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In this issue

HP provides MetroPCS with HP OpenCall HLR product

HP announces that MetroPCS, an innovative wireless carrier, is deploying the HP OpenCall Home Location Register (HLR) in the core of its all-digital network. The HP OpenCall HLR functions as a central database that links individual information (identity, settings, status, authentication) with network routing information — so that each customer receives complete voice and data services while he or she is on the move.

"MetroPCS is committed to offering quality wireless service to our customers, and the HP OpenCall HLR will help us continue to provide those high levels of service," said Roger Linquist, president and CEO, MetroPCS.

"MetroPCS' success reflects its willingness to innovate and its attention to customer needs," said Steve Dietch, HP OpenCall Worldwide Marketing Director. "The HP OpenCall HLR will give MetroPCS a solid foundation for continued innovation and customer satisfaction."

Read the full press release.

MetroPCS's OpenCall HLR success is highlighted in HP's press release HP Makes Mobility Push in which HP introduces more than a dozen products and services designed to make it easy for businesses and consumers to enjoy always-on, always-ready mobile computing.

You can read about this and other HP mobility initiatives at the HP's Mobility 2006 web site.

HP bets big on mobile computing

An article published in Business Standard (India) on May 23, 2006 following the 'Connected: The HP Mobility Summit 2006', highlights how HP is 'betting big' on mobile computing, a segment that is expected to grow to over $234 billion globally by 2009. HP has launched an array of products, including laptops and mobile networking products.

HP OpenCall software, "...a product that enables subscribers to access voice and data services and research in interactive video and social networking for mobile devices..." is cited as an important mobile initiative of the company.

'We are expecting the worldwide mobile computing market to post a high growth and are positioning ourselves to garner a fair share of this market. The growth is also expected to reflect in the Asia-Pacific markets, including India and China,' HP Executive Vice-President (Personal Systems Group) Todd Bradley said at the 'Connected: The HP Mobility Summit 2006'.

Read the full article (May 23, 2006).

HP OpenCall's Open Source SIPp project in awards finals

HP OpenCall's Open Source SIPp project was part of the 10 finalists in the "VoIP" category for the first "2006 SourceForge.net Community Choice Awards". This award, organized by SourceForge.net web site is aimed at nominating"...those innovative, revolutionary or just plain useful Open Source projects that are shaping the technology landscape."

Sourceforge.net is the primary source of Open Source projects, hosting some 120,000 projects and counting 1,290,000 registered users.

SIPp is an Open Source/GPL test tool, coming from and sponsored by HP OpenCall. There have been some 32,000 SIPp downloads in two years both inside and outside HP. SIPp is used to test Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)-based platforms - including HP OpenCall products.

Read about SIPp on the HP Open Source and Linux website.

Right to Next Version available for HP OpenCall Media Platform 3.1

HP OpenCall Right to Next Version (RTNV), a subscription service that enables customers to receive free upgrade on all major releases of HP OpenCall software license is available from October 1, 2006.

Having RTNV of the latest HP OpenCall software provides flexibility and simplifies the software procurement process. RTNV not only shortens the business planning cycle, it also enables customers to deploy solutions at their own pace. Customers can stay up-to-date by receiving all major releases of licensed software.

Eligibility

RTNV is available at the time of new license purchase and can be renewed annually. A minimum subscription period of one continuous year is required. RTNV is available for commercial licenses but not for non-commercial licenses. Customer must have a valid RTNV subscription to be eligible for the license upgrade.

Note, RTNV is not required for access to minor versions of HP OpenCall products, patches and hot fixes and 24x7 phone-in assistance: these are all available through standard 24x7 support services. Similarly major version installation is available through software upgrade services. Please note that 24x7support is mandatory when purchasing RTNV.

For more information, visit: the HP OpenCall web site.

HP OpenCall Media Platform Video 1.0

Generally available since April, 2006, the HP OpenCall Media Platform Video product is an IP video media server that accelerates the creation and deployment of interactive access to content and peer-to-peer video services. The HP OpenCall Media Platform Video product enables service providers or application service providers (ASP), to nimbly expand existing audio and voice services to include richer video offerings. The capability helps boost average revenue per user (ARPU) as well as customer loyalty.

Key product differentiators include:

• Freedom of choice — HP OpenCall, with its strong partner ecosystem, provides customers the flexibility to choose from a wide selection of the most compelling video services
• A seamless, top-quality rich media experience for end-users — only HP brings more than 10 years of research and development in voice and video processing technologies
• A proven track record — founded on the HP OpenCall Media Platform, the industry's most complete and mature Voice Extensible Markup Language (VoiceXML) platform for audio and voice services
• Backing by HP's world-class global delivery, support and services organization
• Superior video quality
>

To learn more about some of the solutions powered by the HP OpenCall Media Platform Video product, see the HP 3G Video Contact Center and HP Video Messaging solution briefs.

