The ability to deliver these features in software enables easy upgrading as new services are introduced. This platform is specifically optimized to address the multi-service business gateway market.

Milind Bhise, Assistant Vice President of Products at Aricent, said: "Business communications have evolved rapidly, driven by ever-increasing needs for bandwidth, convergence, mobility and ubiquity. Small businesses, branch offices, and remote offices, face the greatest challenges because of the pressure for continuous evolution, coupled with cost containment in a tightening economy . Using the integrated Intel-based platform from Advantech and Aricent, network equipment manufacturers can quickly introduce new carrier-managed gateway products with the latest technology and deliver innovative, cost effective solutions."

Franz Wei, Vice President of Business Group, Embedded ePlatform Organization, Advantech Co., Ltd., said: "There is an increasing demand for low cost systems that merge analog and digital networks and provide a wider range of services, such as routing/switching, voicemail, conferencing and security, in addition to traditional IP-PBX functionality. To support all these functions, converged solutions must combine high-performance voice processing, packet processing and security acceleration capabilities."

In addition to integrated multi-service business gateways, Aricent CAS is well suited for a range of Next Generation Network equipment including secure routers, fixed mobile convergence gateways, femtocell-based gateways, wireless access points, security appliances and service delivery CPE platforms for carrier managed voice, video, VPN, security and NGN applications.