Carrier IP Connect

Today, many next-generation voice operators still connect their voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) networks to the rest of the world via public switched telephone network (PSTN) interconnections. To realize the full benefits of a packet-switched voice network, however, VoIP providers need to enable end-toend IP voice calls, and as IP Voice infrastructure gets more extensive and costly, carriers require a managed services provider who can interconnect disparate VoIP networks with integrity. With lightning-speed directory services, secure network infrastructure, and unmatched signaling expertise, VeriSign helps
service providers interoperate seamlessly with other providers, establishing trusted signaling relationships, feature transparency, settlement procedures, reliable security mechanisms, and the satisfaction of quality-of-service (QoS) specifications.

Carrier IP Connect allows service providers to connect VoIP domains to the VeriSign network, to reach other VoIP domains that are also connected to the VeriSign network

Security: Carrier IP Connect builds on VeriSign's managed security services (MSS) to provide perimeter security management at the interconnect points to a service provider's network. Leveraging VeriSign's 24x7 Security Operations Center, the Carrier IP Connect service is protected by firewall management, intrusion detection, vulnerability protection, vulnerability alerting, managed VPN, and incident response and forensics services. VeriSign's security service goes beyond installing security products; VeriSign provides a professional staff fully equipped with monitoring, protection, and response capabilities.

Route management: Carrier IP Connect leverages VeriSign's Advanced Transaction Lookup and Signaling System (ATLAS) infrastructure – currently used to run the .com and .net root domains for billions of transactions every day - to route calls to the proper network based on the location of the called party. Additional routing criteria - provisioned per service provider - are also supported for more sophisticated route resolution methods. Through its service discovery capability, the ATLAS platform also initiates Local Number Portability services, and toll-free and CNAM queries. The Carrier IP Connect solution is integrated with VeriSign's own SS7 network to handle SS7 interactions transparently to the operator.

Reliability and Scalability: Routing resolution for inter-carrier calls need to be supported by a 9.999% available infrastructure and VeriSign provides that level of reliability. Also, VeriSign's infrastructure can scale to support a very large number of routing entries: Though VeriSign's ATLAS platform supports more than 10 billion transactions a day for the Internet's .com and .net domains, it can support many times that amount of traffic.

Interoperability: Carrier IP Connect is compliant with a broad range of industry standards, including SIP, H.323, ENUM, and PacketCable's CMSS protocol. The border control gateways of the VeriSign network communicate with the operator's VoIP network using normalized SIP signaling; which minimizes the interoperability challenges that occur in call setup with the terminating networks. If terminating networks use H.323 or a variation of the SIP call control protocol, the VeriSign network resolves these differences and normalizes all traffic at the network edge - ensuring a single consistent signaling stream across the carrier IP network. This protocol normalization maximizes the addressable market for carriers - enabling them to interoperate with a VoIP provider regardless of protocol or network topology.

Feature Transparency: Because of the interoperability of the VeriSign network, Carrier IP Connect delivers features end-to-end, regardless of the protocols in use or the equipment vendors deployed in the egress and ingress networks. Carrier IP Connect ensures that the features provided in either network are supported end-to-end between any two carriers.

+ Features:

• RFC 3261 SIP Protocol as the standard trunking protocol for VoIP networks

• Support for PacketCable 1.2 CMSS to interface with MSO networks

• H.323 v2 & v4 to interface with other VoIP networks

• Interoperability between SIP, CMSS, and H.323, across equipment from leading vendors

• ENUM, CMSS and SIP access to VeriSign's ATLAS infrastructure for route resolution

• T.38 fax relay

• V.90/V.92 traffic support

• RTP flow control through the border control gateway

• G.711, G.723.1, G.729a CODEC types

• Real-time Call detail record generation

• Routing of a variety of criteria on VeriSign's ATLAS infrastructure, including called number, calling number, originating network, call type, number patterns, time of day, and day of week

• Route plans that are customizable to suit each VoBB provider's needs

• Ability to provision routes without requiring changes on MSO provisioned equipment

• Service discovery leading to SCP interactions by ATLAS for LNP, toll free database, and CNAM queries

• End-to-end feature delivery

+ About VeriSign

VeriSign, Inc. (Nasdaq: VRSN), delivers critical infrastructure services that make the Internet and telecommunications networks more intelligent, reliable, and secure. Every day VeriSign helps thousands of businesses and millions of consumers connect, communicate, and transact with confidence. Additional news and information about the company is available at www.verisign.com.