The Commetrex Outlook | December 2013

BladeWare … No Lie

Ta Da! It is with great pleasure that we announce the availability of BladeWare release 2.4.8. Here’s why.

Prior to BladeWare 2.4.3, there were errors in BladeWare’s SIP implementation where it would send responses meant to indicate that BladeWare had completed a task, such as transitioning from G.711 to T.38, prior to the completion of the task. Yes, BladeWare was telling little SIP lies. Obviously, this could cause some problems if the SIP peer responded very quickly with the next transaction. In release 2.4.3 we began to stop telling these lies, but the changes in timing exposed the SIP service manager to some heretofore unknown stresses. Result: instability under heavy load, causing significant support problems for those affected, and for that we apologize.

But now, the good news: We have tested this release more extensively than any previous release, and it’s rock solid … no lie! That means it’s safe to put 100-port systems up on quad-core PCs. Our claim: today, BladeWare is the most robust and full-featured fax platform (both FoIP and PSTN) on the market, and is available at a fraction of the price of competitive systems.

If you’d like to know more about the BladeWare telephony platform for OEMs, visit our website, email, or give us a call at 770-449-7775.

Customer Story: Data Protection Services

Data Protection Services (DPS) began life in Milledgeville, GA as an online backup service provider. Over the years DPS added new business lines, including VoIP services.

After being frustrated by FoIP reliability using ATAs, they moved to one of the near-real-time store-and-forward services that uses HTTPS to move image data between the customer’s premises and the provider’s fax servers. Although the service delivered reliable transport and fax delivery, it was expensive, wasn’t real time, and it wasn’t a standard fax. When Keith Waddell, CEO, saw an article about NetGen Communication‘s Smart ATA on TMCnet.com, he jumped on it as a way to achieve reliable FoIP without the extra cost.

To our delight, Keith is steadily replacing his installed CPE with Smart ATAs. Want to give Smart ATA a try?

FaxTap For SIP Pricing

If you are an ITSP and need to resolve FoIP problems, you need FaxTap for SIP. If you are developing an FoIP-capable endpoint or gateway, you need FaxTap for SIP, especially if it includes V.34 support. And if you’re developing a lawful-intercept product, you need the OEM version of FaxTap for SIP. And now we just made this winner of TMC’s Best of Show award even more affordable.

Here’s the new pricing:

END USER

FaxTap for SIP is $1850 per seat. Two seats are $1450, three are $1250 each. Each additional license is $950. A corporate license is $9,500.

Prices include two hours of support per seat.

ADDITIONAL SUPPORT

Gold support is $3500 per year plus $250.00 per additional seat; Platinum support is $6,500 per year plus $400 per seat. Gold has no time limit on product support; Platinum adds Commetrex fax geeks working with you to sort out carrier problems to finally “make FoIP work.”

OEM (that incorporate FaxTap for SIP into their product)

The OEM SDK is $3,895, including five hours of support. Additional support is $5,000.00 per year, plus $142.50 per seat. Per-seat OEM runtime licenses are $950.00

Interested? Questions? Call (770)-449-7775. The user manual and OEM developer manuals are available for download. And no-cost evals are available, so give FaxTap for SIP a workout.

FaxTap For SIP Steals The Show In Vegas

At the recent ITEXPO in Vegas, Commetrex focused on Smart ATA and FaxTap for SIP. As usual, ITSPs swooned over the Smart ATA proposition of a virtual end to FoIP trouble tickets. But FaxTap for SIP, our recently introduced FoIP analysis tool, stole the show by winning TMC’s Best of Show in the catergory of Best Service Provider Solution. According to TMC’s Erik Linask, FaxTap for SIP was recognized for providing the industry with a much-needed tool that gets service providers one step closer to reliable FoIP service, a stated mission of Commetrex.

FaxTap for SIP picks up where Wireshark leaves off. Prior to the availability of FaxTap for SIP, carriers depended on WireShark, a popular open-source tool, to identify FoIP problems, but Wireshark’s strength isn’t FoIP, while FaxTap was designed from the ground up for FoIP analysis. This means it doesn’t incorrectly identify T.38 packets and is able to provide a comprehensive analysis of the T.30 session, even if it’s G.711 or V.34. FaxTap extracts SIP FoIP sessions and renders the fax image for both G.711 and T.38, including support for V.34 fax. There is also an OEM version for lawful-intercept applications.

If you are taking advantage of FaxTap you are punching above your weight since it’s a very affordable tool. If you’re not, you’re pulling punches.

Interested? Questions? Call (770) 449-7775. The user manual and OEM developer manuals are available for download. No-cost evals are available, so give FaxTap for SIP a workout.

Two Consenting Adults

That’s what it takes to make FoIP work: basically, Commetrex and the ITSP/carrier.

You might have noticed that we’ve beat the drums pretty hard and consistently for the past few years that we know how to make FoIP work in carrier networks. And, we’ve been just as emphatic about how NetGen Communications’ Smart ATA®, equipped with Commetrex’ patent-pending Smart FoIP®, is the only ATA with FoIP that works on a par with PSTN-based fax.

Apparently, the message is getting through since we have ITSPs that ordered a few Smart ATAs for trial. But when all faxes don’t go through, some assert that the device isn’t performing as advertised. Perhaps we deserve some of that that due to our relentless promotion, but the problem is nearly always something other than Smart ATA. It’s certainly not late T.38 reINVITES, nor is it G.711 clock-sync problems, both of which Smart FoIP takes care of rather handily. No … it’s nearly always a network-related problem, and that’s where the consenting adults thing comes into play.

We are so imbued with messianic zeal when it comes to making FoIP work, we don’t even charge for Smart ATA support. And we don’t skimp. We throw ourselves at the problem, but we’ve found that in some cases our ITSP customer isn’t ready to make the same commitment.

Have we oversold Smart ATA? Perhaps. But making FoIP work usually requires more than putting in a Smart ATA. It requires tracking down the source of network problems and doing something about them. Then, it’s revenue time.

Let’s work together. Learn more about NetGen’s Smart ATA. Order one, and put us to work.