Unified communications specialist CounterPath has been awarded patent No. US 8848880 by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Titled “Inter-System Communication,” the patent enables a seamless user experience by converting the communication features of one network to comparable features of another so that users can stay connected regardless of whether they are on a wireless or cellular data network.
“CounterPath is on the leading edge of the unified communications industry,” said Donovan Jones, president and CEO of CounterPath. “We envision a world of seamless communication between end-users, regardless of the underlying networks employed. This patent further strengthens our intellectual property portfolio and positions us to launch proprietary voice, messaging and presence services that traverse disparate networks, eliminating barriers to communication and increasing employee productivity.”
Inter-system communication, as described in this patent, refers to the ability to pass messages, establish two-way voice communication or share contact and presence information between users on disparate networks and/or voice systems. For example, in the event that a user on a cellular network sends an SMS text message to another user not on the cellular network, the system would automatically convert the SMS to an Instant Message and deliver it over broadband via a gateway such as that within CounterPath’s Stretto platform.
“The patent is critical for the multi-billion dollar and growing UC market that needs to support desktop, tablet and mobile services over disparate networks,” said Michael Doyle, vice president of technology for CounterPath. “While most solutions focus on simple convergence scenarios, our technology enables an enhanced user experience by normalizing communications between different networks-voice, video, message, presence and other services. Along with other patented technologies, we have implemented some of these services in our Stretto server platform and will continue to do so as the market demands.”
