Season’s Greetings!
Cloud must be the great buzzword of the year, with virtually
everyone getting on the bandwagon. There probably hasn’t been a technology
article written in the last twelve months that didn’t have the word ‘cloud’ in
it. Here at Aculab, we’re just as guilty; at least in terms of drawing down on
our bag of cloud words. However, since the introduction of Aculab Cloud, we
feel kind of justified. I’m sure you’d agree.
Nevertheless, cloudy references aside, it is virtualisation
and associated technology advances that have been the true enabler. The
‘pay-as-you-go’ and ‘pay-for-what-you-use’ kinds of cloud-based services
wouldn’t work so well without the benefits of server virtualisation, upon which
they’re founded. The idea of being able to ramp up resources in times of need
and throttle back in fallow periods is intrinsically linked to the concept of
virtual servers. And what a good thing that is. Aculab Cloud depends upon it.
It wouldn’t be a true cloud telephony platform without it.
At Aculab, we’ve always been keen to offer our customers a
choice and our cloud-based service platform (PaaS) is yet another option for
telephony-based application developers. That said, the more traditional options
of boards and software remain. However, those development models have also
evolved to take advantage of advancements in technology.
If ‘the cloud’ is not for you, then the approach of using
‘software and a gateway’ can be the answer – if not to life, the universe and
everything, then to your IP-based telephony server needs. Assuming connection
to the PSTN is needed, then a gateway is essential if you don’t have an ‘in the
skins’ solution with T1 or E1 trunk interfaces built in. If you have an IP-PBX
or a SIP-based service delivery platform, there really is no sensible
alternative to a gateway for when you need to connect to a legacy TDM network.
So, there’s your option; Prosody S and ApplianX – what a combination!
A similar model comes to mind when you need to connect to an
ISDN (or SS7) network, without the need, specifically, for gateway
functionality. Where your application is desirably software-only, with a need
for trunks, though not SIP per se,
the concept of remotely controlling telecommunications hardware is attractive.
It is an especially attractive alternative in this era of virtualisation.
If you can package up your software to produce a highly
portable virtual image, and in turn simultaneously control multiple hardware
resources from several application instances, how good is that? No longer do
you need to worry about integrating hardware and software in a server.
Immediately, you are protected from what can be a volatile (certainly in terms
of repeatable configurations) server market.
If all you had to do was plug in and configure a 1U chassis
by connecting your software application, wouldn’t that be a load off your mind?
Your software would be much simpler to manage and maintain, for two things, and
its distribution, installation and operation as divorced from hardware
considerations as it’s possible to be.
The idea of media processing resources in a 1U ‘box’ isn’t
new, however, most options present an ‘application ready’ platform, which sort
of negates the benefits of software virtualisation – your application can only
run in the box that’s provided. It is surely far better to have a separate
chassis running your ‘voice board’ functionality and, at the same time, to get
the maximum benefit out of having a software-only product.
Will do just that for you.”
See our Season’s Greetings video and check out the latest
option from Aculab – a new, in-box Pro-so-dy!
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