For press/analyst information:

Networking Leader Teams with Sonus to Develop Enhanced IP–based Services including Unified Messaging, Fax–Over–IP and More

WESTFORD, Mass., July 27, 1999 – Sonus Networks, an emerging leader in carrier–class packet telephony solutions, today announced that 3Com Corporation, a global networking leader, is the latest vendor to become a member of the Sonus Open Services Partner Alliance (OSPA) program. The OSPA allows carriers, application services providers, third–party independent service developers (ISDs) and telephony system software providers to rapidly develop and deliver competitive customer services and applications based on the Sonus Networks Open Services Architecture™ (OSA).

As a member of the OSPA, 3Com will leverage the Sonus OSA with its robust and flexible 3–tier architecture featuring the Total Control™ multi–service access platform, to offer carrier customers reduced time–to–market for value–added applications such as Remote Access, IP Centrex, Internet Call Waiting, Unified Messaging, and Internet Faxing.

"In today's highly competitive market, carriers strive to provide innovative new services, while reducing their operational costs and integrating with their existing support systems," said Houman Modarres, director of product management, Internet telephony, 3Com Carrier Systems. "The combination of 3Com's award–winning Total Control platform and Sonus' OSA will enable carriers to enhance time–to–market for new service offerings, such as Fax–over–IP, IP Centrex, and Unified Messaging."

"We're extremely pleased that 3Com has joined the Open Services Partner Alliance and look forward to working closely with them to bring the next generation of IP services to fruition," commented Hassan Ahmed, president and CEO, Sonus Networks. "3Com's participation in the Alliance is further validation of the Sonus Open Services approach, which is the industry's first, truly open blueprint for innovative and expanded telephony services."

About the OSPA

Launched in June 1999, the OSPA currently has more than 15 members who are leading independent vendors offering subscriber–specified and user–provisioned services for the New Public Network. The OSPA gives carriers the flexibility to both develop and integrate "best of breed" applications, creating important new revenue streams. For participating partners, the OSPA provides open, published APIs, comprehensive developer tools, testing and support services, technology exchanges and co–marketing and sales activities. Equally important, the alliance provides a unified customer/vendor forum for creating interoperable standards and technologies. Additional information on the OSPA is available at sonus.net/partners.

About 3Com Corporation

With approximately 300 million customers worldwide, 3Com Corporation connects more people to information in more ways than any other networking company. 3Com delivers innovative information access products and network system solutions to enterprises, small businesses, carriers and network service providers, PC OEMs and consumers. 3Com – More connected™. For further information, visit 3Com's World Wide Web site at 3com.com or the press site at 3com.com/pressbox.

About Sonus Networks

Sonus Networks, Inc. is delivering a new class of carrier solutions that enable the movement of telephony to converged packet networks, and the development of a new generation of innovative voice and data services. The Sonus Packet Telephony suite and Open Services Architecture (OSA) cut the time-to-market for competitive new service products from years to weeks, allowing carriers and third-party developers to sustain and expand marketshare, and build important new revenue streams. Its highly scalable products fully interoperate with and extend the life and utility of today's public network. Additional information is available at sonus.net

Open Services Architecture is a trademark of Sonus Networks. 3Com and Total Control are registered trademarks and More connected. is a trademark of 3Com Corporation. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.