Choosing PortaSwitch for this service offering was not a hard decision. It will clearly provide optimum value to our wholesale customers, and top quality to their end users,� Zafer continued. �PortaSwitch has the reliability and robustness of very high-end systems that can cost millions to deploy�yet it is very competitively priced. For a telco to be competitive today, it must be able to adapt to market changes very quickly. PortaSwitch will allow us, and our customers, to deliver any kind of new service�simple or complex�with very little fuss or ongoing maintenance.�

PortaOne�s Softswitch and VoIP Billing Platform Enables Consistent Monthly Growth For Pure IP In 17 Countries

Tue, 08 Jun 2010 00:00:00 -0700

London-Based Telecommunications Company Relies On PortaOne’s Flagship Product To Deliver Suite of Hosted IPPBX Services Across South Africa, Middle East, Australia and Europe.

When Iceland�s Eyjafjallajokull volcano erupted in Spring 2010, grounded planes were only the beginning of the headaches. Many business functions were brought to a complete halt, including product deliveries and professional conferences. Key employees, stranded far from home, were forced into disaster recovery mode to maintain critical services.

With such scenarios straining vital communications links throughout Europe, one company—Pure IP�kept its customers in business. And at its core was PortaOne�s PortaSwitch VoIP services platform.

“Both our resellers and corporate customers benefitted from PortaSwitch�s ability to run diverse services during disaster recovery situations like the volcanic eruption and the snowstorms earlier this year,” said Gary Forrest, Pure IP managing director. �PortaSwitch allows us to build our network on the premise of redundancy at multiple points.�

Pure IP, headquartered in London, is part of a new breed of VoIP telecommunications providers that outperform global giants by nimbly servicing wholesale and retail business customers wherever they may be, using next generation solutions. Using telehouse network facilities in London, Johannesburg and Auckland, Pure IP provides 24/7 service and support to customers in 17 countries via a system that extends from New York City to Sydney, Australia.

�We operate a state-of-the-art network powered by Cisco and Quintum to ensure maximum redundancy and quality of service provisioning,� stated Forrest. �But our billing, customer management and softswitching functions rest exclusively with PortaSwitch.�

PortaSwitch is capable of handling the complete call control and converged VoIP billing functions of a diversified digital services company, enabling wholesale VoIP carriers and ITSPs to deliver a wide variety of business models quickly and flexibly. The comprehensive product consists of a real-time billing system, class 4 and 5 SIP softswitch, and application servers that deliver converged VoIP billing and provisioning, SIP call control, unified messaging, IP Centrex and hosted IP PBX, callback management, IVRs, conferencing and more.

�PortaSwitch allows us to give our customers a full suite of hosted VoIP services including SIP trunking, international numbering, conference bridges and MPLS connectivity,� Forrest explained. �We�ve been very impressed with the flexibility PortaSwitch provides, as well as its scalability�particularly in respect of new services such as callback, conferencing and the like.�

Pure IP had looked at Digitalk and other billing and call management platforms before selecting PortaSwitch. As Forrest noted, however, PortaSwitch offered a totally different level of flexibility. �We were also pleased with the sales process, which was managed in an honest, direct and attentive way,� he stated, adding that PortaOne�s Premium PortaCare has been an excellent technical support and maintenance service. �The quality of technical support is very good, particularly when looking at more complex issues or new services,� he commented.

Since adopting PortaOne�s VoIP product nearly two years ago, Pure IP has seen its business volume grow each month. Forrest attributes a large share of his company�s success to the stability and strong feature set PortaSwitch provides.

�At Pure IP, we take pride in differentiating our services through speed of implementation, stability and excellent aftercare support,� he said. �PortaSwitch is a feature-rich solution that services customers well�in Gibraltar, New Zealand, Iraq, South Africa, or anywhere else we choose to compete.�

PortaOne is Heading to Participate in CommunicAsia After Exhibiting at ITW 2010 in Washington, DC

Thu, 27 May 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Yesterday was the last of three busy days at Marriott Wardman Park Hotel in Washington, DC where PortaOne exhibited participating in the International Telecommunication Week 2010.

Please meet PortaOne team in three weeks at CommunicAsia 2010 in Singapore. For four days, on June 15-18, we will be at our booth 3H1-10 located at Hall 3 of Singapore Expo within the Canadian Pavilion.

PortaOne Announces Interoperability of PortaSwitch with TelcoBridges Tmedia� Gateways

Wed, 26 May 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Combination of PortaOne’s VoIP Call Control/Billing Platform and TelcoBridges’ VoIP Gateway Line Gives Service Providers Exceptional Performance Plus Room for Growth

PortaOne today announced a new partnership with TelcoBridges™, maker of Tmedia™ VoIP gateways, following successful interoperability testing between Tmedia products and PortaOne’s PortaSwitch VoIP call control and billing management software platform. The announcement, made at International Telecommunications Week 2010, assures telecom service providers not only of seamless operation between the products, but also a combination of reliability, scalability and system flexibility suitable for today’s most demanding network and market requirements.

A recognized leader in the design and manufacture of telecommunications hardware, TelcoBridges has developed Tmedia, the industry’s highest density VoIP gateways that deliver exceptional performance, energy efficiency and interoperability. Based on a unified technical architecture, each Tmedia VoIP/media gateway integrates T1/E1/J1, DS-3 and OC3/STM-1 connectivity and multiple concurrent signaling protocols such as SS7, ISDN, SIP, SIGTRAN, and H.248 in the same unique device. Carriers and service providers in over 50 countries use TelcoBridges’ VoIP gateways to drive network convergence, consolidate multiple disparate devices, and more cost-effectively expand their network footprints.

“TelcoBridges Tmedia VoIP/media gateways are renowned for their density, their support for multiple signaling and transcoding protocols in the same device, and their extremely low power requirements.The proven interoperability of Tmedia gateways with PortaSwitch provides an unsurpassed environment for service providers.”

Roman Khalenkov
PortaOne Sales and Marketing Director

By integrating with PortaSwitch, Tmedia gateways ensure the highest levels of performance are maintained. PortaSwitch, a Class 5-level product, is able to handle the full range of call control and billing functions of a diversified digital services company, from billing and provisioning to advanced call features, monitoring and reporting. The comprehensive product consists of a real-time billing system, class 4/5 SIP softswitch, and application servers that deliver converged VoIP billing and provisioning, SIP call control, unified messaging, IP Centrex and hosted IP PBX, callback management, IVRs, conferencing and more.

Tmedia gateways offer a high system density for systems with limited rack availability. In a single 1U or 2U gateway, Tmedia supports up to 2048 voice channels; it also reduces SS7 costs by having multiple point codes in a single box, or multiple boxes with a single SS7 point code. The product’s non-blocking capabilities ensure that multiple signal protocols, as well as multiple codecs, can be run at the same time.

To both lower operating costs and provide a greener infrastructure, Tmedia gateways run on up to 2/3 less power than other gateway devices of similar capacity. Power, cooling and data center co-location costs are all reduced, thanks to the green design.

PortaOne at ITW 2010

PortaOne is showcasing its PortaSwitch platform during International Telecommunications Week 2010, May 24-26, from its exhibit at Booth 812 in the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel.

About TelcoBridges

TelcoBridges is clearly defining the future of telecommunications technologies. With the industry’s premier unified hardware platform for network convergence, value-added services, and performance management, TelcoBridges is enabling service providers to meet and exceed their service goals while ensuring exceptional operating cost-efficiency. TelcoBridges’ channel partners, including value-added resellers, system integrators and solution developers, have delivered and deployed carrier-grade solutions in over 50 countries around the world. These include VoIP gateways, mobile value-added services, unified communications, network monitoring, lawful intercept, location-based services, and many others. TelcoBridges is a recognized leader within the telecom industry, ranked as #175 within the 2009 Deloitte North American Fast 500, thanks to its revenue growth, which exceeded 777% during the period spanning 2004-2008. For additional information, please visit http://www.telcobridges.com.

Maintenance Release 21 Introduces New Clustered Architecture to PortaSwitch Procinctus

Tue, 04 May 2010 00:00:00 -0700

MR21 Provides New Capacity and Redundancy to PortaSwitch Procinctus, PortaOne’s Ultimate Telecom Services and Subscriber Management Product.

PortaSwitch Procinctus, PortaOne’s ultimate high capacity telecommunications services and subscriber management software platform, has gained a completely redesigned and fully clustered architecture. The new architecture, made possible by PortaOne’s Maintenance Release 21 (MR21), places the business critical elements of the system in a cluster that runs in parallel on multiple servers.

PortaSwitch Procinctus, PortaOne’s premier infrastructure product, enables carriers and service providers to unify voice, data, fax, content, SMS, and Internet traffic within a single converged network. The platform is the highest combination of all available PortaOne products and technologies, built around a comprehensive, converged VoIP billing software platform. Together, these components achieve a maximum level of performance and reliability.

Previously, PortaSwitch Procinctus distributed the various billing engine functions (e.g., authorization, registration, and routing control) among multiple dedicated servers in order to leverage the power of several machines and boost overall performance. The new clustering architecture delivers exceptional redundancy of these essential functions; in addition, transparent load-sharing increases the capacity level of the whole system.

In addition to PortaSIP (Class 4 and 5 softswitch) and PortaUM (unified messaging and IVR platform) that already run in cluster on multiple servers in parallel as a part of PortaSwitch Procinctus, MR21 introduces the RADIUS billing cluster, an exact replica of the architecture implemented in PortaOne’s high-end PortaBilling Oracularius product.

“With VoIP adoption growing exponentially in worldwide, the need for world-class durability, scalability and failover protection has become a prime requirement. The introduction of MR21, and a new clustering architecture, to PortaSwitch Procinctus accomplishes this,” said Andriy Zhylenko, chief technical officer for PortaOne.

Previously, the distributed architecture of PortaBilling100 Advanced included seven servers, with specific functions attributed to each: master and standby master servers; registration and authorization servers; Web server; and two dedicated database servers. The redesigned clustered architecture of PortaBilling100 Advanced in the new PortaSwitch Procinctus consists of three closely integrated segments:

Three servers in the RADIUS billing cluster that ensures no service outage in case one of the servers fails
Three database servers: a master DB, a standby DB for operational redundancy, and the replica DB for data redundancy and data processing for statistics and reporting
A Web server to provide the service provisioning interface for administration as well as customer self-care pages

As in the older version, PortaSwitch Procinctus also includes two PortaSIP servers and two PortaUM servers with a PortaBridge. PortaSIP and PortaUM servers can run in a cluster, creating an unbreakable redundancy setup or be used for load balancing.

The configuration server, a new MR21 addition to all PortaSwitch installations, is a single point for managing and upgrading the whole PortaSwitch Procinctus set up. It is also used as a logging storage to remove the analytical task loads from the servers directly involved in the operational processes.

PortaOne offers the upgrade to MR21 to its customers as a part of PortaCare at no additional cost. For more information about new redesigned architecture of PortaSwitch Procinctus please contact PortaOne team.

PortaSwitch Maintenance Release 21 Uses an Innovative New Version Updating Process with the Introduction of Configuration Server

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0700

With MR21, PortaSwitch utilizes an innovative system of maintaining and modifying the software code on each server, allowing service providers to properly address all potential upgrade issues, and enables to:

Migrate quickly to a new maintenance release, without any problems on the way and obtain the system that operates 100% according to how it is intended to operate.
Safely rollback to exactly the same version of the software used prior to the update, in case there are any issues with the functionality of the new release.

PortaSwitch deploys a dual software version management system that eliminates both the risk of incompatibility between the updated components and dangerous situations when the update fails and the system ends up without any operable software becoming totally unusable.

At any given moment one of 3 partitions is considered active: upon the start-up, the server uses this specific partition to boot up while the application code, located within it, is used to operate the service.
When the system is being prepared for an update to a new release, another partition is cleared and the new version of the code is installed there. This is done while the system is still operating under the current version of the software, without any service interruption.
As a result, the server has all required data to operate with the new release – moreover, since the new release is installed as a set of binary packages, it ensures that this is exactly the same code (the same version of operating system, the same version of kernel and the same bytes in every single utility or file!) that was used in PortaOne’s labs during the testing period, that was deployed on staging systems during the field testing, and that is currently being used by other PortaOne customers worldwide.

The disk subsystem on each PortaSwitch server contains 3 separate partitions:

One partition stores the actual application data.
Two other partitions are equal in size and can contain the full set of the software “code” required to operate the server: operating system, third-party libraries and modules and the actual code for a specific application.

The configuration agent updates the “local” files based on the system’s configuration stored in the configuration server. At the specific time the new partition is automatically marked as “active” the server is restarted using the new version of the code. The potential downtime is minimal, just to complete the restart. Nothing is changed in the “old” partition. So if a rollback is required, it only requires a reboot from that partition and the server is back to the old, “stable” release.

After some time when an update to an even newer release is desired, this partition is wiped clean and the new version of the code is loaded into the recently emptied location. Then the process described above repeats. The same process is used to update to a new maintenance release or to a newer software build within the current release.

PortaSwitch relies on a large set of previously accumulated data to make decisions about how the service should be provided. All the data accumulated by the old software release are available to the new one after the upgrade to ensure the system’s proper operation. This involves changing the data files, database structures and data to accommodate the new release. Therefore, the update process includes 2 extra steps:

Non-blocking data modifications are done as part of the “preparation” process, when the new release is already installed to the new partition, but before it becomes active.
Blocking data modifications are those that may affect the system’s performance while they are being carried out. Therefore, those are done during off-peak periods.

This process allows the data modifications to be performed while the system still operates using the current release. During that time, the “older” version of the release operates with the “newer” version of the data. The same situation would happen if in performing a rollback to the older release. The PortaOne development and testing processes are specifically aimed to make this possible however we can only guarantee this inter-operability for the adjoining releases.

Please find more detailed information about the new updating process in PortaBilling Administrator Guide (look for Updating the System to a New Version section on page 17). This MR21 guide is available on the Documentation page along with other constantly renewed handbooks and manuals.

Redworks Selects PortaSwitch To Power All Its Integrated VoIP And Hosted IP PBX Services

Tue, 20 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0700

PortaOne’s Converged VoIP Billing and Service Management Platform will Drive Dutch Telecom’s Solutions for SMBs, Enterprises, and Retail Stores.

PortaOne announced today that Redworks, a Netherland-based diversified provider of telephony, Internet and data services, has selected PortaSwitch as its core telecommunications services and subscriber management platform. PortaSwitch will drive not only Redworks’ integrated VoIP and hosted IP PBX services for small-to-medium businesses (SMBs) and larger enterprises, but also its IP payment solutions for retail businesses.

PortaSwitch, a Class 5-level product, is able to handle the full range of call control and billing functions of a heterogeneous digital services company, from billing and service provisioning to advanced call features, monitoring and reporting. The comprehensive product consists of a real-time billing system, Class 4 and 5 SIP softswitch, and application servers that deliver converged VoIP billing and service provisioning, SIP call control, unified messaging, IP Centrex and hosted IP PBX, callback management, IVRs, conferencing and more.

Redworks chose PortaSwitch based on its experiences with the system through a third-party telecom systems infrastructure provider. “We were using a hosted partition of PortaSwitch and were impressed with its dependability and complete feature set,” said Leslie Herps, Redworks director. “PortaSwitch is able to handle the sophisticated routing we need to terminate calls based on cost, ASR or other factors. Its high availability and easy mobility suits the wide range of needs required by our business and retail customers.”

“PortaSwitch will enable Redworks to remain very competitive in a rapidly changing Dutch telecommunications marketplace,” said Roman Khalenkov, sales and marketing director for PortaOne. “As business customers in the Netherlands continue to seek lower cost alternatives to expensive fixed telephony systems, Redworks will be able to rely on PortaSwitch to deliver exceptional reliability and quality of service within the VoIP environment.”

Redworks is one of the Netherland’s fastest-growing telecommunications companies. Amid a challenging global economy, the government-approved telecom has experienced remarkable 25% month-over-month growth; its 2009 revenues, in fact, marked a 1,200% increase over the prior year. The company attributes its success to its unique bundling of Internet, VoIP and call handling services that help businesses of many sizes and types become more efficient while reducing their communications costs.

In addition to hosted IP PBX capability and VoIP calls, the company offers IP-based transaction processing for retailers as well as network, Internet, website hosting and data backup/restore services. To ensure quality of service over its IP networks, Redworks deploys innovative line monitoring scripts that constantly monitor availability and performance. The scripts trigger alarms and if necessary, automatic reinstatement if service is jeopardized.

Also unique to Redworks is its commitment to redundancy and reliability throughout its infrastructure. It has invested in redundant server power supplies, multiple redundant circuit uplinks, a high availability server platform, and redundant tier providers in multiple international locations. Should a failure take place at one point of presence, another will replicate in fractions of a millisecond to ensure uninterrupted service.

PortaSwitch is designed to reinforce redundant systems like Redworks’, notes Khalenkov. “Redundancy and high availability are considered very important at PortaOne. Even basic PortaBilling100 and PortaSwitch setups include data redundancy by default: the product architecture assumes there is constant data replication between Master and Slave databases,” he said. “Fully redundant solutions like PortaSwitch Procinctus, where every business critical component is clustered, are also available to ensure the highest service availability essential for modern telecommunication providers and carriers.”

PortaSwitch MR21 Documentation for Converged Residential and Wholesale VoIP, IP Centrex, Prepaid, and Unified Messaging Services

Mon, 19 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0700

The brand new set of documentation for the PortaSwitch newest maintenance release 21 is now available for download from the Documentation page.

New documents include:

Administrator and web reference guides for PortaBilling
New series of PortaSwitch handbooks dedicated to residential VoIP, IP Centrex, prepaid, converged voice, IPTV and Internet / Wifi, unified communication, and wholesale VoIP services.

For more information on how to use these documents and about MR21, please contact our sales team.

PortaSwitch Procinctus Provides Class 5 Hosted IP On Three Continents For Cordia Communications

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Global Communications Leader Able to Support Complete Range of Office Telephony Services Via Single Solution

Global communications software company PortaOne, Inc. today announced that Cordia Corporation (CORG.PK), an international provider of traditional CLEC and VoIP technologies, has deployed PortaOne’s PortaSwitch Procinctus platform in Brazil and the United States, with future plans for deployment in India. Through its two regional installations of PortaSwitch Procinctus, PortaOne’s ultimate, high-capacity telecom services and subscriber management product, Cordia is able to support an exhaustive menu of IP telephony services, lowering costs and ensuring reliable Class 5 operation for its business customers in multiple markets.

Through its subsidiaries, Cordia provides traditional wireline and VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) calling services to business and residential customers in Australia, Brazil, Hong Kong, India, Latin America, the Philippines, and the United States. The Winter Garden, Florida-based global communications company also offers shared and dedicated DSL, international phone numbers, and wholesale telephony services. Cordia’s VoIP and international phone number services are some of the most extensive in the market today, with customers in over 45 countries around the world.

Cordia originally selected PortaOne nearly three years ago when it was seeking to upgrade its hosted IP services. “Our experience with PortaSwitch Procinctus has been very positive. The platform has the capacity, redundancy and complete feature set Cordia needed to aggressively expand its hosted VoIP business offerings,” said Kevin Griffo, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cordia Corporation. “We have used PortaSwitch Procinctus to help build our IP business on a global scale, and plan on future deployment as we continue expanding our global footprint.”

PortaSwitch Procinctus is comprised of three main components:

PortaBilling100 Advanced, enabling high-volume carriers to price, launch and provision their VoIP services;
PortaSIP cluster, a highly scalable SIP softswitch; and
PortaUM cluster, a unified messaging platform and a media server application that handles voice mail, fax, and regular e-mail messages.

Designed with a distributed architecture for high performance, Procinctus offers simultaneous multiprocessing (SMP) technology to increase billing engine capacity, as well as built-in redundancy and load balancing to ensure reliable operation even under periods of peak demand.

With PortaSwitch Procinctus, Cordia was able to achieve a total PBX feature set including:

Call Forwarding (Busy/No-Answer/Unconditional);
Call Hunting;
Call Forking (ringing multiple devices simultaneously);
Pre-Paid Service;
Voicemail (Dial-In/Email Notification);
Selective Call Blocking;
Selective Call Dialing;
Caller ID;
Call Waiting;
Group Calling (dialing extension numbers masked in groups);
Call Detail Record Output; and
UA/ATA/IAD/Soft Phone compatibility.

Cordia’s initial purchase was for PortaOne’s primary PortaSwitch platform. Soon after, Cordia added several secondary PortaSIP servers to enhance redundancy and increase capacity, and a staging system for internal development and testing. Its adoption of PortaSwitch Procinctus involved two installs in the past year. Today, the provider operates a total of four PortaSwitch systems:

PortaSwitch with servers in the U.S.;
a U.S.-based staging PortaSwitch install; and
two separate PortaSwitch Procinctus systems in Brazil and India.

“The source code which comes as a part of all PortaSwitch licenses makes it easy for Cordia to create and verify its own products in-house, shortening time-to-market for new services and saving the cost of outside development,” said Roman Khalenkov, PortaOne Sales and Marketing Director. “By deploying PortaSwitch Procinctus—the ultimate combination of PortaSwitch products and technologies—Cordia is able to stay ahead of its competition and give its customers a world-class quality of service.”

About Cordia Corporation

Cordia Corporation, through its operating subsidiaries, Cordia Communications Corp., CordiaIP Corp., Cordia Prepaid, Corp., My Tel Co, Inc., Northstar Telecom, Inc., and Cordia International Corp. offers business, residential, and wholesale customers local and long distance telecommunications services in more than sixty (60) countries utilizing traditional wireline and Voice over Internet Protocol (“VoIP”) technologies. In addition, Cordia develops and provides a suite of proprietary web-based billing software and outsourced services to local, long distance and VoIP telecommunications providers.

Telinta Provides Unique Benefits For Telecom Service Providers Via World�s Largest Hosted PortaSwitch Installation

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Telecom Companies on Six Continents, from Startups to Global Wholesale Carriers, Profit from Telinta’s Services Tailored to Each Company’s Size, Business Model and Service Menu

When the founders of Telinta, Inc. set out to create a VoIP infrastructure flexible enough to drive the service offerings of dozens of telecoms in every corner of the world, they knew their core management platform would have to be uniquely powerful. Their choice was PortaOne’s PortaSwitch.

“Very few manufacturers make a billing and customer management platform that allows for unique customization,” said Alex Ferdman, CEO of Telinta. “PortaSwitch enables us to tailor our telecom customers needs, yet still retain the upgrades and support PortaOne provides.”

Since 2002, Telinta has offered a complete turnkey billing, switching, and customer management platform on a Software as a Service (SaaS) basis to large and small telecommunications companies around the world. The privately owned company is headquartered in Springfield, New Jersey, with overseas offices in Switzerland and Ukraine. Today, Telinta is the world’s largest hosted PortaSwitch installation, serving a customer base that ranges from telecom startups to VoIP wholesalers, call shop operators, softswitch resellers and many large business and residential VoIP service providers.

“PortaSwitch has a number of capabilities that made it perfect for our needs,” said Ferdman. “In addition to its full source code, PortaSwitch can be partitioned independently. This allows our customers to run separate and distinct businesses with their own VoIP terminating vendors, routing and billing rules, logos and portals.” PortaSwitch, a Class 5-level product, is able to handle the full range of call control and billing functions of a diversified digital services company, from billing and provisioning to advanced call features, monitoring and reporting.

The comprehensive product consists of a real-time billing system, class 4/5 SIP softswitch, and application servers that deliver converged VoIP billing and provisioning, SIP call control, unified messaging, IP Centrex and hosted IP PBX, callback management, IVRs, conferencing and more.

With PortaSwitch as its core VoIP management infrastructure, Telinta is able to customize its service environment as needed to meet the needs of individual telecoms. Over the years, Telinta has developed various plug-ins and internal tools to support these features. Examples include:

H.323-to-SIP translation;
customized online signup;
PayPal, Liberty Reserve and CacheU payment systems;
workaround for non-compliant third-party devices;
customized reports and IP phone profiles;
Ajax APIs;
live call monitoring of customer and vendor ASR, ALOC, Cost and revenue;
advanced branded call shop interfaces;
personalized domain name and SSL certificate management; and
custom IVRs.

Telinta’s customers view Telinta as their source for not only private-label, customized telephony services, but also for virtually unlimited capacity. Customers pay only for the resources they use, no matter how great or small—and as they grow, Telinta remains one step ahead of their needs through its PortaSwitch-powered system.

“Our clients are able to concentrate on rapidly building their business, all without worrying about capacity limitations or switch uptime,” Ferdman said. “With PortaSwitch as our key platform, we have been able to build and establish a track record of helping telecoms achieve profit, regardless of the state of the worldwide economy.”

About Telinta, Inc.: Founded in 2002, Telinta, Inc. is the trusted partner of telecom service providers around the globe. The company owns and operates the largest PortaSwitch installation in the world, providing a complete and proven out-of-the-box telecom platform together with always-available expert 24/7 technical staff, enabling telecommunications companies to avoid capital investments while achieving rapid growth and development. Serving telecom operators across six continents, Telinta, Inc. has offices in the USA and Europe.

Innovative SS7 to VoIP Solution Successfully Inter-ops Against Market Leading VoIP Billing Package

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Squire Technologies and PortaOne sign-off a successful product inter-op.

Squire Technologies, the SS7 to VoIP Signaling Specialists and PortaOne, a leading global vendor of carrier grade software for modern telecommunication service providers successfully complete a formal inter-op between the SVI_MGC SS7 Media Gateway Controller and the PortaOne's PortaBilling100, a converged rating, billing, and service provisioning platform.

RADIUS AAA integration between SVI_MGC and PortaBilling100 allows real-time call authorization. In practical terms, this enables wholesale carriers and Internet telephony service providers to offer a mixture of pre-paid or post-paid telephony services with minimal financial risks exposure.

The CDR information is processed immediately after the call completion using PortaBilling100 flexible rating engine and the results are available to administrators via web interface or to customers through the self-care portal. The joint performance of SVI_MGC and PortaBilling100 optimizes most of the processes a service provider has to deal with, such as rate upload and management, invoice generation, reporting, and reconciliation.

Andrew Cooper, Managing Director, Squire Technologies, “We have deployed the SVI_MGC on a number of occasions with clients who are using PortaBilling100 – it has always been a smooth process. Strategically we wanted to arrange a formal inter-op with PortaOne to align ourselves with the industry leading converged VoIP billing product and to insure any existing customers wanting to move to this platform a smooth migration process.”

Roman Khalenkov, Sales and Marketing Director, PortaOne, “We were happy to add Squire Technologies’ innovative SS7 to VoIP solution to the stable of products that inter-op with PortaBilling100, our market leading converged VoIP billing and service provisioning system. I hope we can continue to provide our mutual customers with the dual benefit of these innovative market leading products.”

About Squire Technologies

Specialist provider of carrier-class signaling, SS7 and VoIP products and services, Squire Technologies supplies cost-effective solutions to carriers, service providers and ISPs globally. The mature SVI_MGC SS7 Media Gateway Controller provides seamless interconnection between different networks running different types and versions of VoIP and PSTN protocols. It supports varied protocols with SS7, H.323 and SIP as standard, it opens up the PSTN network to all MGCP and H.248 enabled media gateways and provides all call control protocol termination.

