Westwave Communications

About Westwave Communications

Westwave Communications, founded in 1998 by David Ehreth, positioned itself as a key player in the telecommunications equipment sector. Ehreth, who initially served as Chairman, President, and CEO, brought his experience from the access solutions division of DSC, a company later acquired by Alcatel. Headquartered in Santa Rosa, California, the firm focused on the development of next-generation switching technology for telecommunications networks.

The company's core product was a standards-based access softswitch, known as the V-switch. This software-based switch was engineered to provide critical call control and signaling functions, enabling digital loop carriers (DLCs) to offer Class 5 services—which include basic dial-tone and advanced calling features for subscribers—over a converged voice and data network. The primary application for Westwave's technology was to offload internet and data traffic from traditional voice networks, with a longer-term goal of replacing aging and expensive legacy Class 5 switching hardware. This placed the company in the emerging Voice over IP (VoIP) market, targeting telecommunication carriers, specifically independent operating companies, as its main clientele.

Westwave Communications secured a significant strategic partnership with Alcatel, which was also a key investor. This relationship was a crucial part of its go-to-market strategy. In July 2002, Michael Jeye, formerly of Cisco, was appointed CEO to pivot the company from a development-centric phase to a more commercially-focused enterprise. Despite its efforts and the backing of investors, Westwave Communications ultimately ceased operations around October 2003.