Acme Packet Plugs SIP Network Gaps

Releasing a flurry of news before two big trade shows next week, Acme Packet (APKT) said today it has baked new interworking functions into its Net-Net OS session border controller that will bridge the gaps between incompatible SIP-based networks.

Acme also said it has signed partnerships with several providers of femtocells, the premises wireless networking devices that bring mobile voice and data signals inside buildings.

Noting that existing IP networks use different, and often incompatible, versions of SIP (SIP-T, SIP-I, etc.), Acme Packet says the new functions in its session border controllers will allow service providers to seamlessly interconnect these varying networks – integrating them without expensive hardware upgrades.

With the demand for IP networks and devices exploding, the Internet Address Numbering Authority (IANA) has forecast that the global IPv4 address pool will be exhausted by 2011, necessitating a move to IPv6. Many existing service provider and enterprise systems will not automatically upgrade to the new version, however, necessitating some kind of inter-networking capability in session border controllers and gateways.

At the same time, like many service providers, gear vendors, and software developers, Acme foresees a sharp rise in sales of femtocells and other in-building wireless devices to boost signals indoors. The Burlington, Mass.-based company said it is working with three providers of femtocells – AirWalk Communications, Tatara Systems, and Ubiquisys – to deliver an “open, industry standard-based SIP femtocell solution for mobile service providers.”

Last month at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Acme showcased its session border controller for wireless Long-Term Evolution networks.