Enterprise voice over internet protocol (VoIP) virtual private network (VPN)

A Call Agent in a Service Provider Network (SPN) for effecting a call from a first end point having a first type of call parameter to a second end point having a second type of call parameter wherein at least one of the first and second end points are located in an IP Virtual Private Network (IP VPN) and at least one is a telephony end point, the call agent comprising a route planner for planning the route of the call over the IP VPN, the SPN or a combination thereof;

• and a translator for translating the call parameters of the call in dependence on the route selected, the translating being dependent upon a country where each of the first end point and second end point are located, and the translator being arranged to translate a dialing plan used by the first end point to a dialing plan used by the second end point.

A computer program product encoded in a computer readable medium for implementing, in a primary computer system that has a primary mass storage device in which data is stored and that communicates with a backup computer system, a method of effecting a call from a first end point having a first type of call parameters and a second end point having a second type of call parameters, wherein at least one of the first and second end points are located within an IP virtual private network (IP VPN) and at least one is a telephony end point, the method comprising:

• providing a call agent at a point in a Service Provider Network (SPN), effecting the call in the call agent via a route over the IP VPN;
• the SPN;
• or a combination of the IP VPN and the SPN and translating, in the call agent, the call parameters of the call in dependence on the network route selected, the translating being dependent upon a country where each of the first end point and second end point are located, and wherein the translating comprises translating a dialing plan used by the first end point to a dialing plan used by the second end point.

A call agent for effecting communication service between media end points, each media end point having certain parameters and wherein at least one media end point is within an Internet Protocol Virtual Private Network (IPVPN), comprising:

• a) an interface to receive a call request from a media end point;
• and
• b) a data structure to provision the communication service in response to the call request such that the communication service is provisioned irrespective of any difference in parameters of the media end points, and wherein the data structure comprises data for translating a dialing plan used by one media end point to a dialing plan used by another media end point, the translating being dependent upon a country where each of the media end points are located.

A service provider network for providing communication service between media end points, each media end point having certain parameters, and wherein at least one media end point is within an Internet Protocol Virtual Private Network (IPVPN), comprising:

• a) a call agent having data structure such that the call agent can use the data structure to develop provisioning information to provision the communication service irrespective of any difference in parameters of the media end points, the data structure comprising data for translating a dialing plan used by one media end point to a dialing plan used by another media end point, the translating being dependent upon a country where each of the media end points are located;
• and
• b) means for communicating provisioning information to the media end points.