DiVitas Networks (www.divitas.com) is entering the European market with a breakthrough ‘mobile-to-mobile’ convergence (MMC) solution designed for SMBs and enterprises. The baseline functionality is similar to that of regular fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) solutions, but the company went for a new term in order to differentiate their offer.
FMC solutions normally rely on the service provider to enable seamless handover to and from Wi-Fi and cellular networks. And those that put IT in control are proprietary, i.e. they only work with the vendor’s PBX, and they do not allow access to enterprise applications.
The DiVitas mobile-to-mobile convergence solution does not have these limitations. It’s open in terms of voice system hardware as well as network and application access. And it supports dual-mode phones, Wi-Fi only phones, cellular-only smartphones and softphones.
This means that the solution converges devices and applications as well as networks. It works in conjunction with both TDM and IP PBXs or it can be deployed as a stand-alone configuration. All mobile devices are managed as PBX extensions over both Wi-Fi and cellular networks. Moreover, the solution is Wi-Fi agnostic, i.e. it works with all mainstream access points.
The appliance is a shipping product and a 10-user license starts at just over £3.3K. DiVitas claims ROIs in less than six months.
How the model works
The mobile convergence appliance (MCA) is deployed inside the enterprise and the mobile convergence client (MCC) software is embedded in mobile handsets.
The appliance connects to the LAN and it controls and manages the mobile devices as they roam in and out of the different networks: WLAN<> cellular<>hot spot. The client software sends a packet to the appliance each time it transitions and this enables seamless handover.
The client software functions as a multi-modal interface for use with apps such as voice, video, IM, voicemail and presence. It is platform independent and can be downloaded over the air to Windows CE, Symbian (Nokia) and Linux (ODM) devices.
The appliance also functions as an open source (Asterisk) IP PBX in its own right. This enables internal mobile-to-mobile communications as well as interoperability with desktop phones and softphones. In addition, the appliance can be deployed as a stand-alone solution for SMBs and branch offices. The current version of the appliance can support up to 250 users. The next version, which is expected to release towards the end of the year, will support many more.
Challenging other models
Bob Emmerson says that what DiVitas has done is design a dedicated convergence solution that was not constrained by legacy considerations such as existing PBX, WLAN, applications and cellular technology (GSM/CDMA).
"As in other high-tech areas, this has allowed the company to leapfrog over those 800-lb gorillas. In a regular FMC solution calls traverse disparate mobile networks that have varying levels of quality and security. To ensure end-to-end, business quality calls, the company developed a voice engine for the mobile devices that optimizes the quality of VoIP over both Wi-Fi and IP networks. The appliance performs deep packet inspection that enables it to perform real-time network selection, voice quality optimization plus security verification and authentication.
DiVitas’s solution has the potential to disrupt the existing distribution model for mobile solutions for SMBs and enterprises. Because it does not rely on a mobile carrier, the solution can be marketed, sold and managed by 2-tier distribution players that currently serve the SMB and enterprise markets."