Congratulations to the XConnect team on the re-launch of Global Alliance. This is more than an update to the original 2005 settlement free Global Alliance vision. Perhaps the word rebirth better describes the set of services for NGN solution providers, based on the full set of XConnect’s Private Federation custom policies, as well as a portal including community forums, market intelligence feeds and other benefits to participating service providers. Among the big differences over the 2005 original vision: it is no longer settlement free – each participating company has comprehensive control over its peering and commercial policies with each other member of the alliance, allowing them to create private alliances. This brings all the benefits of bi-lateral peering and merges them with the efficiencies of a neutral hub.
At some point in time, the mass marketing of VoIP will turn away from dirt cheap landline replacement and focus on IP enabled advanced services. Until that time, peering will still help retail service providers (MSO, Access independent VoIP, Mobile, ITSPs) reduce their opex around interconnections. For service providers offering video telephony and hi-def voice services, the time is ripe to use XConnect to link up.
Per their release, Alan Duric, CEO of Telio, a Global Alliance member, anticipates several additional benefits. He says: “The new Global Alliance will simplify our interconnection process; reduce our transit charges; and enable us to introduce new, rich multi-modal, real-time communications services, such as our video phone calling with HD voice. It will enable us to raise the user experience to the next level in markets that make the most sense for us. We are excited by the partnering opportunities and the peering competence and flexibility XConnect brings to the table, which enable us to create custom peering relationships with other, comparable networks in Scandinavia and globally.”
Au24 disclosure: Of course after spending three years working with XConnect in a marketing advisory role we are not unbiased, however we do sincerely believe that XConnect from day one has had a powerful vision of an all IP world, and a set of increasingly pragmatic and valuable solutions to make and save money along the evolutionary path to it.
Posted by au24 
