Open Port [http://www.openport.com], a Chicago-based software company, recently announced the availability of a product that will enable ISPs and Web hosting companies to offer new applications such as IP fax, IP voice and unified messaging. Offering value-added applications is essential for ISPs and Web hosting companies up against growing competition. However, most IP solutions take an application-centric approach -- forcing service providers to deploy a variety of IP applications from different vendors that can't talk to each other and are hard to manage. IP LaunchPad takes a platform approach to messaging. With IP LaunchPad, service providers can launch and manage multiple IP-based services from a single, integrated platform. The single platform approach allows ISPs and Web hosting companies to offer new applications without disrupting their networks. "What's significant about Open Port's software in general that no other vendor really has is that we've been able to utilize our existing Internet infrastructure rather than deploying a separate network for these services," said Scott Armstrong, global fax product manager for UUNet. UUNet is one of several ISPs that have been testing LaunchPad as a platform for IP fax. "Initial feedback from service providers who have performed lab testing is that IP LaunchPad addresses their needs for IP fax, but also stands as a platform on which they can build future IP services," said Randy Storch, chairman and CEO at Open Port. Open Port's LaunchPad should help the company challenge NetCentric, a Massachusetts-based company that provides telephony systems for the Internet. NetCentric provides the IP fax platform for such companies as PSINet and GTE Internetworking via its FaxStorm Internet fax system. PSINet is a commercial ISP/Web host that concentrates its efforts on providing services to business customers. According to PSINet, companies that send faxes via the company's InternetPaper service can save as much as 50 percent over traditional faxing. Both Open Port and NetCentric are aiming to capitalize on a growing reality in the ISP/Web hosting market: Companies that want to move forward in the coming years must offer more than dial-up access and Web hosting services. To make things simple for ISPs and Web hosting companies, Open Port is offering a trial system that will allow service providers to test fax-over-IP service. The company claims it takes fewer than 30 minutes to have the system up and running in a test environment. "Service providers are beginning to see the value of offering new services, such as Internet fax," said Robert Rainone, vice president of marketing for Open Port. "Heretofore, testing IP faxing services required a lot of integration within their network infrastructure, involving systems modifications, customization and investment in hardware. Service providers, regardless of size, can test our solution in a lab or market trial environment, with little or no investment on their part. They don't have to worry about the hardware or software because it all comes pre-configured in one system. We just wheel it in and we're up and running in less than 30 minutes."