Netcentrex

Established in 1998 as a spin-off from France Telecom, Netcentrex S.A. positioned itself as a key supplier of Voice over IP (VoIP) systems for telecommunications operators. The company was founded by Olivier Hersent, a recognized telecom expert who authored several books and patents on networking technology, and co-founder Nicolas Jordan. Hersent's technical and market vision guided the company's global expansion. After its founding, Hersent later became the CTO of Comverse following the acquisition, while Jordan, who had served as business development director, headed the SaaS and hosting division of Comverse's IP Business Unit.

Netcentrex provided network-based software that enabled telecom operators and service providers to offer integrated voice, video, and data services, often referred to as "triple play," to their customers. The company's business model focused on equipping these service providers—spanning wireless, fixed-line, cable, and internet-based communication providers—with the infrastructure needed for next-generation communication services. Its client roster grew to include 50 operators such as France Telecom, AOL, Fastweb, and Tiscali.

The product portfolio was built around a telco-grade application softswitch and included IP telephony, video calling, IP Centrex, and contact center services. This technology allowed operators to deploy advanced fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) and IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) based services. A significant achievement was reaching over 2.8 million live VoIP lines by early 2006. The company's trajectory culminated in its acquisition by Comverse Technology in 2006 for a deal valued at up to $180 million, a move designed to broaden Comverse's VoIP and multimedia service portfolio.

Keywords: Netcentrex, VoIP infrastructure, Olivier Hersent, telecom software, IP telephony, softswitch, triple play solutions, fixed-mobile convergence, Comverse acquisition, France Telecom spin-off, IP Centrex, voice over IP provider, telecom application server, video calling services, Nicolas Jordan, carrier-grade VoIP, network-based software, telecommunications systems, communication service provider solutions, multimedia services infrastructure, IMS solutions