PortaOne Exhibited at CeBIT 2010, the World's Foremost Tradeshow for the Digital Industry in Hannover, Germany

Tue, 09 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0800

PortaOne showcased its converged VoIP billing and softswitch platform at CeBIT last week. CeBIT has been one of the major exhibitions in Europe for many years; and this is not the first time when PortaOne participated in the event: PortaOne exhibited at CeBIT events in 2007 and 2008. The shows gave us an exciting opportunities to meet new customers all around Europe.

Please meet us at International Telecommunication Week 2010 on May 24-26 in Washington, DC. PortaOne will be at Booth 812 in Marriott Wardman Park Hotel at 2660 Woodley Road NW, Washington, DC.

Zapatero, Merkel Visited PortaOne Booth at CeBIT 2010 in Hanover, Germany

Tue, 02 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Today is the first day at CeBIT 2010, the major telecommunication event in Hanover, Germany. Angela Merkel, the Chancellor of Germany and José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, the President of the Government of Spain have visited PortaOne booth at CeBIT.

Please visit our booth D15 in Hall 13 from today till Saturday, March 6, 2010.

PortaOne Launches Billing Channel on TMCnet to Promote PortaBilling, a Converged VoIP Billing Software Solution

Mon, 01 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Technology Marketing Corporation (TMC) today announced that the Billing channel, sponsored by PortaOne, Inc., has been launched as the newest addition to the TMCnet Billing channel program.

PortaOne's core product, PortaBilling is a customer management and converged VoIP billing platform that enables carriers and IP Telephony service providers to launch, price and provision VoIP services. With PortaOne’s converged VoIP billing application, companies are offered a solution that allows ITSPs to increase revenue stream potential through a wide array of usage-based billing options. Whether it’s postpaid billing applications, or prepaid billing solutions, PortaOne offers its customers the ability to select a product that fits their professional goals.

PortaBilling is a part of a much larger carrier grade platform called PortaSwitch. PortaSwitch is capable of handling the complete call control and converged VoIP billing functions of a diversified digital services company, enabling wholesale VoIP carriers and ITSPs to deliver a wide variety of business models quickly and flexibly. With PortaSwitch, PortaBilling is fully integrated with a class 4/5 SIP softswitch and media servers that deliver unified messaging, IP Centrex and hosted IPPBX, callback management, IVRs, conferencing and more.

The new channel can be found at: http://www.tmcnet.com/channels/billing

TMCnet’s channels are micro-targeted information portals where readers can find topic-specific news, articles, feature stories and product reviews. TMCnet has more than 100 channels covering important topics in the IP Communications, VoIP, IP Telephony, Cloud Computing, Smart Grid and Information Technology industries.

“PortaOne is pleased to begin its collaboration with TMC, the leader of communications and technology media,” said Roman Khalenkov, sales and marketing director at PortaOne. “Taking advantage of TMCnet’s industry-specific credibility and expertise in driving customer traffic will reinforce our branding and distinguish PortaOne as the leader in billing applications.”

Established in 1997, PortaOne Inc. began as an in-house VoIP billing software project for a leading European ISP. Evolving into its own dynamic enterprise, PortaOne Inc.’s mission is to remove high capital requirements for companies aiming to transition to the global carrier-grade service provider market. The open architecture of PortaOne’s solutions make it possible for enterprises to communicate and cooperate with each other, no matter what system they use, what language they speak or what currency they conduct their business.

The Billing channel will serve as the primary source for industry news on leading information on how to improve your business through correctly organizing and maintaining your billing system.

“TMCnet welcomes PortaOne’s Billing channel into our program,” said Dave Rodriguez, president of TMC. “PortaOne is a well-respected communications infrastructure vendor that shares our vision in the advancement of new technologies. Our channel program is a community-building vehicle assisting our partners in building their brand, while contributing to the vast array of valuable content which drives customer and prospect traffic to TMCnet, the most-visited communications and technology Web site in the world.”

TMCnet is the leader in the communications and technology media space, boasting more than 10 million unique visitors and 300 million page views annually.

Service Providers and Carriers in Egypt Met PortaOne Team at Cairo ICT

Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Cairo ICT is the major telecommunication and IT event in Egypt and in the whole M. East region and Africa.

This year was the first but really inspiring time for PortaOne to exhibit in Egypt. We already have customers in Egypt using our converged VoIP billing and carrier grade softswitch of class 4-5 solutions and we hope to extend our success in this country.

In three weeks, PortaOne will meet its European clients exhibiting at CeBIT in Hanover, Germany. Please meet us at Hall 13, Booth D15, on March 2-6.

PortaSwitch Telecom Subscriber Management Platform Now Includes RT: Request Tracker CRM/Ticketing System

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Leading Enterprise-Grade Ticketing Product Gives PortaSwitch Users Ability to Manage Subscriber Issues from Customer Info Screen; Creating New Ticket Requires Single Click

PortaOne, Inc. and Best Practical Solutions LLC, makers of issue tracking system RT: Request Tracker (RT), today announced the integration of RT into PortaOne’s PortaSwitch telecommunications services and subscriber management platform for telephony service providers. The integration gives PortaSwitch service providers a powerful new tool for improving both issue resolution and overall customer satisfaction.

RT: Request Tracker, the world’s leading open-source issue-tracking system, has been proven since 1996 in thousands of companies around the world, from Fortune 100 companies to small non-profits. Starting with PortaSwitch Maintenance Release 21 (MR21), the tool comes as a free upgrade for subscribers of PortaSwitch’s PortaCare 24/7 technical support and maintenance program, and is also offered to all new customers at no cost.

RT is suitable for tracking customer service inquiries as well as a wide range of other business processes. It manages key tasks such as issue identification, prioritization, assignment, resolution and notification, and delivers the essential information necessary for fast and professional help desk, CRM and Network Operations Center (NOC) ticketing.

“Using RT can dramatically simplify and improve customer service workflows, giving service providers a pathway for major performance increases,” said Roman Khalenkov, PortaOne Sales and Marketing Director. “PortaOne has used RT internally for over five years for its own issue tracking needs. We understand its value not only through our own daily use, but also through the positive feedback we’ve received from our own customers.”

“ PortaSwitch is an ideal application for RT. Users can provide a welcome communication path for end users, and its interface has been fully internationalized in ten major world languages,” said Keri Shaughnessy, Sales Manager from Best Practical Solutions. “Internally, the platform allows customer service personal to track a ticket’s full history and establish metadata in order to better retain knowledge and analyze service trends. We believe PortaSwitch users will greatly benefit from this technology partnership.”

RT is integrated into the PortaSwitch CRM/ticketing system as a seamless part of PortaSwitch’s PortaBilling100, a converged VoIP billing and customer management platform. Users access RT via the Customer Info screen in PortaBilling100, which directly links to the ticketing interface. Once accessed, RT displays a list of the customer’s open tickets where they can be easily accessed, all on one screen. Creating a new ticket from the display requires only a single click.

PortaSwitch, PortaOne’s flagship product, is capable of handling the complete call control and converged VoIP billing functions of a diversified digital services company, enabling wholesale VoIP carriers and ITSPs to deliver a wide variety of business models quickly and flexibly. The comprehensive product consists of a real-time billing system, class 4/5 SIP softswitch, and application servers that deliver converged VoIP billing and provisioning, SIP call control, unified messaging, IP Centrex and hosted IP PBX, callback management, IVRs, conferencing and more.

Free PortaClient iPhone App Makes VoIP Calls, Account Management Easy For PortaSwitch Users

Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Demo Version Now Available Via Apple AppStore; App Allows Users to Check Account Balance, Change Settings, Initiate Calls Using PortaSwitch Callback Engine and More

PortaOne, Inc. today announced the availability of its new PortaClient app for the Apple iPhone — an application promising new convenience to customers of VoIP service providers using PortaOne’s PortaSwitch platform. PortaClient, now available at no cost in a demo version, lets iPhone end-users access their account information and usage data, check balances, manage their service settings, and even initiate low-cost VoIP calls using the PortaSwitch callback engine (callback feature disabled in demo version).

Effective immediately, VoIP service providers and telecom operators can request a customized version of PortaClient supporting their customer base from Spoledge, a PortaOne business partner and developer of PortaClient. The PortaClient demo app is now available for download at no cost from the iPhone AppStore; to obtain the app, go to the PortaClient page.

“PortaOne’s new PortaClient iPhone app delivers benefits to end-users and service providers alike,” said Roman Khalenkov, PortaOne Sales and Marketing Director. “For any ITSP running PortaSwitch, PortaClient is a powerful mobile enhancement for current and prospective subscribers. For any end customer who uses an iPhone, PortaClient is a terrifically convenient way to not only make low-cost VoIP calls on the go, but also to access their account information anytime.”

PortaSwitch, PortaOne’s flagship product, is a premier telecommunications services and subscriber management platform for telephony service providers. Capable of handling the complete call control and VoIP billing functions of a diversified digital services company, PortaSwitch allows wholesale VoIP carriers and Internet Telephony Service Providers to deliver a wide variety of business models quickly and flexibly.

The PortaClient iPhone app offers a full range of users including:

customer information (balance, status and payment status);
account information (contact, status, balance and validity);
call processing (set ups for ring, call forwarding and voicemail);
call list (showing five most recent calls);and
VoIP calling via PortaSwitch’s callback feature (to make a VoIP call, the user supplies the requested number to the PortaSwitch engine, which then calls the user back and initiates the connection).

Spoledge (aka Společně s.r.o.), developer of the PortaClient app, is a longtime PortaOne partner. The diversified software company develops telecom infrastructure solutions as well as productivity and educational applications for the Apple iPhone. In addition to its development activities, Spoledge provides consulting, analysis and integration services to telecoms and affiliated infrastructure providers. Spoledge will provide a customized version of PortaClient to PortaOne clients and for their resellers that use PortaSwitch partitions or virtual environment.

PortaOne Has Exhibited at ITEXPO 2010 East in Miami Beach, FL

Fri, 22 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Today was the last of three days of extensive communication among the industry crowd at ITEXPO 2010 East in Miami Beach, FL. PortaOne has been exhibiting at ITEXPO for many years now; and this one was probably the tenth show in a row.

As always, ITEXPO has fully served its purpose: we met many new clients and had very successful meetings with many of our current customers from around the globe.

Interview with Roman Khalenkov, Sales and Marketing Director.

Please meet PortaOne team in Cairo in less than two weeks from now. We are going to be exhibiting at Cairo ICT on February 7-10 in Cairo, Egypt. PortaOne will be in Hall 3, booth 3A1.

Apollo Communications Chooses Most Advanced PortaOne Billing Platform For New VoIP PBX Offering

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0800

PortaOne’s PortaBilling Oracularius to Provide Tier 1 Scalability and Reliability as well as Full Complement of Provisioning and Pricing Options; Solution to Extend to Consumer Business

PortaOne today announced from ITEXPO East 2010 in Miami that Apollo Communications, one of Europe’s most progressive VoIP telecom providers, has selected PortaOne’s PortaBilling Oracularius to power its new Junex VoIP PBX product. PortaBilling Oracularius will give Junex a full complement of launching, pricing and provisioning capabilities combined with virtually unlimited scalability and assured reliability in Oracle Real Application Cluster environments.

Apollo Communications, based in Saint Petersburg, Russia and with U.S. offices in New York City, is a provider of VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) services to both individuals and companies. It offers international calling as well as long distance/international calling cards and services customers in both Russia and the United States.

Apollo’s new Junex VoIP PBX (Private Branch eXchange) product will give companies a state-of-the-art calling system including all conventional PBX features such as voicemail, auto attendant and conference calling, at a cost far below that of conventional PBX systems.

PortaBilling Oracularius will complement the onsite advantages of Junex by providing the industry’s most powerfully advanced VoIP billing infrastructure. PortaBilling Oracularius is a ready-to-use product that offers both unlimited scalability and full redundancy. Its innovative features include:

Real-time mediation and rating
Multiple services billing
Event-based, usage-based and periodic charging
Reseller and distributor channels
E-commerce and customer self-care interface
Support for resellers and distributors
Custom charging formulas and programmable discount plans
Prepaid/postpaid business models
Support for the full billing cycle, from service provisioning to invoicing and collection.

“In order to adopt PortaBilling Oracularius, we needed to migrate from our legacy MySQL database structure to the Oracle Real Application Cluster which supports Oracularius. PortaOne’s engineers helped us to plan the migration and were there every step of the way,” said Jeffrey Platt, Vice President of Apollo Communications. “The transition was well planned and flawless. We made the conversion without a minute of downtime. It was seamless to our customers.”

“As one of our first customers, Apollo Communications has been a valued part of our company’s success. We’re extremely pleased that our relationship is continuing to grow through Apollo’s migration to PortaBilling Oracularius,” said Roman Khalenkov, PortaOne Sales and Marketing Director. “The adoption of Oracularius will allow Apollo to not only offer one of the best ranges of hosted IP PBX billing options and services anywhere, but also rapidly expand its call volume to tens of millions of minutes per day as its Junex business develops.”

In addition to its proven reliability and flexibility, PortaBilling Oracularius is set apart in the industry through its unlimited perpetual license which includes embedded license for Oracle Real Application Cluster. The feature allows users to grow quickly through an all-in-one product, without having to renegotiate or reconfigure their customer support platform.

PortaOne Brings New Features, Even Greater Durability To PortaSwitch Via New Maintenance Release 21

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Maintenance Release 21 Marks System’s Migration to 64-Bit Oracle Enterprise Linux; Upgrades Include CRM Integration, Call Recording, Configuration/Logging Server and More

PortaOne announces today PortaSwitch Maintenance Release 21 (MR21), a significant new version of our telecommunication services and subscriber management platform for telephony service providers. With PortaSwitch MR21, PortaOne delivers to its customers a number of new opportunities and benefits that bring greater robustness, easier management and operation, and enhanced profitability to their core telecom operations.

PortaSwitch MR21 is expected to be made available before the end of the year at no charge to subscribers of the company’s PortaCare 24/7 technical support and maintenance program. The upgraded product will be available to new PortaSwitch customers in January. Selected new features include:

64-Bit Oracle Enterprise Linux OS

With MR21, PortaSwitch migrates from the FreeBSD operating system to 64-bit Oracle Enterprise Linux, a professional-grade operating system that will bring an even higher level of robustness to the PortaSwitch platform. PortaSwitch users will benefit from the same OS used in PortaOne’s premium PortaBilling Oracularius product, along with carrier-grade support for ultra-modern hardware platforms and the ability to drastically increase performance by using large amounts of RAM.

Call Recording

PortaSwitch MR21’s call recording capability gives service providers an exciting new feature to offer their enterprise and SMB end-users. The capability, especially useful for medical or legal offices, can be deployed to any hosted IPPBX or IP Centrex system, and supports recording and playback on both incoming and outgoing calls. Recording can even be initiated in the middle of a call by dialing a special key combination on the phone’s keypad.

Softphone Client

PortaSwitch MR21 debuts PortaPhone, a new PC dialer/softphone client that supports PC-to-phone dialing. PortaPhone allows end-users to easily dial and receive calls from their computer screen, and gives service providers a strong feature base for increasingly popular PC-to-phone or Skype-like services .

New Configuration And Logging Server With Seamless Update

PortaSwitch MR21 introduces a brand-new unified management interface that also stores all configuration information. Through one interface, users can now control all other servers that compose PortaSwitch, even in large-scale deployments.

All new releases and builds of PortaSwitch can now be seamlessly distributed from the configuration server to individual servers — PortaSIP, for example — as an image, like the firmware images used in products such as Cisco gateways. Images can be applied to the server without affecting the current operation, becoming effective after reboot. Using the image procedure, migrations can be executed extremely quickly and with minimal downtime; what’s more, the previous image is preserved in case a rollback is required.

In addition to executing operations such as migrating applications from one server to another, the configuration server provides the ability to collect, process and store session logs (e.g. SIP messages exchanged between IP phones and the server) and other business critical data. This creates a useful analysis tool with no extra load on the production system.

CRM Integration

For some time, PortaOne customers have enjoyed the convenience of a CRM/ticketing system when communicating with the PortaOne support team. Now PortaSwitch offers the same capability for ITSPs managing trouble tickets involving end-users, thanks to the integrated bundling of RT (Request Tracker), an enterprise-grade ticketing system from Best Practical Solutions. RT manages customer requests via the Customer Info screen in PortaBilling100, where a list of the customer’s open tickets can be seen and accessed. Creating a new ticket requires just a single click .

“Maintenance upgrades for telecom products usually involve a few bug fixes and relatively mild performance improvements. PortaSwitch MR21 demonstrates our commitment to keep PortaSwitch at the top of the pack in reliability, usability and end-user value,” said Andriy Zhylenko, chief technical officer for PortaOne. “We believe our customers will appreciate the list of tangible features that will have real impact in their day-to-day operations.”

PortaSwitch is capable of handling the complete call control and converged VoIP billing functions of a diversified digital services company, enabling wholesale VoIP carriers and ITSPs to deliver a wide variety of business models quickly and flexibly. The comprehensive product consists of a real-time billing system, class 4/5 SIP softswitch, and application servers that deliver converged VoIP billing and provisioning, SIP call control, unified messaging, IP Centrex and hosted IP PBX, callback management, IVRs, conferencing and more.

Please contact us if you need more technical or pricing information about our PortaSwitch.

Finnish VoIP Network Leader IXO Systems Succeeds In Competitive Market Using Flexible PortaOne Platforms

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

PortaBilling100 Billing & Customer Management and PortaSIP Call Control Packages Are Core Elements of Company’s Offerings to Wholesale and Residential Customers

PortaOne today announced its PortaBilling100 and PortaSIP products have been installed as core technologies in the VoIP infrastructure of IXO Systems Oy, a Porvoo, Finland-based provider of IP-based telephony and multimedia services for resellers and service providers as well as retail customers. Using PortaOne’s products, IXO Systems is able to quickly generate a broad range of customer-facing features and services that help keep it atop the Finnish and Russian telecom marketplaces.

Founded in 2005 and acquired by a team of international telecom experts earlier this year, IXO Systems provides turnkey solutions enabling service providers and resellers of all sizes to go to market with state-of-the-art VoIP networks and/or product offerings. The company also provides wholesale VoIP trunking and DID (Direct Inward Dial) services. The retail division, IziVox, offers SIP telephony and related services for residential and business customers in Finland, Russia and elsewhere.

“The variety of IP telecom segments in which we operate demands a communications infrastructure that is not only reliable and scalable, but also able to respond to a constantly changing VoIP market landscape,” said Alexei Palii, Chief Technical Officer of IXO Systems Oy. “With PortaBilling100 and PortaSIP, IXO and IziVox have both gained a reputation for innovative and proactive solutions. With these software platforms, PortaOne supports us with regular feature upgrades and exceptionally short time-to-market.”

PortaBilling100, PortaOne’s carrier-grade service management and converged VoIP billing software platform, allows IP telephony providers to launch, price and provision their services immediately. PortaBilling100 uses a real-time authorization, authentication and VoIP billing engine to provide AAA services via the RADIUS protocol. It supports Caller-ID (ANI) based billing, information on priority-based and least-cost routing, CDR processing, and advanced statistics such as cost/revenue and ASR. PortaBilling100 can also be used by wholesale VoIP carriers who terminate VoIP calls for other providers.

PortaSIP, a class 4/5 softswitch, supports IXO’s service model by allowing instant messaging, call parking, group pickup, NAT transversal and other advanced calling capabilities. With PortaSIP, services that combine elements from telephony and other Web applications such as e-mail, messaging, Internet and video streaming can be easily created. The product’s short planning and implementation cycle allows it to respond quickly to market changes.

“IXO Systems is unique in its insistence on technologies that are robust, inherently compatible, and built to answer the needs of people in the real world. PortaBilling100 and PortaSIP, combined with our open and responsive technical support team, provide the flexibility IXO Systems seeks,” said Roman Khalenkov, PortaOne Sales and Marketing Director. “PortaSIP and PortaBilling100 give IXO Systems a unified, customizable core infrastructure from which to serve its diverse and growing mix of customers.”

WTL And PortaOne Provide Xplorium With Nimble, Expandable Next-Generation Network On Five Continents

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0800

International VoIP Carrier Benefits from WTL’s High-Compression SS7-to-VoIP Gateway, Tightly Integrated with PortaOne’s PortaSwitch Softswitch and Converged VoIP Billing Software

Global communications infrastructure companies PortaOne, Inc. and World Telecom Labs (WTL) today announced their respective flagship technologies have been deployed at Xplorium, an international VoIP carrier operating in Europe, the United States, the Middle East, South America and Africa. Using the two vendors’ tightly integrated platforms, Xplorium is able to easily connect SS7 and VoIP networks, establish new points of presence, compress network traffic while maintaining call quality, and achieve complex billing scenarios, among other benefits.

Xplorium’s billing and switching infrastructure achieves Next-Generation Network (NGN) status via the deployment of WTL’s SoIP product and PortaOne’s PortaSwitch telecom service management platform. SoIP (SS7 over IP) is a compact, high performance and cost effective SS7 to IP gateway providing signaling and media gateway capabilities in a single box. Ideal for ISPs, pure-play VoIP operators or for adding VoIP connectivity to legacy switches, SoIP also employs WTL’s Network Optimization Protocol (NOP) — a VoIP compression technique that delivers up to 16:1 compression to increase traffic capacity without sacrificing voice quality.

PortaOne’s PortaSwitch is capable of handling the complete call control and converged VoIP billing functions of a diversified digital services company. PortaSwitch lets IP telephony service providers deliver a wide variety of business models quickly and flexibly. The comprehensive product consists of a class 4 and 5 SIP softswitch and application servers that deliver converged VoIP billing and provisioning, SIP call control, unified messaging, IP Centrex and hosted IP PBX, callback management, IVRs, conferencing and more.

“Xplorium is committed to continually improving its core network with best-of-breed infrastructure. WTL and PortaOne clearly meet these standards,” said Mr. Karim el Charif, Technical Director of Xplorium. “WTL switches allow us to reach and expand our services by easily generating new points of presence as needed, while the WTL compression technique helps us increase our traffic capacity. With PortaOne, we can furnish full scale Class 5 communications services including IP Centrex and unified communication, along with very reliable and flexible VoIP billing scenarios.”

“It’s exciting to see a valued partner like Xplorium optimize its service offering using WTL SoIP and NOP technologies,” noted Simon Pearson, Business Development Director of WTL. “Our NOP delivers great bandwidth, and therefore reduced cost, on Xplorium’s long distance links from Africa and the Middle East. What’s more, Xplorium’s customers report full satisfaction with their call quality, even though each call requires as little as 6 Kbps. And WTL equipment is very easy for Xplorium engineers to set up and manage remotely — a real benefit for a company that serves such a broad geographic area.”

Xplorium has standardized on WTL equipment for all its remote Points of Presence (PoPs) as well as at its headquarters site in Paris, France. The same WTL technology is used at all remote sites, whether the site has SS7, Q931 or VoIP connections.

Roman Khalenkov, PortaOne Sales and Marketing Director, commented on the ability of his company’s PortaSwitch to interoperate with WTL’s SoIP SS7-to-VoIP switch. “Together, PortaSwitch and SoIP comprise a proven and extremely nimble solution,” he said. Not only does SoIP make reliable VoIP-to-PSTN connectivity a reality, but in concert with PortaSwitch, it is possible to offer the range of value-added features business customers expect.”

PortaOne Returned to Exhibiting at Gitex Last Week in Dubai, UAE

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Last week was a very intensive time for PortaOne sales and marketing team: we were in Dubai, UAE exhibiting at Gitex 2009, the major telecommunication and IT trade show in the Middle East.

This was the second time for us at Gitex. We were there presenting our VoIP billing and carrier softswitch solutions three years ago at Gitex 2006.

The show was so successful that we decided to participate at the 30th Gitex next year right there in our booth within Canadian pavilion.

Please meet us at ITEXPO East in Miami Beach, FL on January 21-22, 2010. Our booth is 424.

Pre-Release New Features Announcement and Overview: PortaSwitch Maintenance Release 21

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700

The MR21 will be available for installation on the staging systems in November this year. Please find below a short overview of the PortaSwitch new features that are going to be available with MR21:

64-Bit Oracle Enterprise Linux 5.4	This maintenance release 21 utilizes a state-of-the-art operating system with support for many types of modern hardware platforms. Besides numerous improvements to internal design and security, the 64bit architecture allows the use of large amounts of RAM, thus dramatically increasing overall system performance.
Configuration Management	In order to simplify management of large-scale PortaSwitch deployments containing multiple servers, configuration of the PortaSwitch system itself will be managed via a single, unified web interface. Administrators can manage the available hardware servers, assign or change their roles, and modify parameters like IP addresses or other options which affect the way the system operates. The configuration is stored on a designated server, and can be applied to all other servers without any intervention by the administrator. This allows to perform such operations as application migration from one server to another in just a few minutes. Also, the configuration management GUI retains a history of configuration changes, making it easy to roll back to the last stable set-up.
Distributors	This new entity is designed to expand sales activities by involving extra agents and enlarging the point-of–sale network. A distributor can create new customers or accounts and accept payments on behalf of an ITSP. The system automatically controls credit limits (each account activation is immediately reflected in the distributor’s balance) and calculates commissions. Distributors can be also be used by resellers, thus adding another level to the distribution scheme.
CRM Ticketing System	As a part of the PortaSwitch functionality, PortaOne customers will have access to the RT ticketing system, enabling robust management of customer trouble tickets. While running on a separate server, RT is fully integrated with PortaBilling. Thus a list of the customer’s open tickets is visible on the “Customer Info” screen in PortaBilling, while creating a new ticket requires just a single click.
Improved Rate Upload	An interactive process enables you to process and review the rate file, apply changes to it, and perform associated operations such as creating new prefixes and assigning them to destination groups. All of this is done in an intuitive, step-by-step process which takes less time and eliminates possible errors.
Call Recording	Users are able to automatically record and replay all incoming or outgoing calls. Alternatively, they can start recording a call in progress by dialing a special key combination on the phone keypad.
RFC4244 and RFC3325	The support of history information and asserted identity within trusted networks will satisfy the interconnection requirements often imposed by large national telco operators.
SIP over TCP	The support of SIP over TCP allows ITSPs to provide SIP trunking services to new groups of customers, particularly those using Microsoft OCS.
GUI for PortaUM Application Configuration	Individual application parameters, such as whether ANI authentication should be performed, or announcing the available balance to the customer, are now configured via the PortaBilling web interface, and changes can be applied automatically.

Please note that this is a preliminary announcement and the list above is not 100% complete and confirmed yet. For more information please contact us.

Andriy Zhylenko, PortaOne CTO Spoke at VON on Wholesale VoIP and the New Testing Technologies

Wed, 23 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Andriy Zhylenko, CTO at PortaOne has delivered two very well received presentations this week at VON Conference & Expo 2009 in South Beach, FL this week.

Andriy spoke about the challenges many carriers face on the international wholesale voice market. His second presentation named "From QoS to QoE: New Technologies for Testing IP Networks" was mainly focussed on how PortaOne customers use the PortaSwitch quality measurement tools.

This was the first time PortaOne exhibited at a newly revived VON show. We have met with our Florida customers and partners and successfully introduced PortaOne solutions to many new carriers and service providers from across the US and Latin America.

Mr. Zhylenko will share his extensive experience of participating at a international trade show at ISDEF Conference next week in Moscow, Russia.