HP OpenCall Home Subscriber Server (HSS) release 3.0

The HP OpenCall Home Subscriber Server (HSS) release 3.0 focuses on building an architecture and infrastructure to improve ease of field installation and support of production environments. It includes documentation and training that help service providers to understand better what this new release can do for them.

Highlights of this new release include:

• Single NSK System with Software Resiliency
• Scalability across multiple CPUs
• Software resilience implemented with key technology developed by HP OpenCall — using existing HP OpenCall Intelligent Network Server (INS) and adding newly developed Application Foundation Class's (AFC) Application Lifecycle Management (ALM)
• Formal HSS installation framework — allows initial install and patch management for interim releases
• Support of front node/back node upgrades — downtime limited to network traffic switch to new node
• Data protection (encryption) for sensitive application data
• Performance testing and documentation to enable the sales team to forecast capacity needs

HP OpenCall HSS 3.0 also advances its authentication technology by adding the HTTP Digest and Network Attachment Subsystem (NASS) bundle. This will enable the HSS to authenticate users from wireline, broadband or cable Next Gen Networks. It complies with Telecoms & Internet converged Services & Protocols for Advanced Networks (TISPAN) security specifications, to enable a wide acceptance in the European wireline markets.

Read more about the HP Home Subscriber Server.

HP OpenCall XML Document Management Server (XDMS) release 2.01

HP OpenCall XML Document Management Server (XDMS), a product of the HP OpenCall Software Service Profile Product Family, is released in version 2.01.

HP OpenCall XDMS is a next generation (3G / IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS)) network infrastructure element for service providers looking to deploy instant communications applications in their networks. It stores and manages service group membership information using simple standards-based interfaces and provides an extensible data model using XML schema that allows application servers to easily access and manipulate XML documents.

HP OpenCall XDMS offers some new features and flexibility to benefit our customers' end users:

• Subscribers' address book entries (e.g., contact lists, group lists, and access lists) can be shared across applications, and customized groups can be defined easily and shared with friends in real time.
• Service providers too can use HP OpenCall XDMS features to store, maintain, and manage group information in a centralized database, and to share this data across access networks and applications. With HP OpenCall XDMS release 2.01, group list information can be maintained and managed by the end user subscriber, service provider, or applications.
• When group information is updated, an event notification can be sent automatically. This is a critical feature when the document is shared among many XDM clients. Update requests are traceable; XDMS authenticates every HTTP request using HTTP Digest to verify user credentials, and creates a charging record based on event type and timestamp for every user request.
• HP OpenCall XDMS release 2.01 is compliant with 3GPP-IP Multimedia Subsystem and Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) standards. At the OMA TestFest in April 2006, in Montreal, Canada, HP OpenCall XDMS was validated by a half-dozen clients, applications providers for handset producers. The newly added Resource List Server (RLS) feature of the HP OpenCall XDMS — another step in the process of providing comprehensive XML document management global standard set - has now been validated by the user community.
• HP OpenCall XDMS 2.01 also runs on HP BladeSystem BL25p servers, which allows for a drastic reduction in required cabling.

Read more about the HP OpenCall XML Document Management Server.

HP OpenCall Intelligent Network Server R04.00 released September 2006

The HP OpenCall Intelligent Network Server R04.00 is now released for General Availability. Highlights of this release include support for the new HP Integrity NonStop platforms — a cost saving benefit for operators providing approximately twice the performance of an HP NonStop S-Series system with an equivalent number of processors, as well as support for the HP S-Series servers.

The product enhancements in this release are:

• Improved traffic distribution across 4 adjacent elements — traffic can be easily loadshared across up to 64 links to 4 adjacent nodes.
• Improved traffic distribution capability of SCCP Class 1 messages helps insure more even traffic distribution further into the network.
• Call-processing performance improvement on S-Series offers approximately 10% gain for some applications.
• Flexible congestion configuration options permit fine-tuning of the system behavior during periods of congestion.
• Support of more simultaneous Telephony Service Creation Environment (TSCE) processes
• Performance improvements for Memory-Based database Environment (MBE) to improve local performance when the remote node is down.
• Manageability improvements for MBE add commands for determining status of databases.
• Support for HP OpenCall Home Subscriber Server.
• Exception Reporting and Alarms Distribution (ERAD) template cleanup provides more concise documentation of the events defined within the templates.

