Patton is now taking orders for the SmartNode 5200 Enterprise Session Border Router. Providing "any-to-any" protocol mediation for secure connectivity between IP-PBX systems and Internet Telephony Service Provider, the newest SmartNode resolves security and interoperability challenges businesses face when implementing SIP trunking.

The SmartNode ESBR lowers overall equipment costs by including an advanced IP router, QoS, VoIP-VPN security, least-cost call routing and IP-link redundancy—with no added licensing or support fees.

While most SBC vendors tack on per-feature licensing fees and charge for support contracts, Patton includes all SBC features and functions—along with free tech support—in the product base price.

Infonetics' predicts 89 percent revenue growth for SIP trunking services by 2013.

Although minor variances between vendor's SIP implementations can disable enterprise VoIP systems, protocol mediation in the SN5200 ensures operability among all SIP "flavors" for fast, easy SIP trunking setup.

With a built-in virtual firewall that combines ACLs with policy-based routing, the ESBR provides an ideal security solution for enterprises with up to 50 people.

For business with 50 to 250 workers, the SN5200 delivers secure VoIP communications by processing forwarded SIP signaling messages to "SIP-enable" an external stateful firewall.

Patton's white paper library offers in-depth coverage of SIP trunking, VoIP-VPN security, and VoIP QoS.

During Q2, watch for Patton's SN5400 ESBR, featuring a transcoder that maximizes voice quality by converting low-bandwidth ITSP CODECs to high-bandwidth CODECs within the LAN.