PortaOne will also exhibit at another major trade show this year: Gitex Business Solutions on October 18-22, 2009 in Dubai, UAE. Please meet PortaOne team in Dubai International Conference and Exhibition Centre, Hall 2, Canadian Pavilion, Booth A2-36.

PortaOne Has Met New And Current Clients at Internet Telephony Conference And Expo West 2009 in Los Angeles, CA

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Here is the end of the second very intensive day at ITEXPO West 2009 in smoky Los Angeles September of 2009. It has been a good tradition for many years for PortaOne to come to Southern California at this time of year to meet with our customers, mingle with industry professionals, and meet new people and companies yet to become our clients.

We will participate in another show shortly, just in less than three weeks from now. Please meet us in South Beach, FL at VON 2009 in Miami Beach Convention Center on September 21-22, 2009. Our booth is 1408.

PortaOne Announces DIDXchange Interoperability, Enabling Access To Global DID Phone Number Marketplace

Mon, 17 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Users of PortaOne’s PortaSwitch IP Call Control/Billing Subsystem Can Now Offer Their PBX Customers Direct Inward Dialing (DID) Numbers from Over 60 Countries

PortaOne and DIDX, operator of the DIDXchange and a service of Super Technologies, Inc., today announced the successful interoperability of PortaOne’s PortaSwitch IP multimedia subsystem with the DIDXchange routing and provisioning application. The combination allows PortaSwitch VoIP users to purchase and provision their customers with local DID (Direct Inward Dialing) phone numbers in over 60 countries around the world, thereby giving those users a strong competitive advantage in the VoIP PBX segment.

DIDXchange, begun in 2005 by Super Technologies, is an online wholesale marketplace for DID phone numbers. The popular exchange allows CLECs, ILECs and other local telecommunications companies to sell their allocated and unused DID numbers to telecom service providers internationally. Pensacola, Florida-based DIDXchange has 12,500 member companies in 170 countries, and is one of the only true online marketplaces for buying, selling and trading local DID numbers.

Direct Inward Dialing numbers are a staple of Private Branch Exchanges (PBXs), the core telephony system found at most businesses and other workplaces. Employees with a DID phone number can be called directly by outside without going through a receptionist or company operator.

Through its support for the DIDXchange software switch, PortaOne brings new value and flexibility to PortaSwitch users. PortaSwitch is a software-based communication services and subscriber management solution that lets IP telephony service providers deliver a wide variety of business models quickly and flexibly. The comprehensive, Class 5 product consists of a softswitch and application servers, delivering billing and provisioning, SIP call control, unified messaging, IP Centrex and hosted IP PBX, voice VPN, callback management, conferencing and more.

“Some of the most innovative companies and entrepreneurs are leveraging PortaOne’s compatibility with major equipment vendors such as Cisco, NexTone, and Quintum. Before this interop with PortaSwitch, many of PortaOne’s clients were approaching DIDX separately or even going to individual carriers to purchase DID numbers,” said Suzanne Bowen, vice president of marketing for Super Technologies, Inc. “Today’s announcement will be welcome news for PortaSwitch users. We look forward to working with PortaOne to greatly simplify the process of buying and distributing DIDs on a global basis.”

“Obtaining DIDs is an important, even vital, aspect of modern VoIP service offerings. Having direct access to the DIDXchange will be of great convenience for PortaSwitch users,” said Roman Khalenkov, sales and marketing director for PortaOne. “This partnership with DIDX brings additional value to the PortaSwitch feature set and helps our customers be increasingly competitive in their respective markets.”

PortaSwitch Customers Have New Option: �Billion Phone� VoIP Softphone That Displays Customer Balance Onscreen

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Successful Interoperability Testing Brings ProfInfoTech’s Innovative Downloadable Softphone to PortaOne Customers and Their End-Users; Private Label Branding Also Available

Global communications infrastructure company PortaOne, Inc. today announced it has successfully concluded interoperability testing with the Billion Phone SIP-softphone freeware application. Created and marketed by VoIP software developer Professional Information Technologies, Ltd. (ProfInfoTech), the unique application differentiates a service provider’s offerings by giving their end-users a way to monitor their account balance onscreen while they make VoIP calls over their PC. The software can be customized and branded to suit the service provider’s needs.

PortaOne’s demonstrated interoperability is between Billion Phone and PortaSwitch, PortaOne’s IP multimedia subsystem. PortaSwitch, a Class 5-level product, is able to handle the full range of call control and billing functions from billing and provisioning to advanced call features, monitoring and reporting. The platform includes a complete API, along with an open and easily-understood source code, to facilitate customization of services to any business partner’s needs.

Billion Phone is a compact and easily downloadable application that creates an easy-to-use onscreen tool for making and receiving VoIP calls. In addition to displaying account balance, the application includes contact list capability as well as call history, speaker/microphone volume controls and other settings.

“As a well-known VoIP infrastructure software company, PortaOne is an ideal technology partner for ProfInfoTech and Billion Phone. The reliability, scalability, and feature-rich design of PortaSwitch, combined with its carrier-grade billing and customer management capabilities, makes our two companies’ joint offerings an excellent combined choice for service providers and their customers,” said Anton Kanailov, Chief Executive Officer of ProfInfoTech.

“Billion Phone is an innovative product that can help set apart a service provider’s offerings. Whether offered as a retail value-add, or as part of a hosted IP PBX, IP Centrex or other networked package, Billion Phone is a tool end-users will appreciate,” said Roman Khalenkov, sales and marketing director for PortaOne. “With Billion Phone, PortaSwitch customers have a low-cost strategy for making the VoIP calling process even more convenient.”

Billion Phone is offered as freeware, with charges incurred only when services are customized. Because it can be branded for the customer, Billion Phone makes the provider’s services more recognizable and helps build stronger relationships with subscribers. To further enhance provider branding, PortaSwitch offers a white label interface for customer self-care Web pages.

DIDX, PortaOne Record a Podcast to Discuss the Unique Advantages of PortaSwitch: Source Code, 24/7 Technical Support and Maintenance

Wed, 15 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

DIDX offers DID (Direct Inward Dialing) phone numbers to Internet telephony service providers, wireless operators, competitive local exchange carriers (CLEC), incumbent local exchange carriers, and communications entrepreneurs.

Suzanne Bowen, VP Marketing at DIDX and Roman Khalenkov, Sales & Marketing Director at PortaOne recorded a short podcast while discussing the current trends of the modern telecommunications and how PortaOne addresses ever changing needs of the industry players.

Learn more about billing and other software products offered by PortaOne along with full source code and PortaCare, a 24/7 technical support and maintenance, by listening the podcast below:

PortaOne, MERA Systems Announce Interoperability Of MVTS Pro And PortaBilling100

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Combination of MERA Systems’ Softswitch plus Session Border Controller with PortaOne’s Billing/Customer Management Platform Provide End-to-End VoIP Traffic Solution

Global communications infrastructure company PortaOne, Inc. and carrier-grade VoIP solutions provider MERA Systems Inc. today announced the successful completion of interoperability testing for two of the companies’ key VoIP network products, MERA VoIP Transit Softswitch Pro (MVTS Pro) and PortaBilling100. Working together, the two products provide an ultra-scalable, flexible and end-to-end platform for handling VoIP transit traffic, combining high-performance management of VoIP traffic with a total billing and customer management solution.

Unveiled in Q2 of 2008, MVTS Pro is MERA Systems’ class 4 softswitch and session border controller platform. Designed to fit a carrier’s growing demands for scalability, redundancy and protocol support, MVTS Pro provides collection, switching and transcoding of VoIP traffic; management of signaling and media data streams; and border access control. Able to process up to 1,000 new calls per second, the product provides carriers with elaborate analysis tools for network control and resolution of quality of service (QoS) problems.

PortaBilling100, PortaOne’s carrier-grade service management and billing solution, allows IP telephony providers to launch, price and provision their services immediately. PortaBilling100 uses a real-time authorization, authentication and billing engine to provide AAA services via the RADIUS protocol. It supports Caller-ID (ANI) based billing, information on priority-based and least-cost routing, CDR processing, and advanced statistics such as cost/revenue and ASR. PortaBilling100 can also be used by wholesale providers who terminate VoIP calls for other providers.

“MERA Systems and PortaOne have a long history of successful ooperation. Our two companies have demonstrated a joint commitment to providing customers with cost-effective, reliable and up-to-date solutions that develop our customers’ businesses,” said Konstantin Nikashov, the CEO of MERA Systems, Inc. “In this challenging economic environment, it’s vitally important for carriers to benefit from traffic handling. The combination of highly reliable solutions from top-name vendors is a cornerstone of any business success.”

“PortaBilling100 and MVTS Pro offer an unusually strong fit for carriers and service providers. Their features complement each others perfectly, creating a scalable, easy-to-manage environment with painless integration using open protocols,” noted Roman Khalenkov, sales and marketing director for PortaOne.

MERA Systems and PortaOne have a partnership history dating back nearly four years.

PortaSwitch New Features Animated Flash Presentation for MR19 and MR20: Billing, Softswitch, and Unified Messaging

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

The newest maintenance releases of PortaSwitch are MR19 and MR20. We continue posting the animated flash presentations that describe the newest features developed by PortaOne in a very easy to understand format: please find it on the top of the Documentation page .

VoIP Core Services Provider ICC Networks Gains Ability To Tailor Billing/Service Offerings Via PortaSwitch

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Flexible, Fully-Featured VoIP Platform Allows ICC Networks To Brand and Customize Turn-Key Solutions for Partners and Resellers

As VoIP service and business models continue to proliferate, the need for flexible, reliable core VoIP telephony services continues to grow. ICC Networks, a UK-based Core Network Service provider, has become a leader in this segment by supplying wholesale and virtual VoIP services to VoIP service providers and resellers who are addressing specialist and niche telephony markets.

The variety of deployment situations encountered by ICC Networks demands a versatile, easily-tailored services and subscriber management platform. “Our business partners, typically operators and resellers, rely on us to provide fast, reliable services that match the unique factors relating to their chosen markets,” said Rav Rehal, director of business development for ICC Networks. “It’s important that we be able to control our platform directly, in order to help our partners meet their different sales, marketing and end user customer service requirements.”

Last year, ICC Networks began using PortaSwitch, PortaOne’s software-based IP multimedia subsystem, to help provide these vital capabilities. PortaSwitch, a Class 5-level product, is able to handle a full range of call control and billing functions. Its softswitch and application servers deliver an entire VoIP technical and business infrastructure from billing and provisioning to advanced call features, monitoring and reporting. Moreover, PortaOne offers a complete API, along with an open and easily-understood source code, to facilitate customization of services to any business partner’s needs.

“After performing a feasibility study on PortaSwitch and its competitors involving SWOT analysis and a review of each vendor’s support team, we realized PortaSwitch could satisfy our needs,” Rehal noted. “PortaSwitch is a secure, high quality and resilient carrier-grade platform.”

ICC Networks has a strong reputation for delivering and maintaining complete solutions that encompass the entire range of network, interconnect, billing, security and technical service issues. Using PortaSwitch’s API, ICC Networks can offer a highly tailored, customer-facing service set that contributes a high level of value to its customers’ brands.

One of the key ways in which ICC Networks uses PortaSwitch, is to provide detailed and flexible billing systems. “The virtual VoIP area of our business has grown substantially. As we have expanded our support from a handful of customers to include several global GSM providers, the billing capabilities of PortaSwitch allow us to provide termination billing, prepaid/postpaid, flexible peak/off-peak rating and other features,” Rehal said.

As a wholesale provider of telecommunication solutions, ICC Networks offers its business partners a complete portfolio of VoIP products and services with the option to brand at any stage. Operators pay for their tailored services only on a per call or per channel basis; furthermore, the company’s flexible, secure range of services eliminate the need for a reseller to lock into termination services, giving them the freedom to choose a termination partner as desired.

PortaSIP, the class 4/5 softswitch in PortaSwitch, supports ICC Network’s service model by allowing instant messaging, call parking, group pickup, NAT transversal and other advanced calling capabilities. PortaUM, the unified messaging portion, supplies valuable end-user features like voicemail, hunt groups, follow me, auto attendant and much more.

Because ICC Networks adheres to pre-defined service level agreements with all its customers, it is critical for the company to have a billing and call management platform that provided the necessary reporting and operation support systems for SLA support. “PortaSwitch has the load balancing and high availability technologies in place to ensure SLA,” Rehal noted. “Its lineup of monitoring reports also help us keep track of service levels and analyze network performance.”

“Together with PortaOne, ICC Networks is able to give our customers unique solutions and compelling offerings,” stated Steve Rowles, ICC Networks managing director. “PortaSwitch, with the direct involvement of our in-house development team, gives our customers the advanced features and services needed to differentiate themselves from their competition.”

PortaOne Has Successfully Participated in a Major Telecom Show in Asia-Pacific: CommunicAsia 2009 in Singapore

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700

This was the fourth successful trade show in Singapore for PortaOne. We have been exhibiting at CommunicAsia since 2006 every year. We plan to continue this practice by participating in CommunicAsia 2010 as well.

The event is a major crossroad point for the telecom professionals not only from Asia-Pacific region but also from all over the world.

We were glad to welcome to our booth both new prospects looking for the best converged billing system and softswitching technology for service providers and our old customers who arrived to spend time with PortaOne team.

Please meet us at Internet Telephony West in Los Angeles, CA on September 2-3. Our booth is 427.

Bubble Achieves Convergent Voice/Broadband Billing Via PortaSwitch, Enabling Unique Expat Business Model

Mon, 08 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Spanish Company Lowers Costs of Telephone and Internet Services for Local British Clientele; Versatile PortaSwitch Billing/Call Management Supports Broad Mix of Services

As large and diverse as the worldwide digital services marketplace has become, opportunities abound for companies savvy enough to spot and develop profitable niches. Bubble, based in Torrevieja, Spain, has grown such a niche, thanks to unique insight—and the right technology.

“A sufficient number of Anglos live and work in Spain to build a business model around,” said Christophe Pauwels, Chief Technology Officer for Bubble World S.L. “We realized we could capture a significant number of these expatriates by lowering the cost of digital services—particularly the cost of communicating with friends, family and business partners back home in the U.K.”

With this vision in mind, Bubble has quickly become the preferred provider for thousands of English households, and businesses with strong U.K. connections, throughout Spain. To make its mix of telephony and ADSL-based wireless/fixed broadband services possible, however, Bubble had to keep its billing and call management services nimble, scalable and affordable. Its solution for such a flexible and cost-effective platform was PortaSwitch, from communications infrastructure company PortaOne, Inc.

“My previous experience with PortaSwitch at a previous company made the choice easy,” Pauwels said. “PortaSwitch had shown itself to be both reliable and scalable. Plus it has the advanced billing engine features we need to accommodate all the directions we expect our company to grow into.”

PortaSwitch is an IP multimedia subsystem capable of handling the complete call control and billing functions of a diversified digital services company. Its combination of softswitch and application servers forms the basis for a broad range of services at Class 5 QoS levels, from VoIP-based PBX and residential calling to broadband Internet access. When coupled with a Cisco Gateway, PortaSwitch provides access to the IP Centrex/IP PBX feature set on Internet telephone and/or circuit-switch technologies.

From the beginning, Bubble depended on PortaSwitch to provide convergent voice/broadband billing. The company uses PortaBilling100 (master, slave, and standby servers to ensure redundancy) to provision and bill customers, as well as multiple PortaSIP servers to control and route the calls and PortaUM for unified messaging and IVRs.

“With PortaSwitch we can combine voice, ADSL and wireless services in one monthly bill for our customers. Very few products on the market can accomplish this,” noted Pauwels. “Having PortaSwitch on our side enables us to improve our service quality and compete effectively in a crowded digital services marketplace.”

As Bubble’s business model evolves, it has the potential to develop new classes of customers as well as relationships with resellers, agents and various other service providers. PortaSwitch, through its support for origination and termination partner agreements, can deliver the partner management and settlement mechanisms that will ensure steady streams of revenue. What’s more, Pauwels says the platform has the capability to accommodate his company’s planned product roadmap.

“We foresee expanding into other services such as GSM-based mobile, TV on demand and more,” added Pauwels. “Five years from now we expect to be many times larger than we are now, in both the residential and enterprise segments. However we evolve, we know that PortaSwitch will be able to handle the growth.”

For more about Bubble, go to their website.

PortaOne Participated in International Telecommunication Week (ITW 2009) in Washington, DC This Week

Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700

PortaOne has successfully exhibited at the annual ITW show (International Telecommunication Week) in Washington, DC.

International Telecoms Week is the meeting point for the international telecoms wholesale community where companies from all over the world meet in Washington, DC to buy and sell both voice and data products and services.

PortaOne has presented its newest product, PortaBilling Oracularius, a converged billing platform designed specifically for the ultimate reliability, performance and virtually unlimited scalability in Oracle Real Application Cluster environments.

ITW attracts the entire industry with participants from all areas of the wholesale industry Tier 1, 2 and 3 carriers, mobile / wireless operators, ISPs, VoIP providers and ITSPs, voice, data, satellite, sub sea and fixed-line markets.

ITW also provides the platform for extensive networking opportunities with many social networking opportunities including numerous parties and social events taking place during the three days.

PortaSwitch Billing/Call Control Platform Allows Morodo Ltd. To Compete Globally Against Mobile Telephony Giants

Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700

UK-Based Morodo Uses Internet to Provide Ultra-Low Cost International Calling To Mobile Customers; Service Succeeds Thanks to PortaSwitch’s Reliability and Scalability.

For legions of mobile phone users around the world, MO-Call isn’t just a service—it’s a lifeline. MO-Call, from UK-based Morodo Ltd., is a virtual mobile network that lets people make international calls from their mobile phone at a fraction of the cost charged by their mobile telephony provider. The secret: a software add-in, downloaded from the MO-Call Web site to the user’s mobile handset. The add-in shifts outgoing calls directly to Morodo’s VoIP network for completion; savings can be as much as 90% below existing mobile network international tariffs.

As early as its pre-launch testing phase several years back, Morodo knew its service would be hugely popular. Morodo quickly realized its proprietary billing system and vendor call management software would not scale quickly enough to meet the heavy demand.

“We began seeking a robust, feature-rich billing and call control platform,” said James Barnes, Chief Technical Officer for Morodo Ltd. “After evaluating products from several vendors, we found that only PortaSwitch had the combination of reliability, scalability, features, call management capability, and product support we needed.”

PortaSwitch is a software-based communication services and subscriber management solution that lets IP telephony service providers deliver a wide variety of business models quickly and flexibly. The comprehensive, Class 5 product consists of a softswitch and application servers, delivering billing and provisioning, SIP call control, unified messaging, IP Centrex and IP PBX, voice VPN, callback management, conferencing and more.

“PortaSwitch is flexible enough to support MO-Call’s multiple means of call set-up, call routing, billing—including multi-currency support—and multiple vendor management, plus other features such as Helpdesk ACD (Automatic Call Distribution) and IVR (Interactive Voice Response),” Barnes noted.

Morodo uses every product included in PortaSwitch: PortaBilling100, PortaSIP, and PortaUM (unified messaging platform), and PortaBridge, a conference server. Morodo’s pre-assessment of MO-Call’s popularity—and system stress—was evident as soon as PortaSwitch was installed in 2007. Thankfully, according to Barnes, PortaOne’s technical team has performed when needed.

“Our R&D has demanded much of PortaOne, frequently requesting support for new and innovative features in support of the MO-Call One Account communication service,” he stated. “Because we originate the majority of calls from cell phones using the MO-Call application suite, we have stretched the capabilities of PortaSwitch and the PortaSwitch development team. But they have always delivered for us.”

Since its rollout, PortaSwitch has improved Morodo’s business by making it faster and easier to manage call traffic, as well as to develop call features and calling products. The company has since introduced additional services including Web callbacks for PCs, mobiles and iPhones; instant messaging; free PC-to-PC calls, and low-cost international PC-to-phone calling. Barnes said PortaSwitch has not only alleviated the risk that is inherent in growing a broadly-focused, global telecom business, but also helped it compete head-to-head against Skype and the large mobile telephony providers.

“PortaSwitch’s billing just works. It’s the simplest thing—but the hardest to get right,” he said. “I have worked in the telecom industry for fifteen years for carriers on three continents, and have never used a billing platform with so few bugs or errors. It’s quite an achievement.”

For more about MO-Call, log on to www.mo-call.com; additional information about Morodo Ltd. can be found at www.morodogroup.com.

PortaSwitch Maintenance Release 19 Is Ready for Commercial Deployment Following the Build 1 Release Today

Mon, 25 May 2009 00:00:00 -0700

PortaSwitch Maintenance Release 19 (Build 1) has been released today. The Build 1 incorporates multiple fixes and improvements and is based on feedback from the customers that has been received during the field tests of MR19 since early March 2009.

Based on the test results, the Maintenance Release 19-1 is now recommended for the general production deployment. MR19-1 contains various new features to enhance the services provided by carriers and telecommunication service providers.

Please contact your PortaOne support team to schedule the update.

Pre-Release New Features Announcement and Overview: PortaSwitch Maintenance Release 20

Tue, 19 May 2009 00:00:00 -0700

The MR20 will be available for installation on the staging systems later in August.

Please find below a short overview of the new features that are going to be available with MR20:

New FreeBSD version	All installation CDs are now built using FreeBSD 6.4, which contains an updated set of device drivers, as well as performance and security enhancements.

Advanced ISP billing	New features include real-time charges for data transfer services, flexible definition of upload/download speed and the ability to apply time-based speed limits, data transfer quotas, automated service cut-off, and many more.
Access number routing	Ability to define from the web interface how calls to specific access numbers (DIDs) should be processed. For example, one access number should be routed to PortaUM for a prepaid card IVR, while another should go to PortaBridge for conferencing services. This greatly simplifies management of the different applications and services provided on your network.
Improved tariff upload procedure	It is now possible to process rows in the data file which contain multiple prefixes in the same column. Also, a new configuration option allows a rate, which has the “effective from” date in the past (and thus cannot be uploaded), to be automatically mapped to a rate “effective immediately” during upload.
Improvements in the invoicing module	The “void invoice” and “invoice recalculation” tasks can now be directly performed from an easy-to-use PortaBilling web interface.
RT integration for call detail submission	Gathering all the required information regarding “problem” calls can be a tedious process. Having all the required information in the initial request would greatly speed up problem resolution. Now it is possible to submit a new ticket to PortaOne support directly from the PortaBilling call information screen, with all the required information automatically attached.
Flexible discount plan lookup	When searching for an applicable discount plan, PortaBilling can now pattern-match a dialed phone number against all destinations used in the volume discount definition (similar to how this is done in call rating, i.e. matching the phone number against the destinations included in the tariff).
Node management	Simplified “Node” management screen for easier operations.

Call scenarios management	It is now possible to specify from the PortaBilling web interface what rules defining a call handling scenario (e.g. digest or IP-based authentication) are to be applied to a call. Rules can be based on remote IP addresses, device identification strings, and the like.

French and Portuguese language support	In order to allow ITSPs using PortaSwitch to expand their customer base even further, PortaUM now offers language support for French (for all IVR applications and the web interface) and Brazilian Portuguese (for applications such as calling card and balance recharge).

PortaOne Develops Dynamic Overdraft Protection Tools in PortaBilling to Make Sure the Server Providers Loose No Money

Mon, 11 May 2009 00:00:00 -0700

When user attempts to use the service, the two most important questions are “Is he allowed to do so?” and “How much is he allowed to consume?”

The traditional authorization scheme, in which the system checks the amount of available funds at the beginning of a call, has many drawbacks. For one, the system does not react to balance changes (refunds, payments, or charges) made while the call is in progress. Since every session is authorized based on the total amount of resources available, overdrafts are possible in the case of multiple concurrent sessions and the like.

This is why PortaBilling (starting with ) now offers you the ability to dynamically lock the funds required to pay for a certain amount of a service before that service is used.

When a session (e.g. a voice call) starts or is in progress, the system “reserves” a small portion of the available funds to cover the next time interval (e.g. 5 minutes). As the end of this interval comes near, the system attempts to reserve funds to cover the next interval, and so on.

If no remaining funds are available, the call is disconnected. So if a customer sends an SMS message during a phone call (decreasing the available funds), or makes a credit card payment (increasing the available funds), this will immediately affect the call – either it will be disconnected sooner, or the maximum allowed call time will increase.

This allows to provide prepaid voice, video and data services with value-based add-ons (e.g. SMS messaging) to your customers in a pre-paid basis with a minimum risk of account overdraft.

You can find more details in PortaBilling Administrator Guide and in the Flash presentation.

PortaOne Releases the Full Set of Updated Administrator Guides for PortaSwitch MR19

Thu, 07 May 2009 00:00:00 -0700

The MR19 updated versions of the Administrator Guides are available for the download now:

- PortaBilling100
- PortaSIP
- PortaUM

The guides provide PortaSwitch users with the most common examples and guidelines for setting up a VoIP network or enhancing a network with services such as IP TV. The last section of the document answers the most frequent questions users ask after running PortaSwitch for the first time.

The administrator guides can be found on the Documentation page.

PortaOne Exhibited at Billing & OSS in Las Vegas, NV and Planning for ITW in Washington, DC on June 1-2

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0700

PortaOne team has participated in the Billing & OSS Conference and Expo, the major event focusing on the business and operations support systems requirements for next-generation communications networks.

Roman Khalenkov, PortaOne Sales and Marketing Director, meeting visitors at PortaOne's Booth.

Please meet us during the International Telecom Week in Washington, DC on June 1-2. Our booth is 800.

Radius Communications Selects PortaOne's PortaSwitch to Drive Its VoIP Business on Four Continents

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Scalability and Stability of PortaOne's IP Multimedia Subsystem Cited by Radius; Solution Will Support Consumer/Business Services in North America, Asia, Australia and Europe

Global VoIP service provider Radius Communications and communications infrastructure company PortaOne, Inc. today announced that Radius has chosen PortaOne's PortaSwitch IP multimedia subsystem as the main software platform to drive its wholesale and residential/business VoIP services. Radius executives explained that PortaSwitch, which replaces an earlier platform, will provide the stability and unlimited scalability Radius needs as it expands its VoIP business operations in North America, Asia, Australia and Europe.

With North American operations located in New York City, Radius Communications is a global telecommunications company providing VoIP services and integrated solutions to residential and business customers as well as to wholesalers, carriers and other business partners. Radius, which was founded in Nepal and still maintains headquarters offices there, currently has points of presence in the U.K. and U.S. It intends to soon expand its operations into Europe and Australia, with a goal of capturing market share on each of those continents.

As Radius Communications' new IP multimedia subsystem, PortaSwitch will provide the necessary infrastructure for Radius to aggressively enhance its existing services and grow its subscriber base beyond its current business locales. The company intends to leverage PortaSwitch for a number of purposes including:

Hosted softswitch-based IP and IP billing
Callshop and hosted callshop
VoIP termination
Wholesale carrier services
Corporate VoIP services
White-label VoIP services via resellers
Prepaid and postpaid calling cards

PortaSwitch is an integrated communication services and subscriber management solution that allows IP telephony services providers to unify voice, data and fax traffic within a single network. The comprehensive, Class 5 product consists of a softswitch and application servers, delivering SIP call control, unified messaging, IP Centrex and hosted IP PBX, voice VPN, callback management, billing and provisioning, and much more.

