The Softswitch market is officially in shake-out mode. Softswitch solutions originally intended for Class 5 replacement or Internet offload have not given a crowded vendor community enough sustenance. In particular, the ongoing drought of capital spending still affecting the RBOCs and other large telcos is taking a toll on a market that has been holding its collective breath while waiting for signs of mass Softswitch deployment. Recent industry news bears this out. In a move that will have significant repercussions on future Softswitch deployment and vendor competition, Lucent Technologies announced last month that its efforts to consolidate product lines will result in its pullout from the Softswitch market (Telephony, Oct. 28. p. 10).
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