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I2-NEWS: Broadsoft and Internet2 Launch Disaster Recovery for Universities' Voice Networks


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  • From: Michelle Pollak <>
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  • Subject: I2-NEWS: Broadsoft and Internet2 Launch Disaster Recovery for Universities' Voice Networks
  • Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2003 09:57:43 -0400

BROADSOFT AND INTERNET2 LAUNCH DISASTER RECOVERY FOR UNIVERSITIES' VOICE NETWORKS

Business Continuity Ensured Through SIP-Based VoIP Application

Hollywood, FL, July 28, 2003 - BroadSoft(R) Inc., the leading provider of hosted communications platforms, today announced the launch of a disaster recovery initiative within the Internet2(R) Voice over IP (VoIP) Working Group. This cooperative initiative is being led by BroadSoft, Georgetown University, Internet2, and Paetec with participating member institutions including Catholic University, Harvard, University of Pennsylvania, and Texas A&M. The objective of this initiative is to ensure business continuity and survivability using IP networks in an event that the circuit-switched public network goes down. Using Internet2 as a backup for a traditional PBX and switched network architecture offers an IP-based disaster recovery solution at a greatly reduced cost.

Universities and government agencies require uninterrupted communications to maintain lifeline services under adverse conditions. The purpose of the Internet2 VoIP disaster recovery project is to ensure business continuity and survivability via IP networks, such as the public Internet or Internet2's Abilene network, when the public switched telephone network (PSTN) goes down. Internet2's Abilene network provides a resilient and distributed IP-based disaster recovery alternative to the PSTN's traditional PBX and switched network architecture, which is more susceptible to outages.

"BroadSoft's innovative VoIP-based disaster recovery application includes an inherent self-healing nature that allows calls to be automatically re-routed to other PSTN and call-routing resources," said Christopher Peabody, project leader for the working group and IT Director for Georgetown University. "As a result, administrators can access the disaster recovery lines in response to an emergency situation, whether it's a network element failure, sustained usage spike, natural calamity or malicious activity."

According to Walt Magnussen, Co-Chair of the VoIP Working Group and Director of Technology at Texas A&M University, "The VoIP Disaster Recovery project is effective because of the close working relationship between the BroadSoft team and the participating universities, which have a shared goal of delivering an essential survivability application. We're looking forward to expanding the scope of the project to the rest of the Internet2 membership, especially since we're using a standards SIP-based approach."

The circuit-switched network, though built with highly reliable individual components, is nevertheless vulnerable to geographic disruptions, whether caused by a flash flood or terrorist activities. However, this joint initiative results in nationwide disaster recovery for any university that is part of Internet2. With the first BroadWorks platform deployed at the Internet2 point of presence at the Mid-Atlantic Crossroads (www.maxgigapop.net) on the east coast, and a second location to be rolled-out shortly, the platform is architected for robust geographic redundancy.

"Internet2's goal is to build partnerships between industry, government and academia to develop and deploy advanced Internet applications," explained Ben Teitelbaum, Program Manager for Internet2's voice and integrated communications initiatives. "We are delighted to have BroadSoft generously supporting and very actively engaged in this trial. The BroadWorks platform provides an excellent set of call control features and a high degree of voice survivability, while simultaneously serving the needs of multiple institutions."

"We're very pleased to be part of the Internet2 VoIP effort, and we've learned a lot from the experts in the working group on the disaster recovery and business continuity project," said Scott Hoffpauir, Chief Technology Officer at BroadSoft. "This application demonstrates how IP voice can provide extra value for large enterprises, such as universities, through disaster recovery as well as Centrex or PBX replacement and unified communications services."

BroadSoft's hosted communications platform, BroadWorks, provides a comprehensive range of applications including Hosted PBX, IP Centrex, and Voice VPN. BroadWorks is uniquely capable of providing these applications with the reliability, redundancy, scalability, and regulatory capabilities required to deliver carrier-class service. BroadWorks enables service providers to increase top-line revenues by offering enhanced services to enterprise customers. BroadWorks also reduces operational expenditures by empowering enterprises to manage their own moves, adds and changes via the patented CommPilot web portal. The open, standards-based environment of BroadWorks provides maximum flexibility for service providers to customize their offering.

About BroadSoft
BroadSoft is the leading provider of hosted communications platforms, holding the largest market share in the Hosted PBX and IP Centrex space with the most announced customers. Recognized worldwide, BroadSoft has recently expanded its global customer base to include Telstra, the incumbent carrier in Australia. BroadSoft also closed its third round of $32.5 million in funding in September 2002, raising a total of $60 million to date from leading venture capitalists and was recently named to Boardwatch's list of The Top 10 Private Companies. The company's flagship product, BroadWorks, provides a comprehensive range of applications including Hosted PBX, IP Centrex, and Voice VPN. Leading telecommunications industry publications, such as Communications Solutions, Internet Telephony and Network Magazine, have recognized BroadWorks as "Product of the Year." BroadSoft is located near Washington, D.C., in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and maintains a research and development facility in Montreal, Canada. Additional information can be found at www.broadsoft.com.

About Internet2(R)
Led by over 200 U.S. universities, working with industry and government, Internet2 is developing and deploying advanced network applications and technologies for research and higher education, accelerating the creation of tomorrow's Internet. Internet2 recreates the partnerships among academia, industry, and government that helped foster today's Internet in its infancy. For more information about Internet2, see: http://www.internet2.edu/.

# # #

BroadSoft and BroadWorks are registered trademarks and CommPilot is a trademark of BroadSoft, Inc. All other names are trademarks of their respective companies.

Contacts:
Matt Sullivan
Fitzgerald Communications
202-912-4414


Michelle Pollak
Internet2
202-331-5345


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  • I2-NEWS: Broadsoft and Internet2 Launch Disaster Recovery for Universities' Voice Networks, Michelle Pollak, 07/28/2003

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