"Our research revealed that PortaOne is considered best-in-market for IP subsystems," said Hemanta Sharma, chief executive officer of Radius Communications. "Existing customers told us that PortaSwitch offers not only a high degree of stability and scalability, but also very professional customer care, strong product support, and a promise of sustainable product delivery."

"Radius Communications is a forward-thinking company that is intent on providing a full range of IP services in multiple regions of the world. PortaSwitch is able to support virtually all critical services--from VoIP to wireless hot spots, calling cards to teleconferencing and hosted IP PBX," said Roman Khalenkov, sales and marketing director for PortaOne. "With PortaSwitch, Radius will be able to offer more minutes, and more services, to more customers in more places than ever before."

Sharma added that Radius Communications has already completed installation of PortaSwitch at the company's operations center in Queens, New York. "The training and support provided by PortaOne was consistent, structured and professional," he stated. "In partnership with PortaOne, our in-house developers are already working on providing enhanced products and services to satisfy our customers' requirements."

About Radius Communications:

Radius Communications is a leading Voice over IP (VoIP) solution provider and system integrator. The company is dedicated to delivering customer management and billing solutions for entrepreneurs, carriers, VoIP calling card operators and other VoIP service companies. In addition, Radius provides VoIP termination, wholesale termination, VoIP reseller, callshop reseller, A-Z termination and other kinds of VoIP solutions. Radius offers international voice termination services through its points of presence in the USA, United Kingdom and Nepal, and it directly interconnected with all major voice and data carriers worldwide including North and South America for Tier-1 VoIP termination.

New Documentation on PortaSwitch Maintenance Release 19 Are Available for Download

Wed, 08 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0700

We have just published the newest documents on the recent Maintenance Release 19:

New Features Guide, and
Web Reference Guide

As quite obvious from the titles, the documents review the new features of PortaSwitch available with Maintenance Release 19 and update the information on the PortaBilling100 administrator web interface.

Both guides can be downloaded from the Documentation page.

New Document Available for Download. PortaSwitch Handbook: SIP Services for Maintenance Release 18

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0700

We have just published the updated version of PortaSwitch Handbook: SIP Services for Maintenance Release 18 (Part I and Part II). The handbook provides PortaSwitch users with the most common examples and guidelines for setting up a VoIP network.

Main topics include:

- Standard SIP and PSTN-to-SIP Services
- Calls Between SIP Phones
- Auto-provisioning of IP Phones
- Wholesale Traffic Exchange
- Using DID Inventory
- Discount Plans

The last section of the document answers the most frequent questions users ask after running PortaSwitch for the first time.

Both parts of the document can be found on the Documentation Page.

PortaBilling Oracularius Concepts Guide Is Available for Service Providers Looking for the Most Scalable and Redundant Billing Solution

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0700

PortaOne has just published PortaBilling Oracularius Concepts Guide, a detailed document that provides PortaBilling Oracularius users with information about system architecture, basic concepts, and other matters required in order to deploy it to manage and rate communication services.

PortaBilling Oracularius, a billing software platform powered by Oracle Real Application Cluster, is specially designed to address the needs of the most demanding customers looking for the ultimately reliable and scalable platform that can meet the highest redundancy and performance standards.

Oracularius Concepts Guide can be downloaded from the Documentation page.

Pre-Release Announcement of PortaSwitch Maintenance Release 19: Selected New Features Preview

Fri, 20 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800

M19 PortaOne Q&A Department is finishing testing of the PortaSwitch Maintenance Release 19.
This release will be available in the early March for field tests and expected to be fully available for commercial deployment in April 2009.


Routing plan selection	Multiple routing plans can now be associated with a single product. A specific tariff can be assigned to each routing plan. This tariff will be used when a customer subscribed to a specific plan places a call. In this case, a customer chooses to pay more for premium routes or to pay less less for cheaper routes. A default routing plan may be associated with a specific account, or the end-user may select a specific routing plan “on-the-fly” by dialing a special selection code before the number.
Dynamic re-authorization	The traditional authorization scheme - the system checks an amount of available funds at the end of each call - has many drawbacks. For example, the system does not react to balance changes (refunds, payments, or charges) made while the call is in progress. There is also a possibility of overdrafts in case when multiple simultaneous calls are allowed. PortaBilling now offers the ability to dynamically re-authorize the user’s activity. While a session (e.g. voice call) is in progress, the system “reserves” a small portion of the available funds to cover the next short time interval (e.g. 1 minute). As the end of this interval comes near, the system attempts to reserve funds to cover the next interval, and so on. If no remaining funds are available, the call is disconnected. So when a customer sends an SMS message during a phone call (decreasing the available funds), or makes a credit card payment (increasing the available funds), this immediately affects the call: it will be either disconnected sooner, or the maximum allowed call time will increase.
Subscriptions charged in advance	This feature allows to bad debt reduction and improves ITSP's cash-flow. Recurring charges can now be applied to future billing periods (e.g. subscription charges for March will be included on the invoice which the customer receives in February).
Alias generator	It is now possible to generate multiple aliases (e.g. DID numbers for a SIP trunking customer) under one account, in the same convenient way as when generating multiple accounts under a customer.
Account migration tool	Based on popular demand, a new function has been introduced in the XML API. This allows you to “move” an account from one customer to another, replicating the entire service configuration (account ID, password, service features, follow-me, and other related settings) and subscriptions on the new account, and terminating the old one (a copy of all old activity – CDRs, payments, etc. – thus remains available). This allows quick transfers in case of a data cleanup (e.g. customer merge).
Internet access service	PortaBilling now fully supports the provisioning of an Internet access service (DSL, ADSL, PPPoE) for Cisco BRAS and other compatible equipment. A PortaBilling administrator can provision the amount of available bandwidth per product or individual account, and also perform static IP allocation for certain accounts.

BLF support	This highly popular IP Centrex feature extends PortaSIP’s presence capability to popular modes of “business” IP phones (e.g. Polycom), so that a secretary can see the line status of other extensions.

Voice-to-text service	PortaUM is now integrated with the GotVoice service, which converts recorded voice mails into text messages, which can then be read from an email client or mobile phone. VoIP providers using PortaSwitch can now reliably offer subscribers the ability to read their voice mails and process information instantly.

PortaOne, FVN Alliance Inc. Partner To Offer Universal Phone Numbers To PBX Users

Wed, 18 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800

FVN Alliance Gives PortaOne’s PBXpress End Users One Phone Number For Inbound Calls From Anywhere Worldwide; Routing Supports Any Network, Real or Virtual

PortaOne, Inc. and Free Virtual Number (FVN) technology leader FVN Alliance Inc. today announced a partnership that will enable users of the PBXpress VoIP Private Branch eXchange (PBX) to enjoy universal personal phone number capability. The combination of technologies from the two companies will result in significantly greater convenience and productivity for PBXpress users, as well as for outside callers who communicate with them from across the street or around the world.

FVN Alliance’s FVN technology allows users to have a single, universal personal phone number good for inbound calls from all networks, real or virtual. By associating a phone number with an individual rather than a geographic location, it becomes easier for customers, clients and even co-workers to find employees. Call effectiveness is improved and communication networks—often the biggest barrier to workplace productivity—is optimized.

The FVN network from FVN Alliance supports cell phones, VoIP and land line networks. Users can route calls from the universal FVN environment to their current real number automatically or manually. Free virtual numbers are an ideal complement to PBXpress, a next-generation IP-based corporate branch exchange that allows enterprises to conduct all their call traffic using VoIP. In addition to dramatically reducing local, long distance and international calling costs, PBXpress offers call recording—a differentiating feature in the VoIP PBX segment.

PBXpress is a product of PBXpress Communications, Inc. PortaOne, a PBXpress distributor, is the only outside reseller that supplies 24/7 technical support for PBXpress. Support is provided by the same team that backs PortaOne’s carrier-grade IP multimedia subsystem, PortaSwitch.

“In today’s world where instant communication is essential, universal phone numbers are a major business advantage. By partnering with FVN Alliance, PortaOne is able to add this powerful capability to one of the best VoIP-based PBX platforms available,” said Roman Khalenkov, sales and marketing director for PortaOne.

“Connecting the FVN concept to a Web-based branch exchange creates a structured solution that will benefit virtually any enterprise on the move,” said Valery Donchenko, president of FVN Alliance, Inc. “From law firms and consulting practices to sales organizations and software companies, the FVN network and PBXpress can change customer perceptions and generate a compelling service advantage.”

FVN Alliance’s universal personal phone number technology spans all real and virtual networks. Users are given an 11-digit global number (1 00X YYY ZZZZ) where X is the project index, YYY is the zone number, and ZZZZ is the individual phone number. The FVN network automatically routes the incoming call through its universal call environment to the specified location, normalizing the call regardless of its origin in a real or virtual network.

Enterprises with multiple points of presence in a single region can order FVN with Direct Inward Dialing (DID), enabling all calls to be funneled into one office. Users can also set a follow-me hierarchy that allows inbound calls to pursue a prioritized sequence (for example, office number, alternate office number, cell phone, home number) until the user is found. Sequences can be set manually or automatically via Web interface or through the system’s phone management features.

As an addition to PBXpress, the FVN network enhances other features of the IP branch exchange product including call recording, auto-detection and auto-provisioning of IP phones, auto-attendant, operator console, clustering, Web administration and self-care. The system also provides a PTSN fallback in case of Internet failure, allowing calls to be completed using traditional telecom phone lines.

For more information about FVN Network, log on to www.fvn-net.org. To learn more about PortaOne’s PBXpress product, go to www.portaone.com/products/pbxpress/pbxpress.

About FVN Alliance Inc.: FVN Alliance Inc. is a highly professional international company with headquarters in Canada, regional offices in Europe and Latin America and a partner network that comprises 1000+ companies worldwide. Having well-established relations with telecom equipment manufacturers, FVN Alliance performs comprehensive equipment testing, certification and distribution with subsequent technical and consulting support.

PortaOne Announces PortaSwitch Support For GotVoice, Enabling VoIP Providers To Offer Voicemail-To-Text

Wed, 04 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800

GotVoice Combines Unparalleled Voicemail Transcription Accuracy with Delivery To Email or Wireless Devices; Telcos Gain New Revenue Stream, Competitive Advantage

PortaOne, Inc. today announced the successful integration between its PortaSwitch IP multimedia subsystem and the GotVoice G2 voicemail transcription platform. With GotVoice, VoIP providers using PortaSwitch can now reliably offer their subscribers the ability to read their voicemails and process the information instantly.

GotVoice, available to carriers on a pay-as-you-go basis, is a revolutionary technology designed specifically to convert voicemail into text. Having already processed millions of messages, the GotVoice service provides the highest voicemail-to-text quality in the industry.

“The addition of GotVoice gives PortaSwitch users a highly flexible and strategic service option,” said Roman Khalenkov, sales and marketing director for PortaOne, Inc. “GotVoice can create a new revenue stream as a value-add for subscribers, or it can be offered at no cost as a way to attract or retain customers. In whichever form, this service is a unique differentiator—one with proven and lasting appeal for both business and non-business users in today’s competitive VoIP marketplace.”

The integrated GotVoice offering with the PortaSwitch platform requires no infrastructure upgrades or capital outlays, making it an affordable complement that’s easily enabled. PortaSwitch, a software-based communication services and subscriber management solution, lets IP telephony service providers unify their voice, data and fax traffic within a single network. The comprehensive, Class 5 product consists of a softswitch and application servers, delivering SIP call control, unified messaging, IP Centrex and IP PBX, voice VPN, callback management, conferencing, billing and provisioning and much more.

“One of the highest marketing priorities for any VoIP provider is to set itself apart from its competitors by offering valuable services that people want. The combination of PortaSwitch and GotVoice clearly satisfies this need,” said Colin Lamont, vice president of marketing for GotVoice. “PortaSwitch users will also appreciate the rapid time-to-market assured by the integration between both of our platforms.”

Carriers who employ GotVoice as a revenue-generating service are free to create billing plans with any number of options. Voicemail-to-text services can be charged on a per-use, monthly or unlimited basis; in addition, PortaSwitch will support additional options including discounts and packages based on bundled services. PortaSwitch is able to display charges in real-time via the Web on the subscriber’s account page, as well as in a monthly bill.

PortaOne will be exhibiting at Internet Telephony Expo (IT EXPO) East on February 2-4, 2009, Booth 826 in the Miami Beach Convention Center; to initiate the unique GotVoice offering within PortaSwitch, contact either company.

About GotVoice, Inc.: A pioneer in the integration of voice messaging services, GotVoice enables the convergence of everyday voice into the digital world. Its patented white label communications platform empowers consumers, businesses and service providers to receive, consume and unify voice communications utilizing email clients, through their mobile phone interface or via the GotVoice Website. With popular features such as Voicemail-to-Text, Visual Voicemail, the ability to share voice messages as digital audio files and the unification of wireless, landline, PBX and VoIP voicemail, GotVoice makes seamless communication possible, anywhere. Founded in 2003 by industry veterans with backgrounds from RealNetworks, Microsoft, Starwave, AT&T and Corbis, GotVoice works with all major business and residential carriers.

PortaOne Participated in Internet Telephony Conference & Expo East in Miami, FL

Wed, 04 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800

PortaOne has successfully exhibited at ITEXPO East showcasing our VoIP billing, softswitch, and media server products for three days of the show. We consider this event to be the busiest and most successful for PortaOne in the last 18 months.

Andriy Zhylenko, CTO at PortaOne delivered a very well accepted “Service Provider IP Telephony: Considerations” presentation at the conference session dedicated to the service providers. Hу examineв a wide range of topics important to ITSPs including business model intricacies, choosing the right tools for the job (billing applications, class 5 softswitches, media servers to play IVRs, etc.), and planning the project properly.

PortaOne will be exhibiting at the next TMC show, ITEXPO West in Los Angeles, CA. Please visit our booth 427 in Los Angeles Convention Center on October 27-29, 2009.

PortaOne Announces Interoperability Of IP-Based PBXpress And Sangoma Telephony Cards

Mon, 02 Feb 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Internet Telephony Service Providers Can Offer End-to-End Customer Premises Solution for Connecting IP PBX with Public Telephone Networks

PortaOne, Inc. announced today the interoperability of Sangoma’s A101/A102/A200 telephony cards with the PBXpress VoIP Private Branch eXchange (PBX), an advanced IP PBX platform that includes call recording.

PortaOne, a PBXpress distributor that also offers 24/7 technical support, considers the Sangoma/PBXpress combination a complete and highly reliable solution for ITSPs seeking to install an interconnected IP/PSTN PBX infrastructure.

PBXpress, the flagship product from PBXpress Communications Inc., brings traditional PBX into the Internet age. The unit allows enterprises to conduct all call traffic using VoIP, dramatically reducing local, long distance, and international calling costs.

In addition to many advanced IP PBX features available in PBXpress, such as call recording, auto-detection and auto-provisioning of IP phones, auto-attendant, operator console, clustering, Web administration and self-care, the system also provides a PTSN fallback in case of Internet failure, allowing calls to be completed using traditional telecom phone lines.

Sangoma’s digital telephony cards support both voice and data communications with Public Switched Telephone Networks (PSTNs), including on-premises analog telephones. The company’s products, which mount on the PBXpress, feature telco-grade voice quality and hardware echo canceller Digital Signal Processors.

PortaOne has affirmed interoperability between PBXpress and three Sangoma products: the A101, single port card supporting up to 30 voice calls or 2.048 Mbps over a single T1/E1/J1 line; the A102, for up to 60 voice calls or 4.096 Mbps over two T1/E1/J1 lines; and the A200, a scalable FXO/FXS telephony card that expands to directly connect from 2 to 24 analog telephones.

“PBXpress and Sangoma cards make a dynamic combination able to support today’s heterogeneous telecom landscape,” said Kathleen Reed, Marketing Director of Sangoma. “Small to mid-sized companies seeking to incorporate the benefits of IP PBX into their existing telecom infrastructure will be pleased with the call quality, easy connectivity, and unparalleled reliability afforded by PBXpress and Sangoma.”

“Internet Telephony Service Providers need best-in-class IP PBX options for a wide range of customers,” said Roman Khalenkov, sales and marketing director for PortaOne. “PBXpress and Sangoma are an ideal solution for a great many of these users. Add in the 24/7 technical support provided by PortaOne, and ITSPs have an unbeatable competitive package. PortaOne is also proud to offer carrier-grade consulting and after-sale support for PBXpress. Our technical staff delivers the peace-of-mind that makes PBXpress and Sangoma the premier solution for ITSPs and their enterprise IP PBX customers.”

Sangoma is the premium provider of software-centric media and signal processing hardware. The company develops and manufactures the most scalable and reliable voice and Wide Area Network data cards in the industry, including the award-winning Advanced Flexible Telecommunications (AFT) product line. By offering the building blocks for all processing in any architecture, Sangoma gateways are tightly integrated and easily scalable. The result is a comprehensive toolset for creating cost-effective, powerful and flexible solutions. Founded in 1984, Sangoma Technologies Corporation is publicly traded on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSX VENTURE:STC).

PortaOne CTO Andriy Zhylenko To Present Session For IT Service Providers At IT EXPO East On February 2, 2009

Wed, 28 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

“Service Provider IP Telephony: Considerations” Will Address Many Business And Technical Challenges Facing Emerging Internet Telephony Service Providers

Andriy Zhylenko, chief technical officer, will present “Service Provider IP Telephony: Considerations” at TMC’s INTERNET TELEPHONY® Conference & EXPO East 2009. The conference session, to take place Monday, February 2, at 12PM in Room B211 of the Miami Beach Convention Center, will help new Internet telephony service providers understand the many business and technical pitfalls and opportunities available to them as they embark on their VoIP service offerings.

“Andriy Zhylenko offers a truly global perspective on the business of IP telephony. His expertise and know-how will be of immense benefit to businesses in the process of deploying a VoIP service package,” said Oleksandr Kapitanenko, president and chief executive officer of PortaOne. “We’re pleased that TMC has invited Andriy to present in such a prestigious setting as IT EXPO East 2009.”

“Service Provider IP Telephony: Considerations” will examine a wide range of topics important to VoIP service providers including business model intricacies, choosing the right tools for the job, and planning the project properly.

“We are very pleased that Andriy Zhylenko will be participating in this year’s IT EXPO East. PortaOne is widely recognized and respected in the VoIP infrastructure space as an industry leader,” said TMC president and conference chairman Rich Tehrani. “In fact, we are seeing a significant number of senior-level executives attending INTERNET TELEPHONY Conference & EXPO as a means of learning about PortaOne technology so they may take advantage of its benefits.”

IT EXPO 2009, February 2-4, 2009, is the world’s largest and best attended IP communications trade show. At the 2008 East coast event last January, the show drew over 7,000 buyers and sellers of IP communications products and services.

PortaOne will be showcasing its IP multimedia subsystem, PortaSwitch, and other technologies during IT EXPO East from its exhibit, Booth 826 in the Miami Beach Convention Center.

PortaOne, InnoSystems Confirm Interoperability оf InnoSystems Softphone With PortaSwitch IP Services Platform

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Combination Allows Telecoms to Offer Personal/Business Customers Free Or Low-Cost Phone Calling from Customer PCs Using Only a Headset.

PortaOne and diversified telecom/media systems provider Innovative Systems of Communication LLC (InnoSystems) today announced the successful completion of interoperability testing between PortaOne's PortaSwitch IP multimedia subsystem and Flashphone, InnoSystems' softphone client. The interoperability gives IP service providers an assured, reliable peer-to-peer and peer-to-anyone phone call solution that can help initiate and preserve customer relationships.

Flashphone, based on InnoSystems' ZingayaT Media Server VoIP gateway, is a "call via Web site" solution for free or low-cost IP telephony. For end-users, Flashphone requires nothing more than a Web browser and sufficient bandwidth, along with a PC headset and the free Adobe Flash Player plug-in. The service can be offered free for peer-to-peer calls, or at low cost for calls to regular phone numbers.

InnoSystems' Flashphone is a market-ready softphone enhancement for PortaSwitch, PortaOne's flagship VoIP services platform. PortaSwitch is a software-based communication services and subscriber management solution that allows IP telephony services providers to unify voice, data and fax traffic within a single network. The comprehensive, Class 5 product consists of a softswitch and application servers, delivering SIP call control, unified messaging, IP Centrex and IP PBX, voice VPN, callback management, billing and provisioning and much more.

"With both consumers and organizations of all sizes looking for ways to reduce costs, a 'call via Web site' capability is a highly attractive offering in today's global economy," said Roman Khalenkov, sales and marketing director for PortaOne. "The mutual support of PortaSwitch and Flashphone creates an instant value-add for service providers that can build loyalty and increase revenues."

"PortaOne and Flashphone is a powerful combination that can be offered both as an end-user product and a solution for e-Commerce, businesses or call centers," stated Alexey Aylarov, project manager of InnoSystems. "Interoperability with PortaOne demonstrates Flashphone's flexibility and reliability in supporting leading-edge IP multimedia systems."

InnoSystems, a global solutions provider for telecom, media and technology companies, has an extensive roster of clients that include France Telecom (Orange), isonet, digitrad.com, Max Telecom, FreeConferenceCall.com, Saatchi & Saatchi and Galaxy, among others.

PortaOne Extends Reliability and Scalability of PortaBilling100 via New PortaBilling Oracularius Using Oracle Real Application Cluster

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0800

New Product of Industry-Leading VoIP Customer Management and Billing Platform Gives Tier 1 And Fast-Growing Tier 2 Providers Virtually Unlimited Performance and Capacity Scalability.

COQUITLAM, BRITISH COLUMBIA - Global communications infrastructure company PortaOne, Inc. today announced a new product, which continues the evolution of its PortaBilling100 VoIP billing and customer management platform, designed especially for communication service providers who need an increased reliability, performance and scalability. The new product, PortaBilling Oracularius, meets the needs of Tier 1 and large, fast-growing Tier 2 providers, giving them a full complement of launching, pricing and provisioning capabilities combined with virtually unlimited scalability and assured reliability in Oracle Real Application Cluster environments.

PortaBilling Oracularius extends the proven flexibility and comprehensive functionality of PortaBilling100, PortaOne's highly popular and flexible B/OSS management solution, to an entirely new scale of reliable deployment. The full-featured result is a next-generation billing product which supports a new range of capabilities including real-time mediation and rating; multiple services billing; event-based, usage-based and periodic charging; reseller and distributor channels; e-commerce and customer self-care interface; support for resellers and distributors; custom charging formulas and programmable discount plans; prepaid/postpaid business models; and a support for full billing cycle, from service provisioning to invoicing and collection.

PortaBilling Oracularius is a converged billing system, making it easy to bundle:

Residential, IP Centrex and wholesale phone services
Data access services
IPTV
Mobile services
Value-added services (messaging, content download, etc.)

The system supports this level of bundling while keeping the centralized control of customer's funds and providing him with a consolidated bill. In addition, PortaBilling Oracularius offers an open architecture, easy integration with third-party systems via XML API, and uniquely offers its product source code to users in order to allow customization by PortaOne customers and/or third-party developers.

System Architecture

PortaBilling Oracularius uses Oracle Real Application Cluster(RAC) as a back-end data storage, while deploying the real-time billing logic on a cluster of multiple billing servers. This ensures that the system continues to operate even if any server experiences a hardware malfunction and allows to scale up the performance by simply adding more servers to the cluster.

"PortaBilling100 has an unparalleled reputation for reliability, built on deployments in hundreds of Tier 2 and Tier 3 telco environments. With PortaBilling Oracularius, larger providers can be assured of industry-leading performance and stability," said Roman Khalenkov, sales and marketing director for PortaOne. "As quickly as the VoIP industry is changing, providers need to know their management infrastructure can grow with them. PortaBilling Oracularius is able to answer that requirement."

Reliable, Flexible

PortaBilling Oracularius' real-time billing engine can work in conjunction with a wide range of telecommunication network equipment (both TDM and VoIP including NexTone) for user authorization, flexible call routing (LCR, time-of-day routing, dynamic routing based on ASR and call quality, profit-guarantee routing, customized routing plans) and CDR mediation and rating.

The product, built on Oracle Enterprise Linux server architecture, is proven as a highly reliable and secure carrier-grade solution. What's more, it is pre-integrated with PortaOne's PortaSIP (class 4/5 softswitch) for quick and low-cost standards-based implementation, as well as PortaOne's PortaUM Unified Messaging System and PortaBridge conferencing server as an out-of-the-box solution for residential and SMB-hosted IPPBX/Centrex services.

Email, Phone Support Options

"As with all its products, PortaOne supports PortaBilling Oracularius with the best technical support in the industry, covering both email and phone support options," Khalenkov stated. "Nearly half of our corporate resources are invested in tech support, with an additional third devoted to R&D. We stand ready to help our users make the most of their software investment by answering questions, adding or changing features, or providing guidance and consultation where needed."

Unlimited Perpetual License

In addition to its proven reliability and flexibility, PortaBilling Oracularius as with PortaBilling100, is set apart in the industry through its unlimited perpetual license. The powerful advantage allows users to grow quickly through an all-in-one product, without having to renegotiate or reconfigure their customer support platform. With the embedded license for O Oracle Real Application Cluster, supplied with PortaBilling Oracularius, all required Oracle licenses are included into the cost of PortaBilling Oracularius - this provides drastic savings comparing to the cost of purchasing the Oracle licenses separately.

PortaOne offers a full range of support services for PortaBilling Oracularius including technology and integration consulting, training and more. For more information about PortaBilling Oracularius or any of PortaOne's carrier-grade infrastructure products contact our sales team.

New Features Guide and Flash Presentation for MR17 & MR18

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Maintenance Release 18: New Features Guide and a brand new flash presentation of the new features available in the latest maintenance releases (MR17 and MR18) of PortaSwitch are available on PortaOne website:

For more information about new features of PortaSwitch please visit the Documentation page or contact our sales team.

PortaOne Has Presented its Billing and VoIP Software Products to the Professional Telecommunications Community at Vietnam Telecomp 2008

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Today was the third day of a very busy trade show marathon at Vietnamese Ho Chi Minh City aka Saigon where PortaOne team is participating at Vietnam Telecomp 2008, the major regional telecommunication exhibition.

We have been exposed to Vietnam for a few years already and several Vietnamese companies are proud to be PortaOne customers. However, the show in Saigon attracts not only local companies but also potential customers from all over Asia-Pacific: Taiwan, Cambodia, Singapore, and many more.

Vietnam Telecomp proved to be a successful exhibition and we are very confident in further rapid development of this market

PortaOne, MobileMax Announce Interoperability of Mobile Solutions Supporting International Calling/Billing

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800

PortaSwitch IP Multimedia Subsystem and MobileMax Personal Edition Mobile Client Work Together to Create Reduced-Rate Option for Service Providers and Subscribers

COQUITLAM, British Columbia and PLANO, Texas, -- Global communications infrastructure company PortaOne, Inc. and Mobilemax(TASE: MBMX)today announced the successful completion of interoperability testing between PortaOne's PortaSwitch software-based billing and customer management platform and the MobileMax Personal Edition Mobile Client. Together, the two technologies create an assured, end-to-end business solution that supports automatic and seamless least-cost international calls via virtually any popular mobile handset.

MobileMax Personal Edition Mobile Client is a client-side software application enabling wireless subscribers to make international calls from their handset with minimal keystrokes using a VoIP network, powered by PortaSwitch, instead of the mobile operator network. As a result the end user avoids high rates for international calls imposed by mobile operators; instead, the individual only uses ordinary domestic mobile phone minutes, and is charged by the VoIP operator at a low rate for the international portion of the call.

