VocalTec, Data Access in strategic global framework agreement
By Our Convergence Bureau | 07 Jan 2003
New Delhi: VocalTec Communications Ltd (www.vocaltec.com) and Data Access (India) Ltd (www.dataaccessindia.com), one of India’s leading long-distance carriers, have finalised a strategic global framework agreement in which Data Access has committed to place purchase orders for VocalTec equipment and related services in the estimated amount of $8 million. This will enhance switching capacity of Data Access by 2.5 billion minutes a year over the next 15 months. Additional VocalTec equipment will be deployed as part of Data Access’ major network expansion during 2003. Data Access plans to expand its Points of Presence (POPs) in the UK and Hong Kong, and to deploy a new POP in New York.
“VocalTec’s carrier-class platform has proven its ability to generate revenues and provide fast return on investment,” says Data Access managing director Siddhartha Ray. “Our partnership with VocalTec, as enhanced through our new global framework agreement, is a key component of our strategy to become a leading international player in the VoIP space. Data Access’ planned expansion will support up to 20 million minutes per day - a significant increase from the network’s current capacity of 4 million minutes per day.”
Data Access has a total of eight switch centres and network operating centres (NOCs) - five located within India with overseas centres in New York, London and Hong Kong. The company has an additional 20 points of interconnect (POI) to link to other carrier networks.
“VocalTec is fully committed to its strategic partnership with Data Access, which is undoubtedly one of the industry’s outstanding success stories,” says VocalTec CEO and chairman Dr Elon Ganor. “Our global framework agreement with Data Access demonstrates the ability of our packet telephony solutions to meet the demands of carriers and service providers in deregulating and global markets.”
Using VocalTec’s packet tandem switching architecture, Data Access is presently carrying approximately 3.5 million minutes per day of international long-distance (ILD) traffic, representing an estimated 30 per cent share of total ILD call traffic in India. This success can be attributed to the carrier-grade network quality and unsurpassed SS7 connectivity of the VocalTec-driven network, as well as the attractive rates offered by Data Access.
Nirvan Group, a provider of professional services for the Indian telecom market, played an instrumental role in facilitating the deal between the parties. “The unprecedented success of Data Access’ packet telephony network since ILD deregulation in April 2002 is a testament to the fruitful cooperation between Data Access, VocalTec and Nirvan,” says Nirvan president and CEO Rajiv K Gupta. “We believe that their success will encourage additional Indian carriers to implement packet telephony solutions in the coming year.”
Incorporated in 1999, Data Access is one of the first ISP licensees in India to set up its own private Internet gateways, thereby ending the monopoly of VSNL in international carrier business in the year 2000.
Promoted by SPA Enterprises, India, and partnered with PCCW, Hong Kong, Data Access is maintaining its monopoly-breaking track record in the Indian telecom market by being the first Indian private voice carrier to deliver large scale voice traffic on its own network. The company operates several telecommunications licenses in India, the UK and the US for voice, data and broadcasting services.
Data Access is the only Indian carrier network with its own footprint reaching all parts of the world and operating its own network centres in the US, Europe and Asia Pacific, and servicing not only the Indian consumer but the global telecom consumer through its global clearing house operations in London and New York.
VocalTec is a leading telecom equipment provider offering packet voice solutions for carriers and service providers. As an innovator and provider of packetised telephony solutions since 1995, VocalTec offers a highly evolved revenue-generating product line to the market.
With a customer base including the China Telecom PTAs, Deutsche Telekom, ITXC, Communication Authority of Thailand (CAT), and Data Access in India, our multi-service solutions are commercially deployed in more than 100 countries, powering 25 per cent of the world’s revenue-generating international VoIP minutes.
VocalTec’s field-proven solutions support carrier services, including international and long-distance calling, packet tandem switching and exchange carrier services, as well as hosted global business services including VoIP VPN, conferencing, global call centre and calling card services. The VocalTec Softswitch Architecture is a modular, carrier-grade, standards-based multi-protocol platform that integrates the benefits of SIP, MGCP and H.323 technologies
