KPN has signed a three-year contract with Ericsson for the delivery and management of a Voice over IP platform for businesses.

The companies said the contract constitutes a major step towards the creation of an All IP environment, in which all communications, including voice telephony, are routed through an IP-based network. The services offered over the platform are an extension of the Business InternetPlusBellen package launched earlier this year.

KPN said that businesses with an IP telephone switchboard will be able to route their IP voice traffic through KPN’s IP network. The platform also guarantees interconnectivity with the public telephone network, meaning that business customers can (practically) dispense with their traditional voice telephony infrastructure. The platform offers high-quality voice over IP using SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) technology.

The first customers “will be connected in the course of this year”, KPN said in a statement.

Eelco Blok, a member of KPN’s board of management said: “With this solution, our business customers can optimise their business processes and minimize the total cost of ownership of their ICT infrastructure.”