When the call is connected to the PortaSwitch media server, the MobileMax application supplies the user's credentials and the destination number to the PortaSwitch so there is no need for the end-user to enter any additional information. The user's balance is verified in PortaBilling and then the call is routed to one of the international carriers using PortaSwitch real-time routing capabilities (LCR, adaptive routing, etc.). Upon the completion of the call, the user's account in PortaBilling is charged according to the international call rate of the ITSP.

"While the number of mobile users worldwide continue to grow, the number of landline users is continually dropping. Mobile carriers are attempting to lock customers into an exclusive relationship for international calls," said Roman Khalenkov, sales and marketing director for PortaOne. "MobileMax Personal Edition Mobile Client allows an independent ITSP to provide international calls to mobile subscribers without entering into any cumbersome agreements with mobile carriers, while keeping the service easy-to-use comparing to the pre-paid calling card operators. At the same time, PortaSwitch allows service providers to monetize this opportunity by creating a broad customer base and charging for the international calls from cell phones. This offers a considerable competitive advantage and secures a large market segment. The assured operation of PortaSwitch and the MobileMax Personal Edition Mobile Client makes our two technologies a reliable, cost-effective solution that can create real differentiation in the marketplace."

"Time to market is critical in the mobile industry, which is why MobileMax is continuously working to provide rock-solid solutions that can be deployed quickly," noted Perry Nalevka, MobileMax director of business development. "These two technologies provide our carrier and service provider customers with a standards-based platform for smooth, low-cost international calling that also encourages subscribers to use their infrastructure on a continuous basis."

The MobileMax Personal Edition Mobile Client currently supports more than 500 popular handset models, with new models added continually.

For more information, please write to sales@portaone.com or call 866.747.8647.

About MobileMax:

MobileMax (TASE: MBMX), founded in 2004, is a key player in the Unified Communication (UC) arena. Its unique patent-pending Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC) solutions enable seamless call routing -- essentially extending the enterprise's real-time communication functionality to the mobile device, enabling users to have one device with one number, one address book and one voice mailbox, always using the lowest cost network for connectivity.

MobileMax licenses its solutions to telecom service providers, carriers and unified communication providers.

The MobileMax technology-agnostic solution is comprised of two components; the Provisioning Server and the Personal/Enterprise Mobile Client. The server generates Mobile Client applications on the fly -- configured to customers' requirements -- and sends them to end user's mobile phones. The Client resides in the user's mobile device, routes outgoing calls to alternative networks and provides enterprise communication features.

The solution supports over 500 mobile phone devices and easily integrates into any existing PBX, VoIP or other telecommunications systems.

PBXpress Software Update

Tue, 30 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

PBXpress Communication, Inc. issued a software update for its IP PBX distributed and supported by PortaOne. The update features include:

System upgrade to FreeBSD 6.3
Advanced connection sharing
Web form based login and logout
LAN/WAN interface assignment via web interface
Extended information about Cluster nodes
Support for Nokia SIP phones (E61, E71 etc.) and Fring
Unconditional call forwarding
Digium TDM2400/TDM410/TDM800 support
Translation rules description
Call History FIND cli/cld wildcards
External syslog server support for SIP log
Numerous fixes for call transfers, dialing rules and recording notifications

This is a major release. Simple network update will work fine, however for better system performance the following procedure is recommended:

Backup config of existing system = bkp#1
Upgrade system over the network.
Verify system functions.
Backup config of upgraded system = bkp#2
Re-Install the system from CD (NOT upgrade)
Restore system configuration from bkp#2.
Verify system functions.

Please contact our sales team if you need more information about PBXpress, PortaCare, and prices.

PortaOne Presented Telecommunication Software Products for New Generation Service Providers at ITEXPO West 2008

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

PortaOne has finished today an intensive 2-day marathon of unstoppable meetings with clients, partners, and telecommunication industry professionals at ITEXPO West 2008 in Los Angeles, CA.

Now when the VON shows are gone, ITEXPO events remain one of the most important forums of the next generation telecommunication professionals in the North America.

PortaOne will also exhibit at the 12th International Exhibition in Vietnam on Telecommunications and Information Technology Vietnam Telecomp 2008 in HoChiMinh City in November 26 -29 this year. We will proudly present our billing, softswitch, and unified messaging products to the Vietnamese emerging market. Please visit our booth 3B35 at HoChiMinh City International Exhibition and Convention Centre.

PortaSwitch Maintenance Release 18

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

This is an official announcement of PortaSwitch Maintenance Release 18.

PortaOne support team now starts installing it to the staging systems of selected clients. Please contact support to schedule the update of your system.

Below is a short summary of the new features available in the MR18:


Support for "email" account IDs	To simplify deployment of converged communication services, where the same ID is used for email, instant messaging and calls, PortaBilling now supports the use of an email address instead of an E.164 number for SIP services. Such IDs can now be employed for services where users were previously limited to a "phone number", e.g. a forwarding list in the follow-me configuration.
Service configuration in product	With MR18 you gain the ability to specify default service configuration parameters as part of a product's definition. This allows you to apply the same settings (e.g. maximum bandwidth, availability of unified communications service, etc.) for all accounts that have this product.
Mass change of subscription plans	If you decide to change the mandatory subscriptions included in a certain product, you can now propagate changes to all accounts with this product in a single click.
Routing to domain name	You can now specify the domain address of the gateway/proxy in the outgoing connection configuration, and PortaSwitch will dynamically resolve it to the IP address. This simplifies interconnection with carriers who use DNS round robin or similar techniques to provide load-balancing among multiple proxies.
New and improved monitoring system	The new system includes an extended set of monitoring probes, enabling you to monitor not just system parameters like CPU load or disk space, but also PortaBilling-specific functionalities such as the execution of periodic tasks. The monitoring system provides advanced control over various alerts via a web GUI. This enables easy, efficient supervision of all aspects of PortaSwitch operations by PortaOne staff. (The new monitoring system will also be made available to customers running PortaSwitch releases MR16 and MR17.)
Provisioning bandwidth allocation	Available bandwidth for data transfer services (such as WiFi) can now be controlled via the PortaBilling web interface with a service attribute in the account configuration.
Billing engine log viewer	The GUI for browsing call processing logs generated by the billing engine for easier troubleshooting has been improved. These logs are now presented with text indentation and color highlighting for enhanced clarity. Embedded XML formatting allows easy integration with third-party applications for log processing. MR18 also introduces log indexing, which can be done on a dedicated server for customers with large log volumes. This allows rapid retrieval of the required information with a minimum load on the server's CPU and disk system.
Improved cost/revenue report	The built-in cost/revenue report now provides sub-totals for individual services.

Instant messaging	PortaSIP now includes an advanced messaging module that enables online messaging, message storage on the server side for offline users (so they can receive messages later), and the option of keeping a full message history on the server
Call waiting	PortaSwitch can now control delivery of the call waiting feature to IP phones. This ensures that it is only supplied to users who have it activated on the PortaSwitch side (regardless of whether it is enabled on the IP phone itself). This enables you to offer "Call Waiting" as an add-on service.
RTP proxy control at the account level	In addition to the option of media proxying based on a specific vendor's proxying policy, it is now possible to activate full media proxying for a specific account (phone line). This can be used to force NAT traversal on the PortaSwitch side in complex network configurations, or to provide users with an extra level of privacy.
Multi-DID control	If multiple DIDs have been allocated to a single user via the "Account Alias" feature, the PortaSwitch administrator can define which of these will be allowed independent SIP registrations (i.e. they can be used on different phones) and which can be used only in conjunction with the main account. This extends the available service options to hosted IP PBX and SIP trunking services.
Log indexing	MR18 also introduces indexing of SIP communication logs - this significantly reduces time required to build a visual call flow diagram and load on the server's CPU and disk system while doing it.

Personalization IVR	Users can now perform account self-configuration via the IVR menu (such as managing their forwarding mode and follow-me numbers) or receive extra information (e.g. hearing the last calls made or received on their phone line).
Hebrew language support for IVR	Users can now access PortaUM IVRs (personalization, check balance, pre-paid card application and others) in Hebrew.

PortaOne Has Exhibited at ITU Telecom Asia 2008

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Today was the last day of ITU Telecom Asia 2008 in Bangkok, Thailand, one of the largest
telecommunication shows in Asia Pacific region. The event features the
latest technologies and innovations, and an extensive forum that explores
key technologies, policies and applications driving Asia's ICT sector.

This is not the first time PortaOne participates in trade shows organized by
International Telecommunication Union. We already successfully exhibited
at ITU Telecom World 2006 in Hong Kong, China in December 2006.

Despite of recent political turmoil in Thailand that somewhat effected the
flow of participants during the show days, we consider ITU Telecom Asia 2008
a definite success: we met new clients and prospects interested in billing,
softswitches, and other applications for converged communication services,
established contacts with local telecom community, and even signed a
contract, a rare thing at this kind of events.

The next show where PortaOne will be participating is going to happen in
less than two weeks in Los Angeles, CA. Meet us at ITEXPO West 2008 on Wednesday, September 17 (4:00pm - 8:00pm) and on Thursday, September 18 (11:00am - 5:00pm)

PortaCare Flash Presentation

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700

The presentation provides detailed information on the contents of the
technical support and maintenance services, support organization and
processes, as well as other inside information about PortaCare and the team
that serves or customers 24/7.

PortaBilling100 Gets a Performance Boost with a New Dedicated 64-bit Database Server

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0700

The recent development in PortaBilling100 architecture now enables performance savvy customers to have their database on a dedicated server. This distributed architecture employs the capacity of a dedicated server to run resource intensive tasks such as statistics queries and web interface requests and operations.

All database functions can now run on a separate server, which uses 64-bit FreeBSD version 7.0. In addition to many performance improvements (especially in the area of multi-processing) done in the operating system, 64-bit architecture allows to use more than 4GB of RAM in the server. This extra memory, used by MySQL for caching, drastically reduces the execution time for SQL queries. So overall this greatly enhances the call processing capacity of your PortaBilling100 Master server, the performance improvement for some complex systems and sophisticated businesses can be up to 200%.

PortaOne customers can also use a dedicated 64-bit database server to run the PortaBilling100 slave database, this provides more performance capacity on your slave server for web requests or XML API and reduces time for SQL queries execution, resulting in faster web GUI for your administrators and end-users.

The 64-bit database servers can be part of your existing PortaBilling100 system and does not require an additional license. A separate PortaCare contract is required to cover this server. Please contact your sales manager for a quote to order a separate database server.

CommunicAsia 2008 is Over

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Today was the last day of a very busy show at PortaOne’s booth in Canadian pavilion in Singapore.

The nest event PortaOne will be participating at is ITU Telecom Asia 2008 in Bangkok, Thailand. The expo will take place in September 2-5, 2008; and our booth number at IMPACT Center is D11.

PortaSwitch Maintenance Release 17

Wed, 18 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0700

	This is an official announcement of PortaSwitch Maintenance Release 17.
PortaOne support team now starts installing it to the staging systems of selected clients. Please contact support to schedule the update of your system

Below is a short summary of the new features available in the MR17:


Adaptive routing	Dynamic measurement of vendor’s quality parameters (ASR, ALOC, PDD, etc.) with ability to receive alarms or remove a route from the routing plan when quality falls below the specified threshold
Customized account/customer info	Administrator’s ability to define, edit, and validate a set of extra attributes (e.g. driver’s license ID or tax code) to extend any standard PortaBilling100 information
Improved customer self-care interface	Dashboard for the customer self-care interface, to conveniently present the most important billing and service information (with the special focus on various IP Centrex features)
Enhanced account management	Ability to manually terminate a whole customer with all its accounts

Group pickup	Ability to answer a call ringing on another’s phone by dialing a special code from your phone
Web administration improvements	Web administration page for creation and management of virtual PortaSIP instances
Presence services	This allows users to keep others informed of their status, availability, and how they may be contacted – all before a communication session even begins.

Call forward management	IVR application for self-managemant of the call forwarding by an end-user
Improved callback application	Callback application to automatically register your CLI in the system for the future use
Spanish language support	Support for the Spanish language in the PortaUM management IVRs and pre-paid card application

A complete copy of the MR17 New Features Guide can be found on the top of the Documentation page.

PortaOne is Exhibiting at CommunicAsia 2008 in Singapore

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0700

This is the third time for PortaOne to exhibit at the major Asia-Pacific telecommunication event. CommunicAsia has been taking place in Singapore since 1979 and PortaOne exhibited here last year and in 2006. This year our booth is in Canadian pavilion.

The show will continue till Friday and will be open for public from 10:30 am to 6:00 pm on Wednesday and Thursday, and from 10:30 am to 4:00 pm on Friday. Our booth number is 3L1-01 in Hall 3.

The Newest Software Update for PBXpress

Mon, 12 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

PBXpress Communication, Inc. last week issued a software update for its IP PBX distributed and supported by PortaOne. PBXpress is a Unix based IP PBX (Internet Protocol Private Branch Exchange) with call recording and other multiple features.

The update features an improved interface for network management and a new way to display system-cluster shared connections.

Please contact our sales team if you need more information about PBXpress, PortaCare, and prices.

No VON.x Conference & Expo in Europe This Year

Wed, 07 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

We have been recently informed by our former account manager at VON.x organizer that the numerous rumors about Pulvermedia ’s financial problems, total staff lay-offs, and inability to continue running the scheduled shows this year are in fact true. We did not manage to receive any comments on this from TICC Capital Group, the investor to Pulvermedia.

We assume that the show in Amsterdam will not happen at all, and therefore regret to inform our customers and interested prospects that under these circumstances PortaOne will not exhibit at VON.x in Amsterdam in June this year.

Since 2005, PortaOne has invested a lot to participate in every major VON event in the USA and Europe. We now have our booths booked for Amsterdam and Boston shows this year and even San Jose expo in 2009. Unfortunately, it is our understanding at the moment that these shows will not happen either.

PortaOne is Exhibiting at Billing & OSS World in Chicago, IL

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Today was the first and very busy day at 2008 Billing & OSS World Conference and Expo in Chicago, IL. Here are several pictures of PortaOne’s booth:

Our current customers and everybody else who has a particular interest in VoIP business applications still have a chance tomorrow to meet our team and see a live demo of our products at our booth 606 in McCormick Place from 12 pm to 4 pm.

Two New Installation Guides for Maintenace Release 16: PortaSIP & PortaUM

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700

The MR16 Installation Guides for both PortaSIP and PortaUM are now available on the Documentation Page. As it is quite obvious from the documents’ names, their main purpose is to provide a full step-by-step explanation of the installation process for PortaSIP and PortaUM.

PortaUM Administrator Guide: Maintenance Release 16

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700

PortaUM Administrator Guide: Maintenance Release 16, a document that provides a general overview of PortaUM as a platform for the delivery of enhanced business and residential communications services, is now available for download from our Documentation page.

The MR16 includes several new features and improvements for PortaUM:

Stand-by PortaUM
Distributed call processing with multiple PortaUM servers
Improvements in dial-by-name auto attendant menu
Flexible configuration options for prepaid card IVR application

PortaBilling100 Installation Guide: Maintenance Release 16

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700

PortaBilling100 Installation Guide for Maintenance Release 16, a document that provides a general overview of the PortaBilling100 installation process, is now available for download from our Documentation page.

PortaBilling100 can potentially run on most modern UNIX operating systems, assuming these are equipped with such basic items as an ANSI C compiler. However, it might be difficult for an inexperienced system administrator to install and configure the operating system in such a way as to meet all the requirements and provide the best performance.

Installing all the prerequisite software (libraries, Perl modules, MySQL server) might also be a time-consuming task, with a high risk of making some hard-to-trace error.

That is why the PortaBilling100 JumpStart installation CD provides a quick and seamless way to perform a complete server installation from scratch, in less than 15 minutes. It contains installation media for FreeBSD 6.3, with all the necessary packages and PortaBilling100 itself. The standardized installation procedure also simplifies further system maintenance.

PBXpress Software Update: Release 13

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700

PBXpress Communication, Inc. last week issued the 13th software update for its IP PBX distributed and supported by PortaOne. The update includes:

Support for Sangoma A101/A102/A200 cards
Intelligent sharing of FollowMe info among cluster nodes
Intelligent connection sharing between cluster nodes
IP static routing configuration page
Various performance improvements and bug fixes

About PBXpress

PBXpress is a Unix based IP PBX (Internet Protocol Private Branch Exchange) with call recording and other multiple features, a product specially designed for demanding business customers of modern ITSPs.

PortaOne distributes PBXpress in order to help our customers to improve their product line, create market differentiation, and enjoy new revenue streams. That is why PortaOne is the only distributor of PBXpress Communications, Inc. that provides its customers with PortaCare, a comprehensive 24×7/365 technical support and maintenance program.

Please contact our sales team if you need more information about PBXpress, PortaCare, and prices

Premium PortaCare is Introduced to Expand the Services Provided to PortaOne Customers

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700

PortaOne has introduced Premium PortaCare, an extended list of services available to the current PortaCare subscribers. In addition to all standard PortaCare features and services, an annual Premium PortaCare includes:

24/7×365 unlimited access to the dedicated PortaOne call center
Priority assessment, research, and quoting for the custom development assignments
Complimentary one-day training session at one of PortaOne offices in North America or Europe
Optional two-day on-site configuration assistance visit by a PortaOne support engineer (travel related expenses not included)

For more information about Premium PortaCare support and maintenance program please contact our sales team.

PortaSwitch Handbook: Prepaid & Postpaid Billing for MR16

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0700

PortaOne has just published the newest version of PortaSwitch Handbook: Prepaid and Postpaid Billing for MR16. This document is aimed to provide PortaSwitch users with step-by-step instructions and examples for setting up various prepaid and postpaid services on a VoIP network.

Part I (Prepaid Billing) and Part II (Postpaid Billing) of the Handbook are available on the Documentation page

PortaSwitch Handbook: Prepaid & Postpaid Billing for MR16

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Part I (Prepaid Billing) and Part II (Postpaid Billing) of the Handbook are available on the Documentation page.

Free Expo Pass to Billing & OSS World in Chicago, IL

Tue, 25 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Billing World & OSS 2008 Conference and Expo is the premier event for business and operations support systems.

As a courtesy for our current and potential clients, PortaOne distributes free expo passes for those who would like to visit our booth 606 on April 29 - May 2, 2008 in Chicago, IL.

Please contact us to receive the pass in advance before the show.

Maintenance Release 17 Pre-Release Feature Announcement

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0700

This is a pre-release announcement of the new features to become available for our customers with the Maintenance Release 17.

The MR17 is scheduled for April this year.


Adaptive routing	Dynamic measurement of vendor’s quality parameters (ASR, ALOC, PDD, etc.) with ability to receive alarms or remove a route from the routing plan when quality falls below the specified threshold
Customized account/customer info	Administrator’s ability to define, edit, and validate a set of extra attributes (e.g. driver’s license ID or tax code) to extend any standard PortaBilling100 information
Improved customer self-care interface	Dashboard for the customer self-care interface, to conveniently present the most important billing and service information (with the special focus on various IP Centrex features)
Enhanced account management	Ability to manually terminate a whole customer with all its accounts

Group pickup	Ability to answer a call ringing on another’s phone by dialing a special code from your phone
Web administration improvements	Web administration page for creation and management of virtual PortaSIP instances

Call forward management	IVR application for self-managemant of the call forwarding by an end-user
Improved callback application	Callback application to automatically register your CLI in the system for the future use
Spanish support	Support for the Spanish language in the PortaUM management IVRs and pre-paid card application

Please note that this is a preliminary announcement and the list above is not 100% complete and confirmed. For more information please contact us

Spring VON.x is Over, Meet PortaOne at Billing & OSS World in Chicago

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0700

There were two busy days at Spring VON.x in San Jose, CA this year. Here are some pictures from the show:

The next show PortaOne participates in is Billing & OSS World in Chicago, IL on April 30 - May 1, 2008. It will take place in McCormick Place, and our booth will be located at lot 606.

PortaOne is Exhibiting at Spring 2008 VON.x in San Jose, CA

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Today is the first day of Spring VON.x exhibition in San Jose, CA this year.

PortaOne’s booth number is 927. Please visit us to meet our sales and engineering team and see the live demo of our products.

PortaSwitch Handbook: SIP Services for Maintenance Release 16

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0700

PortaOne has just published the newest version of PortaSwitch Handbook: SIP Services for MR16. This document is aimed to provide PortaSwitch users with the most common examples and guidelines for setting up a VoIP network. The last section of the document answers the most frequent questions users ask after running PortaSwitch for the first time.

Part I (SIP Services) and Part II (Advanced SIP Services) of the Handbook are available on the Documentation page.

PortaOne is Exhibiting at CeBIT 2008 in Hanover, Germany

Wed, 05 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0800

This week our sales team is busy exhibiting at the largest IT expo in the world, CeBIT 2008 in Hanover, Germany. Roman Khalenkov, Sales and Marketing Director at PortaOne, today delivered a presentation on the Do’s and Dont’s when Selecting a Billing Application. The presentation was well received at the IP Central and Wireless World @ CeBIT.

Our team will be at CeBIT till Sunday, March 9. Please stop by at our booth D34 (Hall 13, IP Central).

Covergence, PortaOne Interoperability Enables First Joint Customer BandTel to Offer VoIP and Other Real-Time Communications

Mon, 03 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0800

BandTel Chooses Covergence and PortaOne for Secure and Manageable Access to VoIP, and Secure, Reliable SIP Trunks

MAYNARD, Mass., March 3, 2008 – Covergence®, the leading provider of next generation Session Border Control solutions, today announced the successful completion of interoperability testing with PortaOne, a leading global vendor of carrier grade billing and provisioning software for Internet Telephony Service Providers such as BandTel, the first customer to make use of this interoperability. The testing confirms compatibility between the award-winning Covergence Session Manager and the PortaOne PortaSwitch.

As the communications landscape quickly evolves, service providers need next generation networking equipment that offers a clear and cost-effective transition path between traditional voice services and IP-based networks. Providers must ready their networks to support the real-time services like video, voice, presence and IM, that users demand.

As a part of this evolution, BandTel delivers SIP trunking solutions to customers as an affordable, high quality alternative to traditional leased line services. Because of its sophisticated network infrastructure which is now enhanced by the Covergence and PortaOne relationships, BandTel is helping customers realize the benefits of VoIP and SIP trunking. Value, quality and policy enforcement are critical success factors for BandTel and its customers.

“By combining the capabilities of the Covergence Session Manager with the flexible routing control provided by PortaSwitch, BandTel can control all aspects of an Internet telephony session,” said Chris Dunk, CEO at BandTel. “The flexibility of the solution has allowed our technical experts to create custom applications that contribute to BandTel’s highly configurable, highly controllable, fully redundant worldwide SIP network.”

PortaOne enables service providers like BandTel to quickly and efficiently implement, manage and deliver a wide range of solutions with PortaSwitch, a single set of software products that include such applications as VoIP billing and provisioning, class 4 and 5 SIP softswitch, unified messaging and conferencing applications, and IP PBX software. The completion of interoperability testing with Covergence further affirms PortaOne’s capabilities to offer complex and flexible solutions to customers like BandTel.

“With proven interoperability between the Covergence Session Manager and the PortaSwitch, we can strongly support the converged services that customers are beginning to demand,” said Roman Khalenkov, Sales and Marketing Director at PortaOne. “While billing and softswitch solutions included in PortaSwitch support inter alia various routing scenarios, real time billing, and highly sophisticated customer and vendor provisioning, the testing with Covergence has allowed us to ensure proper security for next-generation services like encryption, message authentication, and replay protection to data.”

“Telecommunications is moving beyond voice to include multi-media services, and leading vendors like PortaOne need to guarantee a proven solution for delivering these services,” said Bob O’Neil, president and CEO for Covergence. “The Covergence Session Manager works with PortaOne’s offerings to make next-generation communications a reality for customers like BandTel.”

The Covergence Session Manager was developed to meet a full range of needs; from those of the small to medium-sized business (SMB) market all the way up to the world’s largest service provider. The solution is available from Covergence immediately and can be purchased by contacting sales@covergence.com or by calling 978.823.5200.

PortaSwitch is an IP Multimedia Subsystem or a software-based communication services platform allowing modern communication providers to unify voice, data and fax traffic within a single network. PortaOne customers that include emerging ITSPs, SIP trunking wholesalers, and tier 1 national carriers benefit from 24/7 technical support, onsite training, and flexibility of the software source code provided with unlimited and perpetual license.

For more information, please write to sales@portaone.com or call 866.747.8647.

About Covergence
Covergence is the leader in scaling, securing and controlling VoIP and other real-time services. The award-winning Covergence Session Manager combines traditional session-border-control functionality with comprehensive security features and management tools. The Covergence Session Manager is purpose-built to securely and reliably connect users to VoIP and multi-media services while giving organizations the complete control and visibility they require. www.covergence.com.

About PortaOne
PortaOne is a leading global communications infrastructure vendor enabling ITSPs (Internet telephony service providers) and voice network operators to quickly and efficiently implement, manage and deliver a wide range of billing and softswitch solutions for IP telephony services. The company’s products provide a comprehensive range of applications, including calling cards, Hosted IPPBX, IP Centrex, Vonage-like and Skype-like services.

Established in 1997, PortaOne is a privately held company headquartered in Vancouver, Canada with sales, support, and development offices around the globe.

About BandTel
BandTel is a leading worldwide provider of SIP Trunking services. The company is dedicated to ensuring its customers and partners alike have access to the most reliable, end-to-end VoIP service available on the market today. Its N-Plus™ architecture is designed to solve the throughput and redundancy problems on high-capacity SIP-based networks and eliminate any single point of failure. BandTel is headquartered in Newport Beach, California.

Covergence and Covergence Session Manager are registered trademarks of Covergence. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.

Covergence: Heather Sill, 781.789.8907, hsill@covergence.com
Media Relations: Mike Reilly, 617.758.4154, covergence@famapr.com
PortaOne: Roman Khalenkov, 604.628.2508, contact@portaone.com

PortaBilling External System Interfaces Guide

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0800

We have published an updated version of the PortaBilling External System Interfaces Guide.

This document is now compliant with MR16 and provides information for developers who want to interface their applications and systems with PortaBilling100.

Internet Telephony Conference & Expo in Miami, FL is Over

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0800

Today was the last day of another successful exhibition at the Internet Telephony Conference & Expo in Miami, FL.

As this is our fifth time participating in ITEXPO, PortaOne is regular exhibitor at TMC events.

This show made our team very busy with potential clients meetings and live product demonstration.

The next ITEXPO will take place in Los Angeles, CA on September 17-18, 2008. You can find us in Los Angeles Convention Center at Booth 431.

However, you do not to have to wait until September to speak to us personally. We will be exhibiting at CeBIT in Hanover, Germany in less then two months on March 4-9. Please stop by at our Booth D34 (Hall 13, IP Central).

The Second PortaSwitch MR16 New Features Web Cast

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0800

All PortaOne customers (primely those located in Europe, Middle East and the Eastern parts of the US and Canada) and everybody else who is interested in PortaOne’s products development are invited to attend the second web cast dedicated to the new features of PortaSwitch.

