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

1. A method of 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 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 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 dialling plan used by the second end point.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing each of said first and second end points as telephony end points.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing each end point in respectively a first and second country and each call parameter as a respective PSTN dialing plan.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising providing the call agent in the same country as one of said end points.

5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising providing the call agent in a third country.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a media gateway at a point in the network between the IP VPN and the SPN.

7. The method of claim 3 , further comprising providing a media gateway at a point in the network between the SPN and a PSTN in one of said first and second countries.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing said IP VPN as a VoIP VPN.

9. 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.

10. The call agent of claim 9 , wherein each of said first and second end points comprise a telephony end points.

11. The Call Agent of claim 9 , wherein each end point is located in a respective first and second country and each call parameter is a respective PSTN dialing plan.

12. The Call Agent of claim 11 , wherein the call agent is in the same country as one of said end points.

13. The Call Agent of claim 11 , wherein the call agent is in a third country.

14. 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.

15. A network 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, comprising:

a call agent comprising a route planner for planning the route of the call over the IP VPN, the SPN or a combination thereof;

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; and

a media gateway between the IP VPN and the SPN.

16. A network according to claim 15 , wherein each of said first and second end points comprise a telephony end point.

17. A network according to claim 15 , wherein each end point is located in a respective first and second country and each call parameter is a respective PSTN dialing plan.

18. A network according to claim 17 , further comprising a second media gateway at a point in the network between the SPN and a PSTN in one of said first and second countries.

19. A method 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) providing a call agent;

b) receiving by the call agent a call request from a media end point; and

c) processing by the call agent the call request such that the communication service is provisioned between the media end points irrespective of the difference of the particular parameters of the media end points, and wherein the processing comprises 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.

20. 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.

21. 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.