Software promises painless VoIP set-up
As cable and phone companies jostle to sell voice, video and data bundles over broadband connections, tools are needed to get those services running as quickly as possible.
On Monday, SupportSoft, a company that develops automation software for telephone and cable operators, introduced a product that it claims will help ease the pain of setting up VoIP (voice over Internet Protocol) and IP-based video connections in homes.
The ServiceVerify software is designed to check that Internet-based services are working properly at the time of installation. At the moment, technicians manually tweak signal and latency settings, and once a service is set up, there's no way to check it will actually work. By automating the process, ServiceVerify simplifies set-up and could reduce house calls for follow-up--factors that could cut costs for service operators.
"Three years ago, carriers were sending technicians to install broadband," SupportSoft CEO Radha Basu said. "That really slowed down deployment. We're at a similar point with VoIP and IP video. I think once it's more automated, it will really take off."