When:

The web cast will take place on Tuesday next week, January 29, 2008 at

3 PM GMT (UK and Portugal), or
4 PM CET (Western and Central Europe), or
10 AM EST (America’s East Coast).

Why:

We urge all PortaOne customers to participate in this PortaSwitch MR16 Web cast presentation and are confident that you will find value add feature benefits which can become new sources of revenue to your organization including our enhanced PortaOne product platform features for your exiting customer base and potential new sales.

What:

Converged Billing: Services & Service Types
Account Aliases
Favorite Number Billing Support
CDR Re-Rating Tool
Multiple Tariffs Applied to Reseller
Other Improvements

Conditional Call Processing
SIP TAPI Support
Efficiency Improvements

Improvements
New Features
PortaBridge

Upon completion of our presentation there will be a short Q&A session.

How:

Here are some details on how access the webcast:

Go to https://soc.webex.com/soc/j.php?ED=99860422&UID=0
Click “Join”
Enter Name, meeting password “porta1″ and email address
If you don’t find it, you may search by meeting number: 594 442 187
Especially on Vista you may have to install the meeting manager before: http://support.webex.com/support/downloads.html

For audio:

Dial to 1-888-296-6500 (or +1-913-227-1219)
Enter guest code 168027

WebEx will automatically setup Meeting Manager for Windows the first time you join a meeting. To save time, you can setup prior to the meeting. For Help or Support please go to WebEx, click Assistance, then Click Help or click Support. You can also add this meeting to your calendar program (for example Microsoft Outlook).

The host requests that you check for compatibility of rich media players for Universal Communications Format (UCF) before you join the session. UCF allows you to view multimedia during the session.

PortaSwitch MR16 New Features Web Cast

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0800

All PortaOne customers and everybody else who is interested in PortaOne’s products development are invited to attend a web cast dedicated to the new features of PortaSwitch.

When:

The webcast will take place on Wednesday next week, January 23, 2008 at 5 PM Pacific Standard Time (for our clients in Asia and Pacific it is going to be on Thursday, January 24, 2008 at 9 AM in Singapore and Hong Kong, and at noon in Sydney, Australia).

We will have another webcast on January 29, 2008 for our clients located in European and Middle East time zones. We will separately notify on the exact timing of it.

Why:

What:

Converged Billing: Services & Service Types
Account Aliases
Favorite Number Billing Support
CDR Re-Rating Tool
Multiple Tariffs Applied to Reseller
Other Improvements

Conditional Call Processing
SIP TAPI Support
Efficiency Improvements

Improvements
New Features
PortaBridge

Upon completion of our presentation there will be a short Q&A session.

How:

Here are some details on how access the webcast:

Go to https://soc.webex.com/soc/j.php?ED=99860422&UID=0
Click “Join”
Enter Name, meeting password “porta1″ and email address
If you don’t find it, you may search by meeting number: 594 442 187
Especially on Vista you may have to install the meeting manager before: http://support.webex.com/support/downloads.html

For audio:

Dial to 1-888-296-6500 (or +1-913-227-1219)
Enter guest code 168027

The host requests that you check for compatibility of rich media players for Universal Communications Format (UCF) before you join the session. UCF allows you to view multimedia during the session.

PortaSwitch MR16 New Features Web Cast

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0800

All PortaOne customers and everybody else who is interested in PortaOne’s products development are invited to attend a web cast dedicated to the new features of PortaSwitch.

When:

We will have another webcast on January 29, 2008 for our clients located in European and Middle East time zones. We will separately notify on the exact timing of it.

Why:

What:

Converged Billing: Services & Service Types
Account Aliases
Favorite Number Billing Support
CDR Re-Rating Tool
Multiple Tariffs Applied to Reseller
Other Improvements

Conditional Call Processing
SIP TAPI Support
Efficiency Improvements

Improvements
New Features
PortaBridge

Upon completion of our presentation there will be a short Q&A session.

How:

Here are some details on how access the webcast:

Go to https://soc.webex.com/soc/j.php?ED=99860422&UID=0
Click “Join”
Enter Name, meeting password “porta1″ and email address
If you don’t find it, you may search by meeting number: 594 442 187
Especially on Vista you may have to install the meeting manager before: http://support.webex.com/support/downloads.html

For audio:

Dial to 1-888-296-6500 (or +1-913-227-1219)
Enter guest code 168027

The host requests that you check for compatibility of rich media players for Universal Communications Format (UCF) before you join the session. UCF allows you to view multimedia during the session.

Free VIP Pass to the Internet Telephony Expo in Miami, FL

Mon, 07 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0800

PortaOne is preparing to participate in the Internet Telephony Conference and Expo that will take place at the Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami, FL in almost two weeks from now.

Our current and prospective clients can meet PortaOne sales team at our Booth 726 for a live demo of our products during the exhibit hours:

Thursday, January 24 (11:30 am - 5:00 pm), and
Friday, January 25 (11:00 am - 2:30 pm).

Free VIP Pass

For you convenience, PortaOne provides you with a free VIP pass to the exhibit hall. Please download and print it out to use during the registration.

Please contact our sales team if you want to schedule a specific time to meet during the show.

New Features Guide for the Maintenance Release 16

Fri, 04 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0800

PortaOne has published the New Features Gide for the Maintenance Release 16. This document provides information for PortaOne users regarding new features that will appear in PortaSwitch MR16.

Below is a short summary of what you can find in the document.

Service Type Vs. Service

The introduction of this new concept even further develops PortaBilling100 as a converged billing platform. PortaBilling100 enables ITSPs to offer multiple services to their customers while providing clear transaction and invoice information.

A service type is a physical service provided to an end-user; at the same time a service is a description of the user’s activities from a business perspective.

Multiple Tariffs for Resellers

Maintenance Release 16 introduces an ability to apply multiple tariffs to the same resellers. This allows to:

Charge resellers different rates based on their sub-customers’ products.
Apply different charges based on the service used by the reseller’s sub-customers.
Apply different rates based on the service scenario.

Product Cloning

Product configuration is an important step that specifies all accessibility entries to ensure the correct functionality. To minimize the amount of work to create a new product, PortaBilling100 allows to configure a new product as a clone of an existing one.

Account Aliases

The new MR16 includes a new feature called “account aliases” where an alias serves as a link or pointer to the main account. When a customer uses an alias ID for authentication, PortaBilling100 retrieves information about the main account and uses its balance, product type and other parameters for all further operations.

xDR Re-rating

MR16 introduces a re-feed alternative designed to fix the most common problem: incorrect pricing information in a tariff. Operating from the web interface, the administrator specifies the “original” (incorrect) tariff and the new “correct” tariff, and narrows the set of xDRs to be processed by time interval and specific customer.

Favorite Numbers Billing

This feature - when enabled for a specific account - allows to offer customers a “call friends & family cheaper”-type service.

ACLs for Resellers

The MR16 adds a new option now: the ACLs for sub-customers may be marked as ‘Visible To’ the reseller (or a group of resellers). Afterwards, the ‘Access only to ACLs visible to the reseller’ component is included into the ACL applied to the reseller. The resellers then will be able to assign to their sub-customers only the ACLs marked as “visible”.

Selective Call Processing

This feature allows defining a set of rules to be applied to every incoming call. Each rule may include a set of conditions based on the calling number status, called number condition or the time when the call is made. When an incoming call matches a certain rule, one of several possible call processing scenarios will be executed – for instance “reject call”, “forward this call to voicemail without ringing the phone”, “ring on the IP phone, but do not engage any of the follow-me destinations”, etc..

Click2dial

The MR16 now includes the SIP TAPI (Telephony Application Programming Interface) which is a driver that enables the SIP click2dial functionality for TAPI applications (like MS Outlook).

RTP Proxy Server

It is possible now with MR16 to transfer the RTP proxying function to a separate server for those systems where a high number of proxied calls is required.

This allows to efficiently prioritize transmission of IP packets carrying the voice media and prevent any resource-intensive operations on the SIP side from affecting the voice quality.

RADIUS Network Interface

MR16 supports the use of a separate network interface for communications with the billing system. This allows PortaSIP server to run the actual voice traffic via one network interface, while another network interface can be used for secure communications with the billing.

Improved Auto-Attendant Controls that allow recording of a separate prompt when a user did not press any keys.
Debit Card Application Improvements to run multiple instances of the debit card application on the same PortaUM server.
The French language support for debit card application.
Stand-by Server to improve reliability of the voicemail or auto-attendant service.
Distributed Architecture that enables ITSPs to serve more customers with several PortaUM servers simultaneously.

Please refer to the New Features Guide for detailed information on the above topics. Our sales managers and the technical support team are always available to answer your questions as well.

PBXpress Software Update

Thu, 27 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0800

PBXpress Communication, Inc. today has issued a software update for its IP PBX distributed and supported by PortaOne. The update includes:

https certificate management
Multiple users with different access levels for administration interface
Eaton Powerware UPS support
Support for multiple files phone firmware update
New handler for network interface card events
Manual VoIP password entry/change for extensions
Separate fields for SIP proxy and registrar
Several bug fixes

About PBXpress

Please contact our sales team if you need more information about PBXpress, PortaCare, and prices.

PortaOne Global Customer Map: December 2007 Update

Thu, 20 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0800

We have decided to update our global customer map right before the end of 2007. PortaOne customers deploy our billing, softswitch, and unified messaging solutions in 60 different countries on all five inhabited continents.

To date, PortaOne has issued approximately 700 licenses that empower our customers to make profit on the cutting edge of telecommunication technology around the globe today.

MR16 Documentation Update

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0800

Following the official announcement of Maintenance Release 16 over two weeks ago, we have now published newly updated versions of several manuals and guides which are currently available on the PortaOne website’s documentation page.

The following documents are now updated to MR16:

Please contact our support team to schedule the upgrade of your system to MR16.

PortaBridge, a Conferencing Server is Availabe for PortaUM Customers with MR16

Mon, 03 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0800

PortaOne launches a new product with the Maintenance Release 16. PortaBridge is a conferencing server that provides a capability for several users to communicate through the phone at the same time.

Conference services provided with PortaBridge are especially important for your enterprise level clients that need help with multiple locations, dispersed customers or large sales forces to work together more efficiently.

Although PortaBridge is a separate product and requires a separate server to run on, it is an integral part of PortaUM and is available for our PortaUM clients only.

As all other PortaSwitch licenses, PortaBridge license is unlimited and perpetual, and includes the source code. When purchased along with PortaSwitch, the license will also include post-installation monitoring and on-site training.

Moreover, PortaBridge license is absolutely free for our PortaUM customers. However, as it runs on a separate server which is different from PortaUM, an extra PortaCare contract is required.

For more information about PortaBridge capabilities and applications please contact our sales team.

PortaSwitch Maintenance Release 16

Fri, 30 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0800

The Maintenance Release 16 is available for testing starting next week. Please contact our technical support team to schedule the upgrade.

Here is a short review of what is new in the MR16:

Account aliases	Extra flexibility for your business model. An account in PortaBillling100, and thus available funds, can be linked to several multiple identities (e.g. ANI number, DID number, PIN, etc.).
CDR re-rating tool	Higher efficiency. Here comes a robust and easy-to-use web-based alternative to the command-line CDR re-feed tool.
Web Singup	Automation tool with improved usability for your clients. With this faster and more secure web singup function your clients are able to chose from available DIDs and UAs during the first registration as well as provide credentials for instant account creation, provisioning and payment collection.

Conditional call forwarding	Another cool feature for your clients. This allows to set rules for call forwarding.
SIP TAPI	Integration with e-mail client. You customers can now click to dial in MS Outlook.

Stand-by server	Improved redundancy. With MR16 our clients can run both primary and stand-by PortaUM servers to ensure high level of redundancy and service availability.
PortaBridge - a conferencing server	An excellent way to stand out and improve you bottom line. This feature will allow your customers to enjoy conferencing service, inviting up to 40 callers in one virtual conference room to discuss common business project or just chat between friends and relatives.

PortaSwitch Maintenance Release 16

Fri, 30 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0800

The Maintenance Release 16 is available for testing starting next week. Please contact our technical support team to schedule the upgrade.

Here is a short review of what is new in the MR16:

Account aliases	Extra flexibility for your business model. An account in PortaBillling100, and thus available funds, can be linked to several multiple identities (e.g. ANI number, DID number, PIN, etc.).
CDR re-rating tool	Higher efficiency. Here comes a robust and easy-to-use web-based alternative to the command-line CDR re-feed tool.
Web Singup	Automation tool with improved usability for your clients. With this faster and more secure web singup function your clients are able to chose from available DIDs and UAs during the first registration as well as provide credentials for instant account creation, provisioning and payment collection.

Conditional call forwarding	Another cool feature for your clients. This allows to set rules for call forwarding.
SIP TAPI	Integration with e-mail client. You customers can now click to dial in MS Outlook.

Stand-by server	Improved redundancy. With MR16 our clients can run both primary and stand-by PortaUM servers to ensure high level of redundancy and service availability.
PortaBridge - a conferencing server	An excellent way to stand out and improve you bottom line. This feature will allow your customers to enjoy conferencing service, inviting up to 40 callers in one virtual conference room to discuss common business project or just chat between friends and relatives.

PortaOne Helps to Publish a Book on Troubleshooting Techniques

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0800

PortaOne has sponsored the translation and publication of Steve Litt’s Troubleshooting Techniques of the Successful Technologist, a book which is by far the most complete and authoritative source of information on the process of technological troubleshooting.

This book of over 300 pages contains a massive amount of information on the process of technological troubleshooting, for example:

Universal troubleshooting process (UTP) and diagnostic tests optimization
Binary search: theory and practice.
Intermittent-busting tactics and theory
Using the UTP to boost your career
Methods to boost ongoing troubleshooting throughput
Computers and networks diagnostics and source code debugging

The Russian version of the book will be distributed among the students of the National Technical University of Ukraine in Kiev.

This school founded over a 100 years ago is one of the main sources of young developers and support engineers for PortaOne’s offices in Ukraine.

In 2007, the University and PortaOne opened a joint SIP laboratory in Kiev where students can take IP telephony related courses. The students will use the book as a reference source in their studies.

PortaUM Features and Usability Flash Presentation

Mon, 19 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0800

A new flash presentation of the PortaUM features and usability is available now on PortaOne website.

The presentation provides a detailed coverage for various topics such as PortaUM performance and architecture, voice- and webmail, fax2emai and auto-attendant, prepaid IVR and teleconferencing, and many more.

The presentation is an executable file (.EXE) which requires Windows 2000/XP/Vista to run. Please save the file locally, and then launch it by double-clicking on the file in the Windows Explorer.

Screencasts Demostrating PortaSwitch Features Are on the PortaOne�s Website

Tue, 06 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0800

PortaOne has just published the series of screencasts (5 to 6 minutes each) showing the PortaSwitch capabilities in order to facilitate the demo account experience available to all of our qualified prospects.

We provide a demo account access to demonstrate the real look and feel of our software. This demo has administrative privileges, so you can create accounts, generate cards, configure your VoIP network, and even make outgoing calls to the US and Canada destinations. We provide access to a PortaSIP server as well, so you can also test SIP related services.

Three screencasts feature a step-by-step process of:

setting-up the demo account,
registering the ATA or softphone,
creating customer tariffs,
uploading the rates into an existing tariff, and
some other advanced features useful for a prepaid calling card businesses in particular.

In order to get your access to the PortaSwitch demo account please contact our sales team

2008 Event Calendar

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0700

PortaOne will participate in many telecommunication expos and trade shows in 2008. Current and prospective clients will be able to meet us in person and see live product presentations in various regions of the world.

Here is the calendar of events where PortaOne plans to participate:

Event	Dates	Booth #
Internet Telephony in Miami Beach, FL	January 24-25	726
CeBit in Hanover, Germany	March 4-9	D34 @ Hall 13
VON Spring in San Jose, CA	March 18-19	927
Billing & OSS World in Chicago, IL	April 30 - May 1	606
CommunicAsia in Singapore	June 17-20	3L1-01
ITU Telecom Asia in Bangkok, Thailand	September 2-5	D11
Internet Telephony in Los Angeles, CA	September 17-18	431
Vietnam Telecomp in HoChiMinh City, Vietnam	November 26-29	3B35

Update: PortaOne had plans to participate in VON.x shows in Amsterdam in June, in Boston in October, and in San Jose next year. Unfortunately these events were canceled due to the changes in Pulvermedia, the owner of VON conferences.

PortaOne Presents its VoIP Solutions for ITSPs at Fall VON in Boston, MA

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Today PortaOne team can be found in Boston, MA at VON, the largest, longest running and most well respected IP communications event in the industry.

Running for 11 years, this dedicated conference and expo is the epicenter of the market’s buying, selling and networking activities.

We are excited to meet our partners, customers, and industry experts here.

The next show where PortaOne will participate is next year. It is Internet Telephony Conference and Expo in Miami Beach, FL on January 24-25, 2008. Meet us there at our booth 726.

For more information about shows and expos next year please refer to our 2008 Event Calendar.

Andriy Zhylenko Delivered His Presentation at ISDEF in Moscow, Russia

Mon, 22 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Andriy Zhylenko, PortaOne’s CTO delivered his presentation at ISDEF 2007 Conference in Moscow, Russia last week. ISDEF is the Independent Software Developers Forum that supports and improves the processes of software development and market introduction and promotion.

This is not the first time PortaOne participates in the forum. We do it every year on a regular basis to share PortaOne’s success stories and our unique experience with emerging software companies.

This time Andriy spoke about challenges of managing people located in separate offices in different countries. Particularly, he focused on the following topics:

Different time zones challenges
Overcoming cultural differences and importance of face-to-face communications
Information flow in the organization and using virtual office tools

You can meet Andriy and other members of PortaOne team at the Fall VON in Boston, MA next week on November 30-31. Please stop by at our booth 1243 for live demos of our products.

PortaOne�s CTO to Participate in ISDEF in Moscow, Russia

Mon, 15 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Andriy Zhylenko, CTO at PortaOne will participate in the annual Independent Software Developers Forum in Moscow, Russia later this week.

Andriy will present his speech on how to manage personnel located in other cities and countries. Here are a few points covered in Anrdiy’s ISDEF presentation:

Going beyond the “everyone knows that”: information flow in your organization, people must see the whole picture
Different time zones: would you like to have “24 hours operation” or “no one is ever there”?
“Peculiarities of the national hunting” and other cultural differences
“It is easy to see an enemy behind the email lines”, the importance of face-to-face communications
Communication and collaboration tools to organize a single “virtual” office

The Independent Software Developers Forum (ISDEF) represents and protects the interests of software developers and other software industry participants. The primary function of ISDEF is to support and improve the processes of software development and market introduction and promotion. To this end, the ISDEF:

organizes seminars, conferences and other forums for the exchange of expertise
arranges events tackling the problem of computer piracy
facilitates the creation and promotion of new software products.

The ISDEF 2007 Conference will take place in Foresta Tropicana Hotel in Moscow on October 18-22.

Meet PortaOne in Istanbul, Turkey at CeBIT Bilişim Eurasia 2007

Fri, 05 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0700

PortaOne is now exhibiting at CeBIT Bilişim Eurasia, a major telecommunication event in Turkey. For this show we have partnered with WorldCall, a communication operator from Belgium.

Please meet WorldCall and PortaOne’s representatives at Hall 9, Booth 324 today, tomorrow and on Sunday.

New PBXpress XML-RPC Integration Guide

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0700

PBXpress Communication, Inc. today has issued a new version of PBXpress XML-RPC Integration Guide for clients that may be interested in integrating an external application with PBXpress.

Let’s consider a case when an incoming call rings on a phone and the CRM displays a pop-up with a caller’s name and other important information. In order to perform such a scenario the application must read certain information from PBXpress, for instance, the extension status or incoming call info. This can be done via XML-RPC.

XML-RPC is a Remote Procedure Calling protocol that works over the Internet. An XML-RPC message is an HTTP-POST request, and the body of the request from your application is in XML. The procedure executes on the PBXpress server and returns the requested information formatted in XML. This enables application development in any programming language and on any platform.

About PBXpress

Please contact our sales team if you need more information about PBXpress, PortaCare, and prices

PortaOne to Take Part in CeBIT Bilişim Eurasia 2007 in Istanbul, Turkey

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0700

PortaOne will participate in a major telecommunication event in Turkey and Middle East this October. CeBIT Bilişim Eurasia attracted 140,000 people last year.

This autumn it will be take place in Istanbul, Turkey at Tüyap Fair, Convention and Congress Center.

Please meet PortaOne’s representatives at Hall 9, Booth 324 on October 4-7, 2007.

PortaOne Has Developed an Updated RADIUS Module for Asterisk 1.4

Sun, 23 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0700

As yet another courtesy contribution to the Asterisk community PortaOne created a general public license client that brings RADIUS AAA capabilities to Asterisk 1.4. This piece of software is mainly written in Perl. Therefore, it is 100% portable and easy to understand and customize.

RADIUS attributes are used according to Cisco VSA Voice Implementation Guide which provides compatibility with billing platforms, including PortaBilling100. The new RADIUS module is issued right before AstriCon 2007 in Pheonix, AZ where PortaOne will present it to the general public.

PortaOne RADIUS client consists of three parts: Asterisk patches, accounting part and authentication/authorization part.

Patches

After adaptation to asterisk 1.4.11, patches bring the following functionality:

SipGetHeader application to chan_sip (required for SIP authorization)
DNID variable in manager events (for accounting)
“externalauth” options for sip.conf

Accounting

Accounting manager implemented as standalone daemon ast-rad-acc.pl and should be included into startup sequence. It utilizes the Asterisk Manager API to get notifications about call start and stop events, and then generates radius accounting packets of respective type.

Authorization/Authentication

Script accepts following options:

AuthorizeBy is either SIP or Account
IfFailed if set to DoNotHangup script does not issue Hangup command in case of negative response from Radius server and leaves an opportunity of notifiying the calling part of call failure reasons
Password — is used as password if AuthorizedBy is set to Account
Routing — if set to SIP, requests Routing information from PortaBilling100

More information about this RADIUS client, its installation and configuration examples can be found on the VoIP Wiki.

PortaOne Exhibits at ITEXPO West in Los Angeles, CA

Tue, 11 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Today is the second day of ITEXPO West in Los Angeles, CA. ITEXPO is the event to help enterprises, SMBs, and Government Agencies to select and deploy IP-based voice, video, fax, and unified communications. It is where service providers learn how to profitably roll out services their subscribers are clamoring for.

The PortaOne team uses this opportunity to meet our current and potential customers to show how PortaSwitch can assist them in their VoIP business.

The next large event this year where there will be an opportunity to meet PortaOne people in person is Fall VON in Boston, MA. Please visit PortaOne booth 1243 on October 30-31, 2007 at Boston Convention Center.

Hardware Requirements Update

Fri, 07 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0700

PortaOne today has updated the hardware requirements for PortaSwitch and its components. Please visit the Hardware Requirements page for more information.

Press Release: WTL and PortaOne Connect to Provide a Combined SS7 to VoIP / Billing and Switching Solution

Thu, 06 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Internet telephony service providers will benefit from a joint offer of WTL’s SS7 to VoIP gateway and PortaOne’s softswitch and billing software.

Coquitlam, British Columbia and Brussels, Belgium, September 6, 2007 - WTL and PortaOne are pleased to announce today the successful completion of interoperability testing of their products. Testing was done between WTL’s SoIP product (a scaleable SS7 to VoIP Media and Signaling Gateway) and PortaSwitch, PortaOne’s IP Multimedia Subsystem that consists of a Class 5 soft-switch, billing and provisioning solution, and unified messaging application.

As a result both companies will list the other as a reference solution and will take part in joint marketing activities. The newly announced co-operation means that customers can now confidently combine the industry-leading switching capabilities of WTL with the unique range of subscriber features supported by PortaSwitch.

Telecom operators need to offer their subscribers more and more sophisticated sets of features to attract and retain them, It makes network design sense to separate these from the underlying switching core. Fundamental network functions such as call authentication, call routing and carrier interconnect, SS7 signaling and CDR generation will continue to be handled by the WTL switch. End-user features like caller-ID, call waiting, 3-way calling, follow-me, voice mail, unified messaging, a whole range of IPPBX and, of course, carrier grade billing will be offered by PortaOne. WTL equipment has always been known for it’s higher than average reliability and enormous flexibility and this can now be matched by an application hosting environment to match.

Simon Pearson, Business Development Director of WTL commented, “PortaOne and WTL have a couple of joint customers already so it made sense to formalize the relationship. We have always made clear that we do not offer Class 5 features on our switches but we will interwork with the best-of-breed solutions in the market. This agreement means that our customers can deploy the added-value services they need for their residential and business customers knowing that this is a proven combination of technologies.”

“We recognized that WTL had a lot to offer in the area of linking the legacy, TDM telecom world to the VoIP world and many of our customers need this”, said Roman Khalenkov, PortaOne Sales and Marketing Director. “WTL customers will also benefit from this agreement – it is going to make it a lot easier for them to launch new services. We have a claim that a new customer can launch residential IP service with calls from IP phones, ATAs and softphones in a matter of days.”

About PortaSwitch

PortaSwitch is an IP Multimedia Subsystem or a software-based communication services and subscriber management platform allowing modern communication network providers to unify voice, data and fax traffic within a single network. A ready replacement for Class 5 switches, PortaSwitch consists of a soft-switch (PortaSIP), billing and provisioning solution (PortaBilling100) and unified messaging application (PortaUM). PortaSwitch is provided with unlimited perpetual license, source code, on-site training, and 6 months of 24/7 technical support and upgrades. More info can be found at http://portaone.com/products/portaswitch/overview/

About PortaOne

PortaOne is a leading global communications infrastructure vendor enabling ITSPs (Internet telephony service providers) and voice network operators to quickly and efficiently implement, manage and deliver a wide range of billing and softsiwtch solutions for IP telephony services. The company’s products provide a comprehensive range of applications, including Hosted PBX, IP Centrex, and Voice VPN. Established in 1997, PortaOne is a privately held company headquartered in Vancouver, Canada with sales, support, and development offices around the globe.

About the SoIP Gateway

SoIP (SS7 over IP) connects the VoIP and PSTN worlds. It is a compact, high performance and cost effective SS7 to IP Gateway:- a Signalling & Media Gateway in one box. The product is ideal for ISPs, pure-play VoIP operators or for adding VoIP connectivity to legacy switches.

SoIP is scalable supporting 1 to 16 Signalling Link Pairs, 1 to 32 E1 trunks and 30 to 960 VoIP calls. This product is based on the field proven WTL SIP, H323 and SS7 signalling software installed in more than 100 operators with support for many country / carrier variants.

SoIP gives an easy to use, cost effective way of connecting VoIP based traffic to SS7 networks.

About WTL

World Telecom Labs is a Belgium-based company which has long been a leader in the provision of VoIP switches, Pre-Paid applications and signaling gateways for emerging carriers and telecom service operators. WTL has an installed base of 100,000s of voice ports with service providers worldwide switching billions of minutes of VoIP traffic using WTL equipment. For more information about WTL and its products, please visit www.wtl.be or email sales@wtl.be.

World Telecom Labs:
Simon Pearson
Business Development Director
Tel: +32 272 272 00
Email: sales@wtl.be
www.wtl.be

PortaOne, Inc.:
Roman Khalenkov
Sales and Marketing Director
Tel: +1 866 747 8647
Email: contact@portaone.com
http://portaone.com/

Press Release: PortaOne and Paradial Announce Interoperability of the RealTunnel� Firewall and NAT Traversal Solution with PortaOne Solutions

Tue, 04 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Paradial connectivity solution enables PortaOne services to work automatically and securely across firewalls, NATs, and web proxies.

