Network and service convergence

In telecommunications, convergence is a term that attempts to define the unlimited possibilities of linking and transfer between networks. However, the technological essence of the term has so far been perceived in the context of network interconnection and the transfer of basic services such as CLIP, direct dialling and signalisation of completed calls. Netstar develops these terms even further, because through it external and internal interfaces and PBX services, all of these converge. A public line in any operator’s network can become a virtual branch, accessible through the network of a third operator, while a GSM telephone becomes a mobile terminal. In both cases, this telephone has a single extension number, which guarantees a unified numbering plan in the PBX or private network.

The convergence of voice services in company extensions can now be solved not only via data networks, although this alternative is very prospective and also the most affordable from the long-term perspective. Nothing stops one from setting the PBX so that it uses the regular telephone numbers of public networks, often with advantageous tariffs, for virtual private access.

As an example, let us use a small company in Liverpool with a branch in Manchester and a partner in Brighton. The data connection is solved via public Internet from various local providers, so that the use of a lease data channel for transfer does not come into consideration for economic reasons. Nevertheless, they can have a unified numbering plan within the framework of the PBXs. The partner in Brighton is called at the branch number and the LCR device ensures the translation of the number and the selection of an optimal route for the call.

Although this manner of building a virtual private network is not the least expensive, it is the simplest. It is even more interesting in cooperation with mobile operators which have already implemented VPN services for companies. In this case, the SIM cards in the GSM gateways of individual PBXs are a part of the private network, meaning that calls between branches are directed to GSM for very reasonable prices. This is also the case for calls between mobiles classified into groups.

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