The following features will be available in R04.00.10, scheduled for October release:

• Support of low-speed channelized T1 and E1 links on the Tigereye III controller
• Support of high-speed unchannelized (i.e. clearchannel) T1 and E1 links on the Tigereye III controller
• SIP availability to TSCE applications

Also at the end of June, the Tigereye III controller compliant with European Union Reduction of Hazardous Substances standards became available, with support included in the R03.02, R03.03, and R04.00 threads of HP OpenCall Intelligent Network Server.

For more details about visit the HP OpenCall INS web site.

HP OpenCall Universal Signaling Platform 4.1 available on Linux RHEL4

The HP OpenCall Universal Signaling Platform 4.1 on Linux RHEL4 (HP OpenCall USP-M 4.1-2) is now released.

The HP OpenCall USP-M 4.1-2 brings the same level of functionality as USP-M 4.1-1 (which supports HP-UX 11iv1 and 11iv2), and provides HP OpenCall Internet Protocol Signaling Transfer Gateway (IP-STG) v2.1 as the SS7 front-end, to address the Telecom Signaling Unit/Telecom Signaling Card (TSU/TSC) end-of-life planned for December 2007.

An SDK is also available with this release for evaluating and testing HP OpenCall USP-M on Linux RHEL4

For more information read about HP OpenCall products.

HP OpenCall Media Platform: Getting started

Consult this guide to get quickly up to speed with a developer-oriented step-by-step experience of the HP OpenCall Media Platform available developer resources.

View the Getting started guide.

HP OpenCall Media Platform Getting Started — Entry Development pack

The HP OpenCall Media Platform Getting Started is now available through the HP OpenCall developer portal at the Dev Resource Central page.

Getting Started brings you quickly up to speed on HP OpenCall Media Platform development with a step by step experience of the HP OpenCall Media Platform developer resources, including: high level technical overview, web based trainings, software development kits and tools, tutorials, code samples, testing tools and developer assistance evaluation.

As part of the HP OpenCall partner services curriculum, it reflects the HP OpenCall Entry Development pack which offers emerging partners a complimentary access to information, tools and services to ease the evaluation of the HP OpenCall Media Platform development environment.

HP OpenCall Media Platform Video SDK available

The HP OpenCall Media Platform Video Software Developer Kit (SDK) is now available through the developer portal at the HP OpenCall Media Platform Video SDK page.

The HP OpenCall Media Platform Video SDK allows rapid development and testing of video services which require media and call control functions.

HP OpenCall Media Platform CCXML tutorial for developers

HP OpenCall Media Platform CCXML (Call Control eXtensible Markup Language) tutorial for developers is now available through the developer portal at the CCXML tutorials for developers page.

This tutorial offers a gradual approach to developing a service using CCXML and VoiceXML. It is split into several incremental parts allowing a step-by-step learning experience. The tutorial is also a reference document for developing the main functions of an HP OpenCall Media Platform application.

Voice Application Developer Toolkit 3.1 available April 2006

A new version of the VoiceXML/CCXML developing tool on Eclipse is available through at HP OpenCall developer portal.

This version is fully integrated with HP OpenCall Media Platform Software Developer Kit (SDK) 3.1 and enables users to validate code according to different schemas: VoiceXML 2.0, CCXML 1.0 or HP OpenCall Media Platform's extended schemas.

Using LTT for system analysis on HPTE 1.x application note

An application note has been published which presents introductory information about the Debian GNU/Linux with HP Telco Extensions (HPTE) version 1.x facility and provides a tutorial introduction to analyzing data so gathered.

Debian GNU/Linux with HP Telco Extensions (HPTE) version 1.x includes a kernel tracing facility called the Linux Trace Toolkit (LTT) which allows you to record an event trace from the kernel and analyze that trace with both a graphical viewing tool and traditional Linux text tools.

Read the application note.

HP OpenCall USP SIP Getting Started — Entry Development pack

The HP OpenCall Universal Signaling Platform Session Initiation Protocol (USP SIP) Getting Started is now available through the developer portal at the 'Getting Started HP OpenCall USP SIP' page.

Getting started gets you quickly up to speed on HP OpenCall USP SIP development with a step by step experience of the HP OpenCall USP SIP available developer resources, including high level technical overview, software development kits and tools, testing tools, developer assistance evaluation.

As part of the Partner services curriculum, it reflects the HP OpenCall Entry Development pack which offers emerging partners complimentary access to information, tools and services to facilitate the evaluation of the HP OpenCall USP SIP development environment.