Coquitlam, British Columbia and Oslo, Norway, September 4, 2007 – PortaOne and Paradial announced that Paradial’s award winning RealTunnel© firewall and NAT traversal product is interoperable with PortaOne software billing and softswitch solutions (PortaSwitch) for ITSPs. The solution allows PortaOne customers to deploy IP-media services with no worries about firewalls, NAT devices and web proxies that otherwise prevent end-users from accessing communication services.

The end-user experience of IP-media services, such as VoIP, is often disappointing due to the lack of connectivity resulting from firewalls and NAT devices interfering with SIP and H.323 traffic. The interoperable PortaOne and RealTunnel solution allow SIP and H.323 solutions to work across any firewall, NAT and web proxy without the need to reconfigure those devices. QoS is maintained and cost is kept down as RealTunnel always establishes the most efficient communication path available.

“Service providers will benefit from this announcement by being able to deploy VoIP services that meet the service availability and QoS expectations of end-users”, says Paradial CEO Ingvar Aaberg. “Being able to deploy VoIP services that always work – independent of where the end user is located – allows providers to focus on business objectives and lower support and production cost.”

“As VoIP evolves in the enterprise market, it is essential for billing and softswitch developers to be able to offer a solution that removes the complexities of VoIP deployment, such as security, reliability and interoperability”, adds Roman Khalenkov, Sales and Marketing Director at PortaOne. ”Our PortaSIP class 5 softswitch has already provided NAT traversal solutions. Today, the combination of Paradial’s RealTunnel© with PortaOne’s VoIP billing and switching products further enhances ITSP network management capabilities to meet the market challenges.”

About RealTunnel

Paradial RealTunnel is probably the world’s most comprehensive traversal product for FW/NAT (Firewall / Network Address Translation) and web proxies. RealTUnnel works with virtually any SIP, H.323 and H.460 clients as well as any FW/NAT device - including strict corporate firewalls - without requiring FW/NAT or network reconfiguration. RealTunnel consists of RealTunnel clients and RealTunnel Servers. Paradial also offers the RealSIP Conferencing Unit (MCU). Please visit www.paradial.com for more product information.

About Paradial

Paradial is a software company that provides market leading connectivity solutions to IP telephony, Instant Messaging (IM), video conferencing vendors and service providers. Paradial’s patented firewall/NAT traversal & media tunnelling technology, RealTunnel, is probably the most comprehensive solution in the market. Paradial also provides software-based multi-party conferencing and click-to-call solutions.

About PortaSwitch

About PortaOne

Trademarks

Paradial, RealTunnel, Real Connectivity and RealSIP are registered trademarks of Paradial AS and/or its affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Paradial:
Ingvar Aaberg
CEO
Tel: +47 22980055
E-mail: pr@paradial.com
http://www.paradial.com

PortaOne, Inc.:
Roman Khalenkov
Sales and Marketing Director
Tel: +1 866 747 8647
Email: contact@portaone.com
http://portaone.com/

PortaSIP Features and Usability Flash Presentation

Mon, 13 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700

A new flash presentation of the PortaSIP features and usability is available now on PortaOne website. The presentation covers various topics such as PortaSIP performance and network deployment, class 5 features and automated IP phone provisioning, and many more.

The presentation is an executable file (.EXE) which requires Windows XP/2000/Vista to run. Please save the file locally, and then launch it by double-clicking on the file in the Windows Explorer.

PortaSwitch Maintenance Release 16 Feature List (Pre-Release Announcement)

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700

This is a pre-release announcement of the new features to become available for our customers with the Maintenance Release 16.

The MR16 is scheduled for November this year.

There are two major changes related to the overall PortaSwitch architecture:

FreeBSD 6.2	High level of flexibility. In addition to the product specific features we expect to start providing installation CDs based on FreeBSD 6.2 for both 32bit and 64bit systems.
Grid	Improved performance and scalability. Starting from MR16 PortaBilling100 can be scaled up horizontally. This will allow running several PortaBilling100 instances in parallel.

Account aliases	Extra flexibility for your business model. An account in PortaBillling100, and thus available funds, can be linked to several multiple identities (e.g. ANI number, DID number, PIN, etc.).
CDR re-rating tool	Higher efficiency. Here comes a robust and easy-to-use web-based alternative to the command-line CDR re-feed tool.
Web Singup	Automation tool with improved usability for your clients. With this faster and more secure web singup function your clients are able to chose from available DIDs and UAs during the first registration as well as provide credentials for instant account creation, provisioning and payment collection.

Conditional call forwarding	Another cool feature for your clients. This allows to set rules for call forwarding.
SIP TAPI	Integration with e-mail client. You customers can now click to dial in MS Outlook.

Stand-by server	Improved redundancy. With MR16 our clients can run both primary and stand-by PortaUM servers to ensure high level of redundancy and service availability.
Conferencing service	An excellent way to stand out and improve you bottom line. This feature will allow your customers to enjoy conferencing service, inviting up to 40 callers in one virtual conference room to discuss common business project or just chat between friends and relatives.

Please note that this is a preliminary announcement and the list above is not 100% complete and confirmed. For more information please contact us.

PortaOne Has Successfuly Exhibited at CommunicAsia 2007

Fri, 22 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Today was the last day of CommunicAsia 2007. CommunicAsia 2007 covers not only VoIP but the whole spectrum of the ICT industry, creating a vibrant marketplace where sellers and buyers congregate at Asia’s most comprehensive info-communications event.

This is the second time PortaOne exhibits here at Singapore to promote our products and services to the Asian and Pacific markets. This time we had four days of intensive meetings with potential and existing clients to discuss our new developments and future plans.

We will most definitely participate in CommunicAsia next year while the next opportunity to meet PortaOne in person will be in Los Angeles, CA at ITEXPO West 2007 in September 11-12.

Andriy Zhylenko, PortaOne’s CTO and Ryan Laurin, Sales Manager at PortaOne booth during the show:

NexTone and PortaOne Joint to Offer VoIP Providers an Integrated SIP-H.323 Switching and Billing Solution

Thu, 21 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700

NexTone/PortaOne Solution Enables Creation of Flexible, Scalable, High-quality, and Secure VoIP Networks

NXTCOMM, CHICAGO, June 21, 2007 - NexTone®, a leader in session border controllers and scalable solutions for VoIP, multimedia, and IMS network interconnects, announced an interworking initiative with PortaOne, Inc., the global carrier-grade billing and provisioning vendor, to provide carriers and service providers worldwide with an integrated billing and SIP-H.323 switching solution.

The NexTone MSX (Multi-protocol Session Exchange), when used together with PortaBilling100 for NexTone, allows service providers to create a flexible and scalable VoIP network while ensuring consistent service quality, protection, and security. By applying its signaling intelligence at the edge of the network, the NexTone MSX adapts session signaling to enable carriers to interconnect their SIP and H.323 networks, while PortaBilling100 for NexTone provides call authentication and authorization as well as billing information.

“We’ve created PortaBilling100 for NexTone as an advanced version of our flagship product, PortaBilling100, to allow a perfect interoperability with the NexTone MSX,” said Roman Khalenkov, sales and marketing director at PortaOne. “In addition to the standard features of PortaBilling100, such as full prepaid and postpaid billing support, an e-commerce module (credit card clearing, customized invoices), multilingual web interface, and other advanced features, PortaBilling100 for NexTone provides real-time authorization for credit accounts and toll-free calls. Like other products in the PortaOne portfolio, PortaBilling100 for NexTone is provided with source code and an unlimited perpetual license. We also provide customized training at customer premises as well as 24/7 support and maintenance.”

With its most recent enhancements to the NexTone Real-time Session Manager (RSM), NexTone extended Least Cost Routing (LCR) functionality to Lossless LCR to permit margin-based routing decisions. The NexTone MSX continually streams session detail record data collected at interconnects back to the RSM for analysis of session performance. Users can extract performance reports based on route ASR, cost/revenue, and more from the RSM.

“Achieva Networks is proud to be the first Tier 2 wholesale carrier in Asia to deploy NexTone with PortaBilling in a Quintum-based network,” said Timothy Ngiam, executive director and co-founder, Achieva Networks (Hong Kong) Ltd. “As a long time PortaOne user and the only reselling partner in Asia, we understand the challenges with VoIP interconnects. Migrating at least 80 million monthly pan-Asia network voice traffic minutes to NexTone’s SBC technology architecture for routes servicing North Asia, India Subcontinent, and ASEAN, will help us maximize our profits.”

“NexTone continues to invest its session management and routing platform with intelligence to apply policies at the network edge,” said Rocco DiCarlo, vice president of product management for NexTone. “We’ll also continue to expand upon the capabilities of our IntelliConnect® product family, including the MSX and the RSM, by interworking with specialized platforms such as PortaBilling100 for NexTone to provide carriers with critical session data.”

About PortaBilling100

PortaBilling100 is a carrier-grade VoIP billing and customer management platform that enables IP telephony providers to launch, price and provision their services immediately. Being a part of PortaSwitch, an IP multimedia subsystem that also includes a class 5 softswitch and unified messaging application, PortaBilling100 is provided with unlimited perpetual license, source code, on-site training, and 6 months of 24/7 technical support and upgrades. More info can be found at http://portaone.com/products/portabilling/pb100.

About PortOne

PortaOne is a leading global communications infrastructure vendor enabling Internet telephony service providers (ITSPs) and voice network operators to quickly and efficiently implement, manage and deliver a wide range of billing solutions for IP telephony services. The company’s products provide a comprehensive range of applications, including Hosted PBX, IP Centrex, and Voice VPN. Established in 1997, PortaOne is a privately held company headquartered in Vancouver, Canada with sales, support, and development offices around the globe. Additional information can be found at http://portaone.com.

About Achieva Networks (Hong Kong) Limited

Achieva Networks (Hong Kong) Limited is a leading Tier 2 pan Asia communication wholesale carrier, providing voice services to global telecommunications wholesale and retail carriers. Achieva Networks is a fully owned subsidiary of Achieva Networks Pte Limited, an associate company and investment funding from Achieva Limited, a main-board listed company in Singapore.

About the NexTone IntelliConnect®Family of Products

NexTone’s SBC is a high-performance session border controller that provides security, network normalization and interworking, SLA assurance and call admission control, and Lawful Intercept support to meet regulatory compliance requirements. The NexTone SBC is based on a very flexible architecture and provides high levels of performance to meet service providers’ growing VoIP needs. NexTone’s MSX or Multi-protocol Session Exchange enables the provisioning of advanced IP-IP session routing, session policy enforcement, flexible dial plan management, and least cost routing support with over two million route options. SBC functionality is available as an option. NexTone’s RSM is a real-time session management platform that gives service providers visibility at the session layer by providing QoS metrics analysis, route analysis, and dynamic policy management. The RSM also provides traffic profiling, re-routing options, alarming, element management-based provisioning, events and statistics, adaptive routing, business analysis, and least cost routing with over two million route options. Reports are generated from session detail records that capture over 80 fields of information and can be provided to OSS systems via XML and SOAP interfaces.

About NexTone

NexTone® develops intelligent session management and interconnect systems for service providers who want to rapidly expand their reach and accelerate VoIP and multimedia revenues. NexTone’s IntelliConnect® System provides service providers with visibility and intelligence to exchange, optimize, secure and bill for voice and multimedia sessions flowing across diverse IP and IMS network boundaries. More than 550 service providers and enterprises worldwide have used NexTone’s IntelliConnect System to manage technical complexities, optimize business economics, and remove partnership hurdles. NexTone is a recipient of the Maryland Technology Champions Awards for 2006. The company ranks number one in Deloitte’s 2006 Technology Fast 50 Program for Maryland, and is one of the Top 50 companies for Deloitte’s 2006 Technology Fast 500, a ranking of the 500 fastest growing technology, media, telecommunications, and life sciences companies in North America. NexTone is headquartered in Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA, with domestic and international offices worldwide.

For more information:

Stephanie Gallagher
Engage PR for NexTone Communications
+1 (703) 531-9771
stephanie@engagepr.com

Roman Khalenkov
Sales and Marketing Director, PortaOne, Inc.
+1-866-747-8647
contact@portaone.com

CallBlue GSM Selects PortaOne As Its Converged Billing Software Vendor

Thu, 21 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700

CallBlue GSM, the new wireless roaming operator, today announced that it has chosen PortaOne, a leading global communications and VoIP billing software vendor, to provide it with a custom-built billing system.

Already a specialist provider of VoIP billing solutions, PortaOne has made several developments to its PortaBilling100 VoIP billing system, tailored especially to the needs of CallBlue GSM. PortaBilling100 enables CallBlue GSM to offer authorization, provisioning and detailed billing for its roaming calls as well as other non-airtime related services such as SMS text messages. This also means customers will receive instant SMS-updates on their balance status after each call.

"This is an important step for CallBlue GSM in the run-up to our launch next month," commented Jay Shah, CEO of CallBlue GSM. "PortaBilling100 ensures accurate accounting and revenue reassurance for our users and shareholders."

Al Rehmtulla, CallBlue GSM's Chief Technical Officer added, "PortaOne is the leading provider of global billing solutions and together with Tecore, who will provide our HLR and Gateway-MSC, show that we are serious about offering the best product, value and customer experience possible."

Roman Khalenkov, PortaOne's Sales and Marketing Director, added: "Our partnership with CallBlue GSM is an excellent example of what PortaBilling100 can do for modern innovative ITSPs and GSM operators. These operators are progressively moving away from simple per-minute charges to advanced value added services where a converged billing platform like PortaBIlling100 is essential to enable event based charges"

VON Europe Spring 2007 is Over

Wed, 13 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700

PortaOne participated for the first time in European VON this year. Two days of very intensive meetings in Stockholm, Sweden are over and our sales team is preparing now for CommunicAsia 2007 in Singapore next week.

Please visit our booth 4F2-07 at Singapore Expo during CommunicAsia June 19-22.

Press Release: PortaOne, Tilts Visiem Complete Interoperability Tests to Provide Integrated Solutions for ITSP

Tue, 12 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700

The Tilts Visiem’s softphone and instant messaging products integrate with PortaOne billing, softswitch, and unified messaging platform for ITSPs.

Stockholm, Sweden, June 12, 2007. - PortaOne Inc., a leading global communications software infrastructure vendor, and Tilts Visiem, a Latvia-based specialist in softphone and instant messaging technology, today announced at VON Europe Spring 2007 the completion of interoperability tests between the companies’ products.

With these products, ITSPs can now use carrier grade billing and switching solutions combined with innovative softphone technology. The combination of TiVi Phone and PortaSwitch makes for a strong one-stop solution for various types of Internet telephony service providers.

“PortaOne is a clear leader in billing software market, and we are excited to collaborate by supplying TiVi softphone products along with PortaBilling100 as all-in-one package”, said Ivo Kutts, director at Tilts Visiem.

“Service providers that chose our robust yet flexible software will seamlessly apply TiVi Phone with PortaBilling100 and PortaSIP to instantly create unique product offerings to their customers” commented Roman Khalenkov, sales and marketing director at PortaOne. “Through relationships with young and ambitious companies like Tilts Visiem, PortaOne continues to fulfill its commitment to developing innovative and flexible solutions that enable modern service providers to deliver integrated telecommunication experience to the market place while avoiding high capital requirements.”

About PortaBilling100

More info can be found at http://portaone.com/products/.

About PortaOne, Inc.

Additional information can be found at http://portaone.com/.

About Tilts Visiem and TiVi Phone

Tilts Visiem is innovative, technologically experienced IT company that specialises in development of VoIP applications and server software according to customers’ specifications. Most popular product is TiVi softphone - a SIP client. TiVi Phone is a high-quality voice, video, messaging and video streaming software, targeted towards the new generation of mobile phones supporting WiFi and 3G, with SIP as the core protocol for integrated messaging, voice and video calling. TiVi Phone is tested and used commercially on the mobile devices manufactured by Nokia (series E and N), HTC (iMate), Palm, HP, Asus, Motorola and Samsung. TiVi Phone is also available for Windows PC and MacOs platforms.

To find out more about the company and its products visit http://www.tivi.com.

Media Contacts

Ivo Kutts
Tilts Visiem
+371-7881-001
info@tivi.com

Roman Khalenkov
PortaOne, Inc.
+1-866-747-8647
contact@portaone.com

PortaSwitch MR15 New Features Webcast - a Second Run for Customers in Asia and Pacific

Fri, 08 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700

The first webcast on the new features of PortaSwitch available in the Maintenance Release 15 we had yesterday was well attended and very popular among our clients.

To accommodate the needs of those who missed it the first time we have decided to repeat it once again. This time we chose a different timing which is more convenient for our customers in Asia and the Pacific region.

The second run of the MR15 New Features will be on Wednesday, June 13, 2007 at 5:00 pm in Vancouver’s Pacific Daylight Time (Thursday, June 14 at 8 am in Singapore and 10 am in Sidney).

Objectives

We urge all PortaOne customers to participate in this MR15 Web cast presentation and are confident that you will find value add feature benefits which can become new sources of revenue to your organization including our enhanced PortaOne product platform features for your exiting customer base and potential new sales.

Agenda

This web cast will focus on the Converged Billing for Multiple Services for all PortaOne product platforms.

Event Based Billing
Billing for WIFI services
Routing Plans with Profit Guarantee
Shared and Exclusive Volume Discounts
E-Payments - Log
Improved Integration with PortaUM
Improved Custom Reports

Advance Call Forwarding
Direct Incoming Calls to B2BUA

Pre Paid IVR for IP call leg
ANI/DNIS call back IP calls
Dial By Name Directory
Call Queues

Upon completion of our presentation there will be a short Q&A session.

The detailed information with numerous practical examples on how the new features work and can be deployed to boost your business is available in Maintenance Release 15: New Features Guide.

Invitation & Access

Here is some details on how access the webcast:

MEETING NUMBER: 565 461 779
PASSWORD: porta1
TELECONFERENCE: Dial to 1-888-296-6500 (or direct at 1-913-227-1219), use guest code 168027.

Please click the link below to see more information, or to join the meeting.

Here’s what to do:

At the meeting’s starting time, either click the following link or copy and paste it into your Web browser: https://soc.webex.com/soc/j.php?ED=96334577&UID=55969652
Enter your name, your email address, and the meeting password (porta1), and then click Join.
For the teleconference, follow the instructions that automatically appear on your screen.

The host requests that you check for compatibility of rich media players for Universal Communications Format (UCF) before you join the session. UCF allows you to view multimedia during the session.

Press Release: NeuStar and PortaOne Establish Partnership to Provide CALEA Solutions with Carrier-Grade Billing and Softswitch

Mon, 04 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700

STERLING, Va., June 4, 2007 – NeuStar, Inc. (NYSE: NSR), a provider of essential clearinghouse services to the communications and Internet industry, announced today that it has collaborated with PortaOne, Inc. to successfully complete interoperability testing between PortaSwitch, PortaOne’s software-based communication services and subscriber management platform, and NeuStar’s Fiduciary Compliance Services.

Working seamlessly with PortaSwitch, NeuStar’s Fiduciary Compliance Services enable IT service providers (ITSPs) to implement scalable and affordable legal compliance solutions, improving bottom-line performance by containing the costs related to mandated services.

“PortaSwitch, among its numerous features, has been supporting legal intercept for a full year thus far,” commented Roman Khalenkov, director of sales and marketing at PortaOne. “Now that all interoperability tests have been completed, PortaOne is well-equipped to help our clients ease the burden of their legal obligations. NeuStar’s services ensure the fulfillment of court-ordered records production and support in lawful intercept. Our clients can now focus on their core business and take full advantage of the solutions provided by PortaSwitch to unify voice, data and fax traffic within a single network.”

“We are pleased to have been able to design a scaled solution that interoperates with PortaSwitch, and we are proud to have helped their clients become compliant with CALEA while minimizing capital and organizational costs,” said Mike Warren, NeuStar’s vice president of fiduciary services. “PortaOne is a great example of how NeuStar supports all types of service providers with scalable Legal Compliance solutions.”

About PortaOne, Inc.

About NeuStar, Inc.

NeuStar (NYSE: NSR) is a provider of essential clearinghouse services to the North American communications industry and Internet service providers around the world. Visit NeuStar online at www.neustar.biz.

Media Contacts:

Marc Abshire
NeuStar Inc.
+1-571-434-5151
marc.abshire@neustar.biz

Roman Khalenkov
PortaOne, Inc.
+1-866-747-8647
contact@portaone.com

Unique Opportunity to Attend a Webcast Dedicated to the New Features of PortaSwitch MR15

Thu, 31 May 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Next Thursday, June 7, 2007 at 8:00 am Pacific Daylight Time our customers and everybody else who is interested in PortaOne’s products development will have a chance to attend a webcast dedicated to the new features of PortaSwitch.

These features are available in Maintenance Release 15 that was issued last month.

Objectives

Agenda

This web cast will focus on the Converged Billing for Multiple Services for all PortaOne product platforms.

Event Based Billing
Billing for WIFI services
Routing Plans with Profit Guarantee
Shared and Exclusive Volume Discounts
E-Payments - Log
Improved Integration with PortaUM
Improved Custom Reports

Advance Call Forwarding
Direct Incoming Calls to B2BUA

Pre Paid IVR for IP call leg
ANI/DNIS call back IP calls
Dial By Name Directory
Call Queues

Upon completion of our presentation there will be a short Q&A session.

The detailed information with numerous practical examples on how the new features work and can be deployed to boost your business is available in Maintenance Release 15: New Features Guide.

Invitation & Access

Here is some details on how access the webcast:

MEETING NUMBER: 561 393 112
PASSWORD: porta1
TELECONFERENCE: Dial to 1-888-296-6500 (or direct at 1-913-227-1219) and use guest code 168027.

Please click the link below to see more information, or to join the meeting.

Here’s what to do:

At the meeting’s starting time, either click the following link or copy and paste it into your Web browser: https://soc.webex.com/soc/j.php?ED=96206967&UID=55663002
Enter your name, your email address, and the meeting password (porta1), and then click Join.
If the meeting includes a teleconference, follow the instructions that automatically appear on your screen.

The host requests that you check for compatibility of rich media players for Universal Communications Format (UCF) before you join the session. UCF allows you to view multimedia during the session.

A Brief Description of the New Features Guide for PortaSwitch Maintenance Release 15

Mon, 14 May 2007 00:00:00 -0700

For convenience of our customers we have published a Maintenance Release 15: New Features Guide.

It is quite an extensive document with multiple useful examples of the best ways to use new features of PortaSwitch that are available in MR15. Below is just a brief description of the Guide’s content aimed to introduce you to this document.

Please refer to the Guide for more detailed descriptions of MR15 features and numerous practical examples.

Converged Billing – Support for Multiple Services

Maintenance Release 15 marks a huge leap forward for PortaBilling100, as it is now officially “not just for VoIP billing”. PortaBilling100 can now process charges for any type of service: voice or video calls, Internet connectivity, data transfers, or one-time events such as sending an SMS message or renting a pay-per-view movie.

In order to correctly distinguish among these different types of services, PortaBilling100 introduces the concept of service types. A service type describes what kind of service you provide to your customers and how you charge them for it.

PortaBilling100 is supplied with a pre-defined, ready-to-use set of service types. Your current billing configuration will be effortlessly migrated to the “Voice Calls” service, while for new products (or new services for an existing product) the amount of configuration is minimal.

Event-based Billing

Previously, all telephony calls were charged based on duration. While the time-based billing model is good for many services (e.g. WiFi connections), it is not applicable to certain other service types (e.g. SMS or data transfer), since there is no “duration” involved in using these services. For this reason, PortaBilling100 now supports time- and quantity-based types of services.

Another related change is that the term CDR (Call Detail Record) has been replaced by xDR (eXtensible Detail Record) in most parts of the web interface, since not all charges will actually be related to calls now.

Billing for WiFi Services

PortaBilling100 now supports a new type of node – Mikrotik Access Point which allows providing prepaid and postpaid wireless access services. This feature does not directly change the way in which billing works; rather, it simplifies the management of various rate plans on large PortaBilling100 installations.

Routing Plans with Profit Guarantee

A profit guarantee has been available even in earlier releases of PortaBilling100: a route will not be selected if it is more expensive than what you charge your customers. MR15 extends the profit guarantee functionality, now enabling you not only to ensure that you do not lose money, but also to specify how much profit you should earn.

Another improvement in the area of advanced routing is the ability to apply a round-robin algorithm (alternate routes) where the price difference between several vendors is insignificant. Now in PortaBilling100 MR15 you can activate this feature for a particular routing plan, so that routes with a price difference smaller than a specified threshold will be regarded as equal when arranging routes.

Shared and Exclusive Volume Discounts

You now have two options for defining how two different volume discounts for the same destination group, which apply to an account and a customer at the same time, are to be combined:

You can use shared mode. In this case, when a user makes a call to a destination within a destination group, both sets of counters will be updated.
A new mode, available as of MR15, is the exclusive discount plan. If a discount in the plan applicable to an account is defined as exclusive, then only the counters for the account will be updated, until the discount has been used up.

New Add Duration Behavior

Features like this truly are the “dark side of the force”, but this is also where PortaBilling100 excels. Previously, the ratio for increasing charged call duration was specified as a set of thresholds and associated rates. This could potentially create problems with longer calls, where an increase becomes easier to notice.

MR15 changes the way add duration calculations are performed. Now every portion of a call is increased according to the specified rate, and then all of them are added up. One very important benefit of this method is that the percentage rates no longer need to be in ascending order.

E-Payments Log

You can now monitor all credit card charge attempts per individual customer or payment processor from the PortaBilling100 web interface. This provides a convenient tool for helpdesk personnel to analyze and solve problems with customer payments, without having to look in the log files on the PortaBilling100 server.

Improved Integration with PortaUM

PortaBilling100 interface now features a “Manage UM Account” link for PortaUM enabled accounts. This link is located next to the checkbox and will take the administrator directly to the account’s PortaUM pages.

Improved Custom Reports

When specifying a date parameter for a report scheduled to run periodically, you can now relate this parameter to the actual report execution time.

As a result, you will always receive a report that includes calls made by the customer during business hours on the previous day. Parameters may also be populated automatically with a date after the actual report time.

Since actual report execution time may vary, PortaBilling100 always uses the scheduled report execution time to calculate values for the parameters.

Advanced Call Forwarding

Several call forwarding modes are now supported, including a new advanced call forwarding method which gives you access to more features. You can assign a particular type of forwarding using the Call Features tab.

Call Forwarding to SIP URI

In addition to traditional follow-me forwarding, where a call is forwarded to another SIP account or any PSTN number, you now have a convenient way to forward calls to an external SIP proxy. This is ideal for situations where you are running a “DID Exchange” or similar service, with each incoming call to your pool of phone numbers to be forwarded to the SIP proxies of a customer who purchased a particular number.

Direct Incoming Calls to B2BUA

PortaSIP MR15 allows B2BUA to accept direct incoming connection from a remote SIP UA on a public IP address. This is ideal for SIP trunking and similar services. This improvement accounts for over 20% increase in the call processing speed.

