SBIR-STTR Award

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will design and evaluate a Software Development Platform for the rapid prototyping and implementation of applications that will personalize the communications experience of a wide variety of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) enterprise phone users leading to large productivity gains in industry, government, and academic settings. The proposed product shall provide the capability to make an audio voice connection (telephone call) over a packetized data network. This capability will take advantage of the data networks that exist within enterprises (Local Area Networks), and of the infrastructure of enterprise-to-enterprise networks (Wide Area Networks). The proposed product will ultimately take advantage of the global network infrastructure found in the Internet. The "advantages" being leveraged include both cost and functional capabilities found only in a combined voice and data network. This proposed development opens a window of opportunity for new ODM (Original Design Manufacturers) to enter the market provided that they present cost-advantaged, first to market, disruptive technology offerings that may appeal to the enterprise customers of current OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) that may or may not have VoIP phones in their product portfolio

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project aims to develop a suite of server based infrastructure software and applications to empower service providers with the ability to deploy, monitor, customize content, debug, and upgrade their VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) terminals remotely. The proposed Transactional Applications Delivery System (TADS) will allow service providers to define new revenue generating applications and corporate IT departments and third-party IT solution providers to develop vertically integrated, productivity enhancing data-voice applications. The proposed system will also provide a cost-effective means for service providers to move high-end VoIP terminals into the home consumer market, through, for example, multi-year service contracts in exchange for subsidized phones (the new revenue generating opportunities will allow service providers to do this). By addressing these needs, TADS will allow tighter integration between telephony features and IT based systems, taking better advantage of unified messaging (voice mail, e-mail, video mail, instant messaging, etc), collaboration, conferencing, presence, etc. It will also allow end-users access to ubiquitous features across different networks and different locations. This project will define, develop, and deploy a complex software platform that will significantly accelerate the time to market of revenue generating and productivity enhancing advanced VoIP applications and services. In addition, the development of the proposed TADS technology will lead to new knowledge in the areas of human computer interaction, data mining, IP information appliances, and networking. The results to be obtained from this project will have a significant impact on the structure of the VoIP consumer market and the way converged voice-data applications are developed and deployed in the enterprise market