eDial Delivers Advanced Communications Server 5.0

eDial announced yesterday the arrival of its latest version of their Advanced Communications Server (ACS) 5.0. The ACS 5.0 is a SIP-based feature server designed to enable service providers to deliver a full suite of communications and collaboration services, such as audio and Web conferencing, presence-based services, as well as instant and broadcast messaging capabilities.

While eDial has significant roots in the enterprise market, this announcement marks a strategic move into the carrier space. That’s not to say the company is abandoning its enterprise customers however. I have been assured that eDial will maintain its commitments and will continue to support its enterprise customers.

In a press release issued yesterday, eDial described the features of the ACS 5.0:

• Scalability – In ACS 5.0 service providers will be able to increase ACS’s stacking capability to handle over 900 simultaneous calls within a single network, and over 10,000 users. Service providers will be able to offer integrated conferencing services within their current network and worldwide through remote servers.
• Multiple Browser Support – ACS 5.0 adds support for multiple browsers including Internet Explorer, Netscape, Mozilla, and Safari.
• Multiple Voice Prompt Sets – By installing multiple voice prompt sets on the server, service providers, large enterprises and systems integrators can now customize an interface in different languages either by organization or box-wide.
• Auditing/SEC Compliance – An interface has been created to log IM traffic via SMTP to provide real-time logging of all IM traffic to a trusted third party to provide archiving and auditing support. The log can also be routed to a specific mailbox for internal audit and archive.
• Enhanced Management – Service providers will now be able to allow customers to easily deploy replication and manage media licenses across a stack.

According to eDial president and CEO, Jill Smith, “By bridging today’s PSTN with tomorrow’s IP network, service providers are now able to offer a range of integrated collaboration, IM and presence, and broadcast services to their customers without the need for additional infrastructure. The latest version of ACS presents service providers with a powerful solution they can drive revenue growth through value added services with the flexibility, scalability and management that carriers require.”

According to Michael Osterman, president and founder, Osterman Research, “The latest version of eDial’s ACS helps service providers build upon the capabilities already residing in the PSTN and IP networks by expanding conferencing, IM and browser support with additional management features on the back end. Using ACS should enable carriers to generate additional revenue streams today.”

The ACS 5.0 is available now.