Prepaid Card IVR for IP Call Leg

PortaUM now includes a full-fledged IVR for prepaid card services with the functionality identical to PortaOne debit card application for Cisco gateways. The main advantage of this application is that it can efficiently provide services for calls coming to your network via SIP, with no need for IP-PSTN conversion. The voice prompts can be pre-converted into a required codec, so there are no additional license fees or limitations on the number of concurrent calls.

PortaUM prepaid card application supports multi-lingual IVRs, however, at this time only the English and Cantonese languages are supported, since Cisco TTS modules, developed by PortaOne, have to be ported to PortaUM platform independently. We will add support for other languages in future releases.

If you would like PortaOne to develop a particular language IVR within a specific timeframe, please contact our sales team for more details.

Please refer to PortaUM Administrator Guide for more details on configuring the prepaid card IVR on PortaUM server.

ANI/DNIS Call Back IP Calls

Previously, ANI/DNIs callback was only available for the Cisco platform. Now PortaUM offers to run “IVR-based” callback services. Calls to your callback DIDs will be delivered to PortaUM, PortaUM will disconnect the incoming call (so the user is not charged), then call the customer back and collect the destination number.

Configuration of the billing part is identical to the configuration of Cisco-based callback, described in PortaCallBack User Guide.

Dial-by-name Directory

A new feature is now available in auto-attendant: if a user does not know the extension number, s/he can get connected by dialing the first three letters of the person’s surname!

On a separate configuration page of UM web interface you may define announcements for each extension in your IP Centrex. You may block some extensions from access via the dial-by-name directory (your company’s CEO will probably appreciate this).

Call Queues

In conjunction with the group hunting feature on PortaSIP side call queues allow you to offer “call center” functionality to your IP Centrex customers. In PortaUM configuration for a specific DID number you may define as many queues as you want and forward them to your IP phones or virtual accounts with group hunting. Each queue may have its own distinctive “on hold” melody.

You may also assign the average “call processing time” for each queue and PortaUM will correctly calculate and inform the customer about the estimated wait time.

Press Release: PortaOne Successfully Completes the Interoperability Testing Between MikroTik Router OS and PortaSwitch

Thu, 03 May 2007 00:00:00 -0700

MikroTik Rauter OS Certified to Work Together with PortaOne’s Range of IP Telephony Solutions and Products

Coquitlam, BC, May 3, 2007. - PortaOne Inc., a leading global communications software infrastructure vendor, today announced the completion of comprehensive interoperability testing program between PortaSwitch and MikroTik Router OS. As a result of this certification, customers can safely select PortaOne’s PortaSwitch billing, provisioning and switching software solutions in combination with MikroTik’s wireless router solutions.

MikroTik’s wireless systems enable modern communication companies to provide wireless access to the end-users through point-to-point or point-to-multipoint architecture. Wireless data links take place where there is no infrastructure for internet access or in places where bandwidth offered by current channels is too low. Product’s various features include firewall, NAT, VPN, Bandwidth Management, QoS and many more.

PortaOne’s flagship products, PortaSwitch is a software-based communication services and subscriber management platform that unifies voice, data and fax traffic within a single network. A ready replacement for Class 5 switches, PortaSwitch consists of a soft-switch and application servers that provide access to the IP Centrex/IP PBX feature set. PortaBilling100, being a part of PortaSwitch, is extremely flexible, state-of-the-art customer management and billing platform for immediate launching, pricing and provisioning of prepaid, postpaid and wholesale VoIP services.

According to Roman Khalenkov, Sales and Marketing Director at PortaOne, “PortaSwitch’s features allow not only per minute billing, they also support an endless list of various billing scenarios that are rather event based, not minute based. Our successful interoperability testing allows customers to safely use MikroTik’s wireless solutions together with billing capabilities of PortaSwitch. Billing for wireless services and management of per-event charges (i.g. WiFi HotSpot access) are seamless now.”

About PortaOne

Established in 1997, PortaOne is a privately held company headquartered in Vancouver, Canada with sales, support, and development offices around the globe. Additional information can be found at http://portaone.com/.

About MikroTik

MikroTik has been developing, installing and selling wireless routers since 1995. MikroTik’s newest software product, MikroTik Router OS, is a software router system which makes it easy for any VAR, ISP, or network admin to make a PC router for wireless, wide area, or local area networks.

Additional information about MikroTik is accessible at http://www.mikrotik.com.

For more information:

Roman Khalenkov
Sales and Marketing Director, PortaOne
+1 866 747 8647
contact@portaone.com

Martins Kengis
Sales manager, MikroTik
+ 371 7317700
sales@mikrotik.com

PortaOne Participated in Intele-CardExpo 2007 in Miami, FL

Fri, 27 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0700

This week Miami, FL has been a place to meet PortaOne team and see how our products and services can boost your business. PortaOne exhibited at Intele-CardExpo 2007, a leading world venue where the prepaid industry meets, transacts and networks. Intele-CardExpo has grown along with the industry since 1994 encompassing the many prepaid categories that have emerged over the years. Featuring the newest products, information about lucrative markets and smart business strategies, Intele-CardExpo provides the solutions that have helped telecommunication businessmen increase revenues for more than a decade.

Ryan Laurin, Sales Manager at PortaOne, at the booth:

Mike Stukalin, Sales Manager at PortaOne, is talking to the booth visitors:

You can also meet our engineers and sales managers to see a live demo of PortaOne products during the following shows this summer:

Event	Dates	Booth #
VON Europe in Stockholm, Sweden	Jun 11-14	307
CommunicAsia in Singapore	Jun 19-22	4F2-07

Maintenance Release 15

Mon, 16 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0700

This is an official release note for PortaSwitch Maintenance Release 15. Starting this week PortaOne support team will start upgrading the systems of selected customers.

We invite our existing customers to take advantage of a special offer for a non-commercial staging system that will allow testing the new release before introducing it to the production environment and develop custom applications without disturbing the production system.

The new features of MR15 include:

Billing for WiFi services
Custom defined “minimum required profit” parameters for routing plans with profit guarantee
Different tariff types for various groups: customers, vendors, etc.
Various application methods for volume discount plans
Improvements to the user interface and reports
Monitoring of all credit card charge attempts (successful and failed) from the administrator web interface

Improved call handling and processing within a PortaSIP cluster
Call forwarding to SIP URI

Pre-paid card IVR with support for all pre-paid service features of PortaBilling100
Dial-By-Name: auto-attendants directory service
Call queues (currently supported only on PortaUM built-in media server;
later releases will include support for call queues on Cisco media gateway)
Various performance improvements

Spring VON 2007 Is Over, Welcome to InteleCard and VON Europe!

Thu, 22 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0700

Three busy and exciting days at Spring VON 2007 in San Jose, CA are over. Here are few pictures from the show:

Klaus Haertel, Application Engineer, and Ryan Laurin, Sales Manager, explain PortaOne’s products architecture to a client:

Mike Stukalin, Sales Manager, and Andriy Zhylenko, CTO discuss a complex business model with a prospect:

You can also meet our engineers and sales managers personally to see a live demo of PortaOne products during the following shows:

Event	Dates	Booth #
Intele-CardExpo in Miami Beach, FL	Apr 24-26	512
VON Europe in Stockholm, Sweden	Jun 11-14	307

PortaOne Participates in Spring VON 2007 in San Jose, CA

Wed, 21 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0700

PortaOne’s team is looking forward to see our existing and potential customers at VON in San Jose.

Please stop by at our booth 1527:

A Non-Commercial Staging System License Special Offer

Wed, 07 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0800

MR15 is due out shortly. PortaOne decided to bundle this new maintenance release with a special offer to its loyal customers.

A non-commercial staging system license will allow to perform several important tasks:

Fully test the new maintenance releases before introducing them to the production environment.
Develop custom applications and test them for compatibility with the new releases without disturbing the production system.

As part of this special offer customers will receive PortaOne staging system with $1 license fee and reduced PortaCare support and maintenance for this non-commercial license. Annual prepayment for PortaCare is the only requirement for this staging system non-commercial license.

Please contact PortaOne sales manager in charge of your account indicating your interest in this exciting opportunity.

PortaOne Exhibits at CeBIT in Hanover, Germany

Tue, 06 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0800

PortaOne team is exhibiting today and tomorrow at CeBIT in Hanover, Germany. CeBIT is the world’s largest trade fair showcasing digital IT and telecommunications solutions for home and work environments. The key target groups are users from industry, the wholesale/retail sector, skilled trades, banks, the services sector, government agencies, science and all users passionate about technology.

PortaOne’s potential and existing customers are welcome to our booth A19 at Pavilion 13 for a live demo of PortaSwitch. If you are an ITSP or just interested in the cutting edge of VoIP product developments, please stop by and see how our carrier level solutions can work for you.

2007-2008 Development Roadmap

Tue, 20 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0800

As Maintenance Release 15 is coming in approximately 6 weeks, we have decided to publish our developments plans for the next 12 months. Please find below the Development Roadmap for 2007 and early 2008.

This table features only few major things we will be implementing this year. Of course, the actual maintenance releases will include more features and updates that are to be announce as soon as we will have finalized our development programs for each particular release.

Maintenance Release	PortaBilling100	PortaSIP	PortaUM	When
MR15	- Event-based billing - Billing for WiFi services	�	- Call queues - Dial by name - IVR for prepaid calling cards	April 2007
MR16	- IPTV billing- Horizontal scalability	- Group pickup	- Conferencing service	November 2007
MR17	- Database clusters - Auto failover	- New B2BUA	- Clustering	February 2008

We also plan that PortaOne will develop a new PortaBilling product on Oracle database by mid 2008.

Please contact us to find more about our development plans and new features coming during the next 12 months.

New Job Openings at PortaOne�s Support and Development

Mon, 19 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0800

PortaOne’s office in Kiev, Ukraine is rapidly expanding to ensure excellent support for our fast growing customer base and constant development of PortaOne’s products.

We now have a number of positions open in Technical Support and Development departments:

Technical Support

Software Development

Please visit our Career pages for more information.

Voxbone, PortaOne Complete Interoperability Testing Between Offerings

Wed, 14 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0800

PortaOne and Voxbone, a leading provider of international VoIP origination services to carriers, ITSPs, calling card operators, call centers and other businesses, today announced the completion of interoperability testing between their respective offerings.

As a result of this certification, customers can safely select PortaOne’s PortaSwitch billing, provisioning and switching software solutions in combination with Voxbone’s high-quality call origination services and benefit from an easy-to-use, cost-effective solution for SIP trunking.

According to Roman Khalenkov, sales and marketing director at PortaOne, “The completion of interoperability testing between PortaOne and Voxbone is another step forward in a constant process of helping our customers, the new generation carrier-grade service providers, to get to the market smoothly and fast while eliminating high capital requirements for telecommunication business infrastructure.”

Voxbone leases international VoIP virtual phone numbers and worldwide origination services via VoIP to organizations in North and South America, Europe and Asia/Pacific regions. It delivers high-quality call origination and provides the global infrastructure that enables its customers to expand to international markets quickly and efficiently. Using either direct inbound dial (DID) or virtual numbers from Voxbone, for example, customers may receive inexpensive, locally dialed phone calls from 50 countries and 4,000 cities throughout the world.

According to Rodrigue Ullens, co-founder of Voxbone, “The integration between PortaOne’s and our offerings is great news for customers. Using our combined offerings, customers can easily and inexpensively establish an international presence virtually anywhere around the world.”

PortaOne Successfully Exhibited in 2007 ITEXPO East in Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Mon, 29 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0800

PortaOne sales team has participated in yet another Internet Telephony Conference & Expo East in Ft. Lauderdale, FL last week. PortaOne already exhibited there in 2005, and this year we made a successful come back to this Number 1 IP show in total attendance.

Here are several pictures taken during 4 days of the show:

Klaus Haertel, PortaOne Application Engineer, explains a complex solution to our booth visitors during a real time demo of PortaSwitch:

Mike Stukalin and Ryan Laurin, PortaOne Sales Managers, always made it interesting for all types of PortaOne booth visitors:

We are very satisfied with the results of this show in Florida and plan to participate in ITEXPO West in California later in September this year. PortaOne team can be found there at our booth 724.

The next two shows PortaOne will participate in are:

Event	Dates	Booth #
CeBit in Hannover, Germany	Mar 15-21	A19 - Pavilion 13
VON Spring in San Jose, CA	Mar 19-22	1527

Please also take a look at 2007 Trade Show calendar to personally meet PortaOne around the globe this year.

Pre-Release Announcement of PortaSwitch Maintenance Release 15

Mon, 22 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0800

PortaOne continues to provide its customers with regular maintenance releases to better accommodate their demand for rapid functionality deployment. Maintenance Release 15 will be issued by the beginning of April 2007.

Here is a short preview of what is going to be new in the MR15:

Billing for WiFi services
Event-based billing for different types of services: VoIP calls, messaging, dial-up, etc.
Profit guaranty definition of routing plans parameters
Different tariff types for various groups: customers, vendors, etc.
Various application methods for volume discount plans
Improvements to the user interface and reports
Enhanced handling of incoming calls via a vendor connection (i.e. when receiving DIDs from vendor)

Improved call handling and processing within a PortaSIP cluster
Configuration of incoming calls authentication policies from web interface

Pre-paid card IVR with support for all pre-paid service features of PortaBilling100
Dial-By-Name: auto-attendants directory service
Various performance improvements

PBXpress: a Fully Supported IP PBX for ITSP�s Business Customers

Thu, 18 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0800

PortaOne has become an official distributor of PBXpress Communications, Inc., a Canadian company that developed PBXpress.

PortaOne decided to distribute PBXpress in order to help our customers to improve their product line, create market differentiation, and enjoy new revenue streams. That is why PortaOne is the only PBXpress distributor that provides its customers with PortaCare, a comprehensive 24×7/365 technical support and maintenance program.

Please contact our sales team if you need more information about PBXpress, PortaCare, and prices.

Equipment Financing Made Easy: Dimension Funding to Partner with PortaOne

Fri, 05 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0800

PortaOne is continuing to provide its customers with value-added services on top of our superior software. That is why we have partnered with Dimension Funding, LLC to deliver flexible financing solutions.

Dimension Funding has been working with companies across the United States to provide lease financing solutions to help small to medium sized companies grow their businesses since 1978. its specialty is working with equipment and software vendors by providing financing to their clients for a variety of equipment purchases.

Learn more about equipment leasing and how it can help your business at Dimension Funding corporate web site.

Equipment leasing is an excellent way to grow your business without huge out of pocket expenses. Currently, 35% of all equipment purchased in the United States is leased. Leasing offers real advantages including better value, more convenience and greater control. In most cases, the full amount of the equipment as well as the service, shipping, installation costs and maintenance can be included in the lease. This spreads costs out evenly over the term of the lease freeing up your money for other uses.

Please view an excellent Better Business Bureau report for Dimension Funding.

Quintum, PortaOne Participated Together in ITU Telecom World 2006 in Hong Kong, China

Mon, 18 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0800

Quintum Technologies and PortaOne shared one booth at ITU Telecom World 2006 expo this week continuing the chain of common marketing activities.

The ITU (International Telecommunication Union), headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland is an international organization within which governments and the private sector coordinate global telecom networks and services. This show, being one of the largest and most important telecommunication events in the world, has been hosted by Asia Expo in Hong Kong for the first time in its 35-year history. Over 62,000 people from 141 countries have participated in the show during these 5 days. Under the theme “Living the Digital World”, the event explored the trends, technologies and policies that are driving this world.

Andriy Zhylenko, CTO at PortaOne, with a gigantic 21″ Dell laptop used to provide a live demo of PortaOne products during the show:

Mark Miller Wrote an Article on PortaOne Products in the Enterprise VoIP Planet Online Magazine

Fri, 15 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0800

Mark A. Miller dedicated his article in the Enterprise VoIP Planet Online Magazine to the architecture and features of PortaSwitch and its components. Enterprise VoIP Planet is a part of the Internet and IT Network from Jupitermedia Corporation, a leading global provider of original information, images and digital content for information technology, business and creative professionals.

Mr. Miller, P.E. is President of DigiNet ® Corporation, a Denver-based consulting engineering firm. He is the author of many books on networking technologies, including Voice over IP Technologies, and Internet Technologies Handbook, both published by John Wiley & Sons.

Where to Meet PortaOne in 2007: the Trade Show & Expo Calendar

Mon, 11 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0800

PortaOne will participate in trade shows almost on a monthly basis in 2007. Current and prospective clients will be able to meet us in person and see live product presentations in the USA, in different European countries, as well as in the Middle East and Asia.

Here is the calendar of events where PortaOne plans to participate:

Event	Dates	Booth #
Internet Telephony in Fort Lauderdale, FL	Jan 24-26	1322
CeBit in Hannover, Germany	Mar 15-21	A19 - Pavilion 13
VON Spring in San Jose, CA	Mar 19-22	1527
Intele-CardExpo in Miami Beach, FL	Apr 24-26	512
VON Europe in Stockholm, Sweden	Jun 11-14	307
CommunicAsia in Singapore	Jun 19-22	3J2-01
Internet Telephony in Los Angeles, CA	Sep 10-11	435
Fall VON in Boston, MA	Oct 30-31	1243

Maintenance Release 14

Mon, 11 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0800

This is an official release note for PortaSwitch Maintenance Release 14. Starting next week PortaOne support team will start upgrading the systems of selected customers.

The new features of MR14 include:

XML API for data manipulation to create and update PortaBilling100 objects such as customers, accounts, etc.
Internet dial-up services provisioning, authorization, and billing
Automated discounts for subscription charges
Custom rounding of charged amounts for subscription
Billing for several vendors sharing the same outgoing IP address (e.g. when using an SBC)
New custom reports including financial statements
Web interface improvements

Support for caller identify and privacy flags to interconnect with carriers regardless of their compliance with RFC3325
Redesigned call park module
Self-test monitoring utility

Multi-language web-mail interface
Complete support for disk space quotas
Full mailbox auto-notification
Ability to use a local PSTN interface card for T.38 faxing

A more detailed description of new features in MR14 is available in PortaSwitch User Guidelines: MR14.

PortaOne to Participate in Internet Telephony Conference & Expo in Fort Lauderdale, FL

Mon, 11 Dec 2006 00:00:00 -0800

PortaOne team will participate in the Internet Telephony Conference & Expo East. The show will take place at Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, FL.

The exhibit dates are January 24-26, 2007.

Please meet us and see live demo of our products at Booth 1322.

PortaOne Presents Its Porducts and Services to the Middle East Market at GITEX 2006 in Dubai, UAE

Wed, 22 Nov 2006 00:00:00 -0800

PortaOne has successfully participated in its first major trade show in the Middle East. For the last 5 days we have been presenting our products and solutions to the largest telecommunication audience in the area. This year GITEX in Dubai hosted over 1,200 exhibitors from 60+ countries of the world.

Oleg Kostyuchenko, Technical Support Leader at PortaOne, prepares for the PortaSwitch live demo:

PortaOne Serves Hundreds of Clients in Over 50 Countries around the World

Mon, 13 Nov 2006 00:00:00 -0800

With over 250 installations (mid-November 2006 data) in more than 50 countries on five continents, PortaOne is truly a global company. The countries of the PortaOne customers are highlighted in red on the map below.

PortaSwitch Maintenance Release 14 Feature List (Pre-Release Announcement)

Fri, 10 Nov 2006 00:00:00 -0800

Maintenance Release 14 is planned to be issued around the New Year. Here is a pre-release announcement of what is going to be new in the MR14:

XML API for data manipulation to create and update PortaBilling100 objects such as customers, accounts, etc.
Internet dial-up services provisioning, authorization, and billing
Automated discounts for subscription charges
Custom rounding of charged amounts for subscription
Billing for several vendors sharing the same outgoing IP address (e.g. when using an SBC)
New custom reports including financial statements
Web interface improvements

Support for caller identify and privacy flags to interconnect with carriers regardless of their compliance with RFC3325
Redesigned call park module
Self-test monitoring utility

Multi-language web-mail interface
Complete support for disk space quotas
Full mailbox auto-notification
Ability to use a local PSTN interface card for T.38 faxing

PortaSwitch Gets Ready for Battle with a New Procinctus Bundle

Sun, 05 Nov 2006 00:00:00 -0800

PortaOne launches a new bundle based on PortaSwitch with enhanced redundancy and reliability functionality. The new bundle is called Procinctus which stands for “ready for battle” in Latin.

PortaSwitch Procinctus consists of three components: PortaBilling100 (rating, routing calculations, network registration, provisioning and redundancy), PortaSIP (call routing and redundancy), and PortaUM (unified messaging application).

This specific configuration is designed to provide the highest level of performance and reliability to make VoIP networks ready for the real-world challenges and accommodate growth of ambitious ITSPs.

PortaSwitch Procincuts is supplied with:

Unlimited perpetual license
Source code
6 months of 24/7 technical support and upgrades
Post installation monitoring
Customer-tailored training at client’s site

PortaOne Looks for a Human Resources Manager in Kiev, Ukraine

Thu, 26 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700

1 December 2006. Update. This position is filled.

PortaOne’s technical support and development office in Kiev, Ukraine is rapidly expanding. We are now looking for an experienced Human Resource Manager to develop and manage the package of HR policies, programs and services for our Kiev office.

The incumbent will set up the objectives, initiate and lead the HR practices to establish an employee-oriented, high-performance culture that emphasizes empowerment, quality, productivity, and goal attainment, through recruitment and ongoing workforce development.

Please see the full job description and requirements on the recruitment page and submit your resume to career-kiev@portaone.com. While we thank all applicants for their interest, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

PortaOne to Participate in GITEX 2006 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Sun, 22 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700

PortaOne confirms its participation in GITEX 2006 in Dubai, the UAE on November 18-22 this year. The show will take place at Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

PortaOne’s team will be there in Zabeel Hall, Stand # Z-K20.

On December 4-8, 2006 PortaOne will also participate in ITU Telecom World 2006 in Hong Kong, China (Booth 8019.007).

PortaOne Looks for a Regional Sales Manager for Europe, Africa, and Middle East

Tue, 17 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700

18 December 2006. Update. This position is filled.

Due to the high demand for our products we continue expanding our sales team. PortaOne now has an open position of a Regional Sales Manager for Europe, Africa, and Middle East. This person will become an integral part of our sales team working together to increase sales of PortaOne’s products and services and achieve corporate revenue and profitability goals.

Based in his/her home office, the incumbent will be promoting the company’s image among prospective clients and act as a liaison between the clients and the company departments.

Please see the full job description and requirements on the recruitment page and submit your resume to career@portaone.com. While we thank all applicants for their interest, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Andriy Zhylenko Presented the Analysis of VoIP Application Market at ISDEF in Moscow, Russia

Mon, 09 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Andriy Zhylenko, the CTO at PortaOne participated as a speaker in the Independent Software Developers Forum (ISDEF) 2006, the fifth international conference devoted to the software development. This is one of the largest industry events in Eastern Europe attended by many companies’ representatives from Russia, Ukraine, other European countries, as well as the US and Canada.

It is an important event which allows PortaOne to monitor the dynamics of the software development market as well as to establish relationship with new partners.

Giving his presentation at the Forum, Andriy Zhylenko analyzed the current trends and growth perspectives of the VoIP applications market and shared with the audience some of the key components of PortaOne’s success in developing billing and softswitch paltforms. “There is a huge potential behind the software companies or even individual programmers in the Eastern European region, especially in the highly innovative area of emerging technologies such as VoIP.”

“This is proven by success stories of companies such as PortaOne, Mera Systems or Skype, and I am confident we will see many more great software products for VoIP being developed here,” says Andriy Zhylenko.

Quintum, PortaOne Jointly Promote Their Products in Warsaw, Poland

Fri, 06 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700

PortaOne and Quintum have held an information seminar on their products for Polish ITSPs today in Warsaw, Poland. The seminar was organized by Telco Systems Polska, a local distributor of VoIP solutions and equipment. The Central European market (and the Polish market in particular!) has shown a great amount of interest in PortaOne’s billing and softswitch solutions as well as in the Tenor line of VoIP MultiPath equipment provided by Quintum.

Roman Khalenkov, PortaOne Sales and Marketing Director and George Kloak, Vice President of International Sales at Quintum Technologies, Inc.:

This seminar is another step in the development of the partnership between Quintum and PortaOne. Two companies have already shared booths at Internet Telephony and CommunicAsia shows. Quintum and PortaOne will also exhibit together at ITU Telecom World 2006 in Hong Kong, China on December 4-8, 2006. Please visit our booth 8019.007.

PortaOne Has Created a Publicly Available RADIUS Client for Asterisk

Wed, 04 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700

As a courtesy contribution to the Asterisk community PortaOne has created a general public license client that brings RADIUS AAA capabilities to Asterisk PBX. This piece of software is entirely written in Perl. Therefore, it is 100% portable and easy to understand and customize. RADIUS attributes are used according to Cisco VSA Voice Implementation Guide which provides compatibility with billing platforms, including PortaBilling100.

The client allows implementing numerous authentications and accounting features, including:

Users’ authentication via RADIUS protocol
Use of global RADIUS server settings and individual RADIUS server settings for different extensions
Authentication by general “account + password”, which can mean anything depending on the service you are willing to implement i.e. ANI authorization, prepaid cards, etc.
Authentication of SIP users via RADIUS (secure, pass Digest over RADIUS)
Automated disconnect and call timer settings if “credit time” is provided in radius reply
Processing of RADIUS reply attributes in extensions.conf in order to create IVR response
Stop RADIUS records generation for incoming and outgoing call legs

More information about this RADIUS client, its installation and configuration examples can be found on the VoIP Wiki.

PortaOne Launches the New Version of Its Website

Sun, 01 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700

If you are reading this you see the new version of the PortaOne website. It has a newer contemporary look and feel, as well as some pieces of modern technology behind its pages.

Here is a short orientation guide for the new features.

Menu Structure

We did not change much in the menu structure; it is very similar to what we had before. The only two minor differences are:

Resources and Documentation are under Support button now
News has its on section in the main menu

Before	After

Documentation

In addition to the Documentation webpage, all PortaOne products documentation is now available from the dedicated dropdown menu on the right side of each webpage.

Search

Search field is available on every webpage.

News

The website features a blog-like news section that allows instantly updating content and sharing information, pictures, sound, and video in a matter of minutes. All news can also be tagged to simplify the search. The latest news headers are always on the left side of the homepage.

FAQ

There is a new FAQ section under Support button in the main menu. FAQ is aimed to substitute old topics in PortaForum and organize all bits and pieces of the knowledge data in a coherent and user friendly way.

PortaOne Announces New Maintenance Release Policies

Thu, 28 Sep 2006 00:00:00 -0700

Previously, PortaOne issued one or two maintenance releases annually, and these releases used to contain quite a broad set of new features. A long list of significant changes in one release requires relatively long development, testing, and installation cycles.

From now on, PortaOne decided to slightly change its maintenance release policy to better accommodate our customers’ demand for rapid functionality deployment.

Starting this year our development plans will usually include 3 to 4 maintenance releases per year, with periods between individual releases being around three or four months. A shorter development/testing cycle means smaller releases. New maintenance releases (like MR13 issued this week) will tend to have smaller lists of new features. These policy changes decrease the waiting time for new features to become available and facilitates a smoother and coherent upgrade process. We will also dedicate special resources to improve the processes of upgrade automation.

The official MR14 Project start date is 2 October 2006. Maintenance release 14 is expected to be issued in December 2006