HP OpenCall USP Diameter Getting Started — Entry Development pack

The HP OpenCall Universal Signaling Platform (USP) Diameter Getting Started is now available through the developer portal at the 'Getting Started HP OpenCall USP Diameter' page.

Getting started gets you quickly up to speed on HP OpenCall USP Diameter development with a step-by-step experience of the HP OpenCall USP Diameter available developer resources including a high level technical overview, software development kits and tools, testing tools and a developer assistance evaluation.

As part of the Partner services curriculum, it reflects the HP OpenCall Entry Development pack which offers emerging partners a complimentary access to information, tools and services to ease the evaluation of the HP OpenCall USP Diameter development environment.

HP OpenCall Universal Signaling Platform Diameter is an implementation of the IETF specification RFC 3588: Diameter Base Protocol, which defines a network protocol for Authentication, Authorization and Accounting (AAA), and of higher level AAA applications defined by the 3GPP consortium.

IMS Open Source test tool by HP OpenCall Software

HP OpenCall software just released "Seagull" a free, Open Source (GPL) multi-protocol traffic generator test tool. Visit Seagull's nest. Primarily aimed at IMS protocols (and thus the perfect complement to SIPp), Seagull is a powerful traffic generator for functional, load, endurance, stress and performance tests for almost any kind of protocol.

Releasing Seagull in Open Source opens great opportunities, not only for HP OpenCall customers and partners who are now able to test their solutions better and more cheaply, but also for the entire IMS ecosystem, greatly easing the adoption of IMS.

The first feedbacks are very positive and have even triggered an entry in a blog entitled "Another good day for Open Source and IMS (June 7, 2006)".

HP OpenCall and IMS in Telecommunications Magazine

The HP OpenCall article, "Consolidation: On the Road to IMS", can be found on pages 21-23 of the September 2006 issue of Telecommunications Magazine. In this article HP communicates its tactical, evolutionary approach to IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) and HP OpenCall's ability to enable next-generation service delivery.

HP is also a sponsor of the "Ultimate Guide to IMS" that is distributed as a supplement to the September issue of Telecommunications Magazine. Note that you will need to register to access the article. You can also pick one up at any of the upcoming major telecoms events: Fall VON, ITU World, Fall CTIA, and WiMAX World.

OpenCall, IMS and system consolidation in Telephony's Technology Update

TTelephony's Technology Update recently published a feature article "Doing IMS right' in which HP's three-step approach to IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) and HP OpenCall's role was given voice.

Steve Dietch, HP OpenCall Worldwide Marketing Director, writes: "Carriers should always be looking to consolidate systems and functions, regardless of IMS, because it's by consolidating that you streamline the process to get services out more efficiently. Another goal of consolidating is to reduce the cost of implementing new technologies like IMS."

Bob Chenal, HP OpenCall Solution Manager, presents the case for Home Location Register system consolidation: "...There's a lot of HLR consolidation taking place, and doing that now will help later when you start migrating those HLRs to home subscriber servers [an important HLR equivalent in an IMS-enabled architecture]." Joe Lynch, HP OpenCall Solution Manager, explains the need to move from the silo approach to a more customer-centric approach in Interactive Voice Response systems."

Read the full article.

HP is also currently running a series of "Consolidation" online ad campaigns with TelephonyOnline. Steve Dietch, Bob Chenal and Joe Lynch were interviewed to give their perspectives on "Consolidation":

"There's a lot of network complexity and legacy elements out there, and IMS is not the only driver for system consolidation within a carrier operation. Carriers should always be looking to consolidate systems and functions, regardless of IMS, because it's by consolidating that operators streamline the process to get services out more efficiently. Consolidation improves OPEX and CAPEX, and consolidation prepares a carrier well for implementing new technologies like IMS." said Steve Dietch.

Read these ads:

• May 24: On the Road to IMS: Consolidation
• July 10: On the Road to IMS: Home Location Register (HLR) Consolidation

Visit the HP OpenCall On the road to IMS page for more details of webinars and articles.

CME's new-name, new-look publication spotlights IMS

Take a look at the focus on HP's IP Multimedia Subsystems (IMS) solution in HP CME's (Communications, Media and Entertainment) new cmeSOLUTIONS publication (was communicationsSOLUTIONS). The latest issue (Volume 7, issue 1) includes articles on: "IMS: The reality behind the hype", and HP's IMS solution ("IMS and consumer services, a match made in heaven?").

The publication addresses business challenges confronting communications service providers (network, mobile, operations, broadband and media) and network equipment providers as well as digital content management and distribution for the media and entertainment markets. It showcases market-tested solutions using HP products and solutions, as well as solutions developed by strategic partners and deployed on HP platforms.

