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In a move to leverage its fiber assets and deliver reliable voice over IP services, Cavalier, a provider of telecommunications services throughout the Eastern United States, selected MetaSwitch, a provider of carrier systems and software solutions, to transform its network architecture. With an initial focus on supporting the small to medium-size business market, Cavalier is leveraging its investment in MetaSwitch to launch hosted PBX and unified communications services under the “IPeer” brand.
Through this network evolution that is currently under way, Cavalier is able to use standards-based, IP-oriented infrastructure from MetaSwitch to bring to bear IP telephony and other services in a hosted platform. Based on MetaSwitch technology, Cavalier is providing access to the IPeer Hosted PBX platform to SMB customers throughout its mid-Atlantic footprint, with plans to expand further.
The MetaSphere Enhanced Application Server is deployed in a central data center and is complemented by 11 MetaSwitch MG3510 media gateways deployed throughout the Cavalier service territory. The company said this allows Cavalier’s business customers to have access to new features and applications without the need to update any software or hardware on-site and avoid the capital expenditure of on premises-based equipment.
Lou Sommi, senior vice president of marketing at Cavalier, said investing in IP communications is a key element in the company’s ability to respond to their customers’ needs. “What really made the business case add up was the ability, with MetaSwitch, to deploy a single platform that would allow us to cap and, in some cases, replace our existing legacy switches and to introduce new services,” he said. “With our core IP communications platform from MetaSwitch in place, SMBs can enjoy new feature-rich communications while we reduce our costs for operations, administration and maintenance.”
Based on the MetaSphere application suite and CommPortal Web services, IPeer helps put small business owners in control with features that are particularly well-suited for remote workers who want to manage their calls and enable mobility while working outside of the office. Sommi said SMBs will also benefit from unified messaging tools, including the ability to click-to-dial from Microsoft Outlook, access advanced voicemail features and manage fax, e-mail and call forwarding through a Web-based portal.
“MetaSwitch is helping carriers to deliver productivity-enhancing services for their subscribers,” said Graeme MacArthur, general manager of MetaSwitch’s carrier systems division. “Our evolutionary approach allows Cavalier to expand the value of its network investment while also increasing revenues with its business customers.”