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Company Reaches Highest Partner Level Through Deployment With Sonus in Fusion Communications' Full-Scale IP Network in Japan; Sonus and Juniper Networks Offer Complete Carrier Core Network Solution

WESTFORD, Mass., and SUNNYVALE, Calif., October 15, 2001 - Sonus Networks (Nasdaq: SONS), a leading provider of voice infrastructure solutions for the new public network, and Juniper Networks Inc. (Nasdaq: JNPR), a leading provider of next-generation Internet Protocol (IP) infrastructure systems, announced today that Juniper Networks has achieved Platinum Partner status in Sonus' industry-leading Open Services Partner AllianceSM (OSPA).

Juniper Networks is one of the first companies to meet all of the criteria to become a Sonus Platinum partner. To attain Platinum status, companies' solutions must complement the Sonus platform and they must be deployed in a live service provider network together with one or more Sonus products. Juniper Networks and Sonus have built out the all-IP voice and data network that next-generation Japanese carrier Fusion Communications rolled out earlier this year.

Deploying Juniper Networks M-series routers along with Sonus' packet voice solutions, Fusion created a robust, carrier-class IP network that currently delivers long-distance voice traffic throughout Japan and to other international markets. The network also is poised to support a variety of next-generation services, such as unified messaging, prepaid calling, dial-up access to remote application servers and toll-free calling. Fusion has more than 700,000 long-distance subscriber lines, and plans call for that number to increase to 1 million in the first quarter of 2002.

The strength of the Sonus/Juniper Networks solution has enabled Fusion to gain a first-mover advantage in Japan's newly deregulated telecommunications environment.

"The speed and stability of Juniper Networks Internet routers, coupled with the performance, reliability and top quality of Sonus' voice infrastructure products, have been important drivers in our success as Japan's leading next-generation carrier," said Yoshiaki Hirayama, general manager of Fusion Communications' Network Engineering division. "We view our relationship with these two industry-leading companies as a key component of our next-generation network strategy."

Sonus provides a complete packet voice solution that has been designed to carrier standards, delivering toll-quality voice, system redundancy, and the capacity to handle extremely large call volumes. The Sonus solutions installed in the Fusion network include Japanese versions of its award-winning GSX9000^(TM) Open Services Switch, PSX6000^(TM) SoftSwitch and SGX2000^(TM) SS7 Signaling Gateway. Sonus' voice infrastructure solutions offer a single platform that allows carriers to deliver a range of communications services including traditional long distance and local voice services, wholesale voice services, and enhanced services, such as unified communications, presence management, enhanced voicemail, voice portals and many others.

Juniper Networks M-series Internet backbone routers are purpose-built to meet the unique challenges of the new IP infrastructure. These routers are used in critical applications, such as core routing, dedicated access, peering, and data center hosting by the world's largest service providers. They share common JUNOS Internet software, features, and technology for full compatibility across all platforms. All platforms support the Internet Processor II ASIC, delivering predictable performance with rich packet processing, such as filtering, class of service, policing, class-based forwarding, rate limiting, and sampling, even during adverse network conditions. Designed specifically for the specialized needs of high-growth, high-speed service providers, M-series routers enable customers to cost-efficiently scale networks to meet growing bandwidth and IP service requirements.

"For carriers to take full advantage of packet voice's superior cost and feature benefits, they need to build the kind of solid, reliable IP infrastructure that Juniper Networks provides," said Terri Griffin, vice president, marketing, Sonus Networks. "We are proud to have Juniper Networks as a Platinum Partner, and we look forward to working together on future opportunities."

"We are proud to be associated with one of the premier partner programs in the industry," said John Riedel, vice president, Business Development, Juniper Networks. "Collaborating with Sonus, and with the OSPA, we can help carriers take advantage of the new IP infrastructure to realize their vision of delivering differentiated revenue-generating services."

About Sonus' OSPA

Founded on the combination of Sonus' Open Services Partner Alliance (OSPA) Program and the INIP PoweredSM Partner Program from the acquisition of telecom technologies, inc., the OSPA has gained significant industry momentum, with membership of more than 150 leading independent vendors. The OSPA provides a framework that offers service providers end-to-end packet-based network solutions using best-of-breed technologies and applications. The goal of the OSPA is to empower standards-based interoperability between applications, hardware vendors, and the Sonus product suite. An integral part of the Sonus OSPA, the Interoperability Laboratory in Richardson, Texas, is the first in the industry where product interoperability is verified, trial testing is performed, and complete solutions are ultimately produced. Additional information on the OSPA is available at http://ospa.sonusnet.com.

About Juniper Networks

Juniper Networks, Inc., is a leading provider of purpose-built systems that meet the scalability, performance, density, and compatibility requirements of rapidly evolving, optically enabled IP networks. The company's systems provide new IP infrastructure solutions for the world's leading service providers. Juniper Networks service, manufacturing teams, and IP engineers work closely with customers to build and support customer networks. The company is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. For more information, please visit the Web site at http://www.juniper.net.

About Sonus Networks

Sonus Networks, Inc., is a leading provider of voice infrastructure products for the new public network. Sonus' solutions enable service providers to deploy an integrated network capable of carrying both voice and data traffic, and to deliver a range of innovative, new services. The Sonus Open Services Architecture (OSA) and award-winning Packet Telephony suite cut the time-to-market for competitive new service products, allowing carriers and third-party developers to expand market share and build important new revenue streams. Its highly scalable products fully interoperate with and extend the life and utility of today's public network. Sonus embodies in its management and staff decades of experience in developing carrier-class voice, data and multimedia solutions for implementation in the world's largest networks. Sonus, founded in 1997, is headquartered in Westford, Massachusetts. Additional information on Sonus is available at http://www.sonusnet.com.

This release may contain projections or other forward-looking statements regarding future events or the future financial performance of Sonus that involve risks and uncertainties. Readers are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are only predictions and may differ materially from actual future events or results. Readers are referred to Sonus' Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, dated August 13, 2001, filed with the SEC, which identifies important risk factors that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. These risk factors include, among others, the Company's ability to grow its customer base, dependence on new product offerings, market acceptance of its products, integration risks relative to its acquisition of telecom technologies, rapid technological and market change and manufacturing and sourcing risks.

Open Services Partner Alliance is a service mark of Sonus Networks, and GSX9000, PSX6000, SGX2000 and Open Services Architecture are trademarks of Sonus Networks. Juniper Networks is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries as a trademark of Juniper Networks, Inc. All other trademarks, service marks, registered trademarks, or registered service marks are the property of their respective owners.