Click to download the cmeSOLUTIONS issue.

HP IMS webcast series receives record attendance

HP's IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) webinar series with Light Reading kicked off on June 15 with a presentation from John O'Connell (HP OpenCall Software) entitled "On the Road to IMS: Consolidate Converge. Innovate." In this webinar, HP outlined a 3-phased tactical approach to IMS, based on the consolidation of existing network elements (e.g. Home Location Register (HLR)), enablement of converged services, and a framework for service innovation. The event received outstanding audience attendance and ratings.

The following webinar, entitled "On the Road to IMS: HLR Consolidation - Save Now, Prepare for Tomorrow", took place on Tuesday July 18th. The webinar was another huge success. It examined some common migration scenarios and looked at the immediate cost savings and long-term advantages that carriers have discovered by making HLR consolidation their first strategic step on the road to IMS and next-generation services.

Consolidation provides a simplified, more cost-effective infrastructure on which next-generation services, including those provided by IMS, can be deployed. Consolidation provides the framework for delivering greater ROI and increased profitability in the short term, while preparing for more cost-effective delivery of new services in the future.

The third webinar in the series: On the Road to IMS: Managing a Converged Environment — OSS in an IMS World took place on August 30. The webinar examined key considerations in OSS strategies that enable service providers reap the full benefits of IMS. Again, it received an overwhelming response. In the past 3 webinars, nearly 1400 people have listened to HP's IMS 3-step approach presentations — live or archived.

The September 27 event is entitled 'On the Road to IMS: IVR Consolidation', by Alain Decartes and Claude Florin.

Check the Light Reading web site for future HP IMS webinars. Visit the Light Reading webinar archive page for replays of previous webinars.

Improved HP OpenCall Partner Program

The improved HP OpenCall Partner Program was launched with great success in March of this year at the HP OpenCall Partner Forum in Orlando, Florida. With increased investment in the HP OpenCall Experience Centers, new IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) environment and tailored development packages, the HP OpenCall Partner Program is even better equipped to create profitable momentum — helping service providers and HP OpenCall partners enjoy a smoother, more prosperous journey to business success

The enhanced program was enthusiastically received by partners and customers who were pleased to see the shift in focus to applications that can be deployed today, versus focus on the future.

Participating partners saw very tangible benefits in the HP Open Call Experience Centers which offered market visibility and awareness for their applications while customers had the assurance of guaranteed interoperability with HP elements with pre-integration, thus reducing time to market for the release of new services in pre-IMS and IMS networks.

Read the full announcement: Introducing the improved HP OpenCall partner program.

HP OpenCall Experience Centers: Services for today, plans for tomorrow

To help service providers like you better manage your evolution toward an IP environment and IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) implementation, HP OpenCall has created the HP OpenCall Experience Centers where we put a wide variety of ready-to-deploy, innovative applications right into your hands. The centers allow you to "test-drive" applications in real time, on a production-grade network. At each HP OpenCall Experience Center, you will learn how each application can be revenue-generators today, and how they can evolve to IMS tomorrow.

Located in Grenoble, France; Shanghai, China; and Richardson, Texas, the HP OpenCall Experience Centers are validation hubs tailored to serve market needs. Visit an HP OpenCall Experience Center to get local insight and to explore new business opportunities available today with HP OpenCall. As a key element of the HP OpenCall Partner Program, the HP OpenCall Experience Centers are also where you can meet our world-class developer partners. Learn how HP OpenCall, together with our strong ecosystem of partners, are dedicated to creating profitable momentum for your business by putting innovative services in your hands faster.

Read the newly published brochure to find out more about the HP OpenCall Experience Centers. For more infomation, contact HP OpenCall.

HP OpenCall Voice Short Message Service (SMS) solution brief published

The HP OpenCall Voice Short Message Service (SMS) solution enables service providers to enhance revenues and attract and retain subscribers by offering a compelling, intuitive-to-use service that adds an emotional and personal dimension to messaging.

Powered by the HP OpenCall Media Platform, the HP OpenCall Voice Short Message Service (SMS) solution allows end users to send quick voice recordings to family, friends and colleagues without ringing their phones. The solution is non-intrusive, and provides subscribers with a more convenient, much more personal alternative to typing SMS.

Not only service providers offer voice SMS to their consumer customers, they can also present an attractive company broadcast service offering for their enterprise customers. The solution, from HP OpenCall and its partners, can be deployed in an existing network environment in a matter of weeks — enabling rapid time-to-market and time-to-revenue.

Read the complete 2-page solution brief.

Learn more about the HP OpenCall Media Platform.