Irish software company Accuris Networks has formally launched its AccuRoam software product, which will allow telecoms groups to offer services on a variety of networks to a single handset.

The company currently employs 40 at offices in Ireland, France, the US, Hong Kong and Malaysia, but chief executive Aidan Dillon said he expects this to grow to 100 over the next 18 months. He also said revenues at the Dublin-headquartered firm are expected to double this year with AccuRoam expected to be its best-selling product.

Accuris has also accepted its first external funding in the form of a multi-million euro investment from Dublin venture capital firm Atlantic Bridge Ventures.

The market for so-called fixed mobile convergence products is expected to be significant in the coming years as advances in technology enable telcos to offer services over data networks, wireless hotspots and broadband as well as the traditional fixed line and mobile networks.

AccuRoam and other Accuris products enable telcos to provide and manage services from all these networks on a single device with a single phone number for all services.

"It allows operators to use a lot of their existing infrastructure with our product rather than having to build out whole new networks to offer core IP services," explained Mr Dillon. "They've invested a lot in their existing networks so they don't want to have to throw that away."

He said operators not only can reduce capital expenditure through the Accuris approach but also cut operating expenditure by offering services on cheaper IP-based networks. Mr Dillon said he expected the product to particularly appeal to fixed-line operators who can use AccuRoam to offer mobile telephony without building out their own network.

Accuris was founded in 1997 as a joint venture between Eircom and KPN/Telia, but was acquired by former executives of Aldiscon in 2002 including Mr Dillon and Aldiscon-founder Larry Quinn.