BroadSoft benchmarks success of Xtended Voice 2.0 mashup program

Less than a year after launching its Xtended web services mashup program for third-party developers, BroadSoft is providing an upbeat progress report about its uptake. It seems service providers and third-party developers are taking a shine to Xtended's capabilities.

Launched in March 2008, BroadSoft Xtended program enables service providers and third-party developers to use the Xtended API to build new applications with BroadSoft's voice services in a mashup fashion. Service providers get the opportunity to generate more revenue by quickly creating and deploying apps.

Five service providers -- Alteva, SimpleSignal, Telesphere, Unity, and WorldxChange Communications -- have completed the implementation of the Xtended platform, and eight others have the program in the lab or on the product roadmap for launch in 2009. Of the eight in-progress, at least one is a Tier 1 provider, and is likely Verizon Wireless based upon comments made to Telephony. Another 12 service providers are "actively interested" in the platform, defined as having conducted in-depth technical discussions with BroadSoft as to what it would take to use it.

The big numbers are on the developer side, with over 1,500 registered users in the Xtended developer program steadily cranking up applications. Twenty applications are currently available, including enhancements to Salesforce.com, ACT!, Facebook and PhoneTag. Newly announced apps include an Apple Mac OS X client, functions for the Chumby web-controlled consumer electronic device, and a native iPhone app to allow a user to originate calls from an iPhone through their service provider.

One service provider - WorldxChange - was quickly drinking its own champagne with highly profitable results. The New Zealand provider implanted an application to improve debt collection and improved collections by over $100,000 in the first month of deployment. Customers would get past due notifications in a variety of non-traditional ways, including SMS or IM, and they said they liked the "less intrusive" methods of communication, said Leslie Ferry, VP of Marketing at BroadSoft. Needless to say, other service providers are looking at that particular app more closely and WorldxChange is moving forward with two more products.

Ferry indicated that the Xtended program is now incorporating Sylantro and GENBAND developers. In the coming weeks, additional announcements should be forthcoming to detail a relationship with IBM, and this reporter suspects that Lotus and/or LotusLive may play some role, but Ferry would not comment upon particulars.

For more:
- BroadSoft Xtended release [1]