Tatara Systems Announces Partnership with Acme Packet for SIP-Based Femtocell Network Integration

04/01/2009 - Tatara Systems, the leader in SIP-based femtocell convergence, today announced that it has partnered with Acme Packet® (NASDAQ: APKT), the leader in session border control solutions, ensuring interoperability between Tatara’s Convergence Server and Acme Packet’s multiservice security gateway and session border controller (SBC) to deliver SIP-based femtocell solutions for mobile operators. Tatara, Acme Packet and AirWalk Communications will conduct live demonstrations of SIP-based femtocell network integration at the upcoming CTIA Wireless 2009 event, April 1-3, 2009 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, NV.
 
Femtocells have the potential to extend the reach of a mobile operator’s network into homes, and enterprises, positively impacting the customer experience for millions of subscribers by enhancing coverage, and providing capacity for bandwidth hungry applications. Tatara has staked out an early leadership position in this market, as the first vendor to deliver a SIP-based solution for femtocell network integration. As noted by most industry analysts, IP-based femtocell deployment is the only method that offloads the legacy mobile core infrastructure, thereby providing the capacity needed for 3G service delivery and enabling operators to recognize substantial cost savings through OPEX and CAPEX optimization.
 
The Tatara Convergence Server (TCS) solution enables the interconnection of femtocells and other advanced technology IP-based radio network elements with the legacy macro network, providing the full mobile voice, messaging and data experience in an IP environment supporting both VoIP and IMS networks. The TCS capabilities include authentication of the mobile subscribers, handoff between femtocells and the macro network, emergency and supplementary services, as well as delivering new IP-based applications to existing mobile handsets without modifying or disrupting the macro network. The TCS is available in a CDMA or GSM/UMTS variant.
 
A demonstration of voice and data service delivery using SIP femtocells will take place in the Acme Packet booth 5741. Within the demonstration, Acme Packet’s Net-Net® Security Gateway (SG) and Net-Net Session Director (SD) will connect SIP-based femtocells to an IMS/NGN data center. The femtocell, a CDMA AirWalk EdgePoint, converts legacy signaling and media to SIP and RTP for transport over broadband Internet access connections. The Net-Net SG provides the femtocell security gateway function for securely tunneling voice and data traffic across the Internet using IPsec tunnels. Acme Packet’s Net-Net SD session border controller provides SIP session control, including denial-of-service protection, admission control, protocol normalization and other cost and quality controls. Acme Packet’s SBC also routes traffic to Tatara Systems’ Tatara Convergence Server (TCS) which provides voice, messaging and supplementary services as well as active session handover to the macro cellular network. AirWalk Communications (booth 8127) and Tatara Systems (booth 8951) will also be demonstrating the CDMA SIP femtocell solution.
 
“As our partner ecosystem continues to grow, it helps to solidify our leadership in the femtocell market,” stated Marc Cremer, executive vice president of operations for Tatara Systems. “With key industry players embracing our SIP-based femtocell convergence solution, it serves to increase the momentum towards the delivery of new IP-based applications and the seamless migration to next-generation VoIP and IMS architectures.”
 
“SIP is the signaling protocol for next generation communications and 3GPP architectures,” commented Seamus Hourihan, Acme Packet’s vice president of marketing and product management. “It is critical to work with leading vendors, such as Tatara Systems, to deliver proven interoperable solutions in order to successfully expedite the transition to SIP for femtocells and all voice services.”