 "Arcturus, Encore To Deliver Industrial VoIP Solutions")
Arcturus Networks and Encore Software have entered into a strategic partnership that will help propel the adoption of embedded VoIP (Voice over IP) solutions in three key market segments: healthcare, building automation and industrial control. The effort has been focused around an existing Freescale ColdFire microcontroller platform and has produced an expanded portfolio of software including Encore voice processing subsystem and Arcturus Middleware.
Arcturus and Encore have worked together since 2006 to deliver bundled solutions for VoIP. The two companies have leveraged this relationship, along with mutual partner Freescale Semiconductor to identify and execute a joint technology road-map to deliver VoIP solutions for industrial and commercial applications. In 2007, the collaboration resulted in a flexible hardware and software package that gives manufacturers the ability to roll out VoIP products without the prohibitive NRE costs or multi-vendor licencing agreements that make other solutions difficult to work with.
The collaboration has further expanded to integrate additional key middleware and voice processing subsystem components that meet the specific needs of applications in healthcare, building systems and industrial control. Products in these segments include: in-home health care monitoring, patient monitoring/call systems, integrated alarm panels, fire control, access systems, mass notification and over-head paging devices, as well as embedded voice applications for industrial control.
The solution will be made available on the extensible uC53281 (M53281-MOD) VoIP module hardware platform (M53281KIT), co-developed by Arcturus and Freescale and using the MCF53281 VoIP processor. The hardware module, combined with the flexible business model, allows developers to take advantage of the time-to-market savings an off-the-shelf component can provide, while still retaining the freedom to leverage the design. The module is easily integrated into end-products with minimal external circuitry and is suitable for operation in harsh environments.
“This system solution makes it easy to add voice functionality to industrial applications, without having to be a telephony expert, and without complex licencing and NRE requirements,” said Jeff Bock, global product marketing manager for Freescale’s Microcontroller Solutions Group. “In many applications, the ColdFire processor will be able to both control the application and handle the voice functionality.”
“We recognise three key opportunities for two-way voice communications: healthcare applications, especially the independent living requirements of our ageing population, the needs of next-generation alarm and building systems, as well as industrial equipment, where the addition of voice can benefit service or increase process efficiency. Together we have spent eight months talking with manufacturers to identify their needs and build a solution that will help them deliver these realities,” said Michael Durrant, vice president - Engineering, Arcturus.