Verizon (News - Alert) Business has rolled out enhancements to its Voice over IP portfolio expected to allow enterprise customers to streamline there services while taking advantage of unified communications technology.

 

The new capabilities from the Baskin Ridge, New Jersey-based company include a ramped up Verizon VoIP Interoperability Lab where customers can test drive the compatibility of their premises equipment with Verizon's VoIP or IP Contact Center products; Certification of an additional Nortel IP PBX (News - Alert) for Verizon's IP Trunking offering; Availability in Europe of automatic call rerouting for VoIP customers to provide business-continuity benefits unavailable in a traditional voice-communications environment.

 

The idea behind the changes is to provide more flexibility and efficiency in a rounded platform and to streamline IP networks to work smarter to” meet and speed their business objectives while igniting innovation across an extended enterprise of employees, customers, suppliers and partners,” said Jim Tyrrell, vice president of marketing for Verizon's global business voice solutions

 

"Verizon Business (News - Alert) continues to enhance and expand its VoIP capabilities to deliver a powerful platform for unified communications and collaboration."

 

Perhaps more importantly is what the upgrades signal, said Lucy Hipperson, an analyst with Ovum (News - Alert) Research's Enterprise practice.

 

"These enhancements demonstrate Verizon's commitment to SIP trunking, which has not been seen yet by other international service providers," said Lucy Hipperson, an analyst with Ovum Research's Enterprise practice.

 

By expanding and extending the possibilities of VoIP  Verizon is also extending SIP trunking interoperability with an additional IP PBX platform. “At the same time, it is addressing the concerns of customers surrounding SIP trunking by establishing a try-before-you-buy Interoperability Lab and a SIP trunking backup solution to enable business continuity."

 

To further the companies end of advance VoIP technologies, it created a lab environment, expected to be set up next month, where they can test the compatibility and capabilities of customer premises equipment (CPE) that has not been certified with the Verizon VoIP or IP Contact Center (IPCC) portfolios.

 

For example, a company can test drive virtually any piece of equipment such as an IP PBX or a Premise Session Border Controller  during a two-week trial period, using an Internet connection and Verizon VoIP or IPCC service.

 

The VoIP Interoperability Lab supports multiple services across the enterprise for large-business and government customers, according to the company.