Sonus Achieves “E-Rate” Certification to Assist U.S. Schools and Libraries

Sonus Solutions Now Eligible for Special Discounts to Help Qualified K-12 Schools and Libraries Enable and Secure Real-Time Communications 

Key Takeaways:

  • E-Rate certification makes Sonus’ portfolio of Session Border Controllers (SBC) eligible for discounts to assist qualified U.S. schools and libraries obtain affordable telecommunications and Internet access.
  • Sonus’ SBCs can be implemented by academic institutions and libraries to enable and secure real-time communications, such as voice or video, to help reduce communications costs and enable interoperability across network elements.
  • Sonus is a leading resource for educational entities as the need for telecommunications and information services in scholastic facilities continues to grow.

WESTFORD, Mass. – Sonus Networks, Inc. (Nasdaq: SONS), a global leader in enabling and securing real-time communications, today announced that it is helping support U.S. schools and libraries by participating in the nationwide E-Rate program, an initiative that makes telecommunications and information services more affordable for them.  This certification allows Sonus to assist these educational institutions gain access to its Session Border Controllers (SBC) portfolio in an efficient and cost-effective manner.

Administered by the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC), E-Rate provides discounts to U.S. schools and libraries ranging from 20 to 90 percent on certain telecommunication and Internet services, as well as equipment and maintenance.  USAC carries out its functions as the administrator of the federal universal service programs and Universal Service Fund (USF) under the oversight of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).  Funding is requested under four categories of service: telecommunications services, Internet access, internal connections and basic maintenance of internal connections.

Sonus SBCs can enable schools and libraries to quickly and securely enhance their network as they implement new services like SIP trunking or real-time communications (including voice over IP, video and related online collaboration tools).  SBCs provide a scalable platform delivering session management capabilities, including multi-vendor interworking, built-in media transcoding, line-rate encryption and advanced routing capabilities. Sonus delivers the industry’s broadest Microsoft Lync qualified SBC solution and offers the most complete portfolio of virtualized and hardware-based SBCs that enable end-to-end, feature-rich communications.  As a result, Sonus can effectively help U.S. schools and libraries support core campus sites and satellite locations.

Quotes:

“A secure and reliable infrastructure for real-time communication has become a top priority for IT administrators in the K-12 space in order to support distance learning, online testing and mobility,” said Mike Swade, senior vice president, Worldwide Sales and Marketing at Sonus.  “Technology has the power to enrich and expand educational programs and offer students unlimited opportunities.  We believe achieving E-Rate certification helps Sonus empower students throughout the country by enabling some of the most advanced and innovative technologies in classrooms and libraries even as they work across limited budgets and constrained resources.”

“Technology is critical to driving collaboration, connections and real time communication,” said Gahn Lane, vice president Sales, Service Providers and Public Sector at Westcon.  “E-rate certification enables secure access to affordable and robust telecommunication services and Sonus has the expertise and unparalleled product portfolio to help support making technology-driven opportunities a reality in every American community.”

Other Facts:

  • Sonus is an active member of ACUTA, a non-profit organization focused on advancing the capabilities of communications and collaboration technology leaders in the field of higher education to address the range of collaboration styles and needs of faculties, students and staffs within today’s distributed, and often virtual, campuses.
  • Sonus is positioned in the Leaders quadrant of the Magic Quadrant for Session Border Controllers, published October 21, 2013 by Gartner, Inc.

Additional Resources:

  • Click here to download electronic copies of Sonus’ reference guides: Session Border Controllers for Dummies, WebRTC for Dummies, Lync Enterprise Voice for Dummies and SIP Trunking for Dummies.
  • View complete information about the Sonus SBC portfolio at www.sonus.net.
  • More information on E-Rate is available on the E-Rate guide.

Tags/Keywords:

Sonus, SONS, E-Rate, SIP, Session Border Controller, SBC, FCC, USAC, Universal Service Administrative Company, USAC, telecommunications

About Sonus Networks:

Sonus enables and secures real-time communications so the world's leading service providers and enterprises can embrace the next generation of SIP and 4G/LTE solutions including VoIP, video, instant messaging and online collaboration.  With customers in nearly 100 countries and nearly two decades of experience, Sonus offers a complete portfolio of hardware-based and virtualized Session Border Controllers (SBCs), Diameter Signaling Controllers (DSCs), policy/routing servers and media and signaling gateways.  For more information, visit www.sonus.net or call 1-855-GO-SONUS.

About the Universal Service Administrative Company:

The Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) is an independent, not-for-profit corporation created in 1997 to administer universal service programs and the universal service fund. USAC collects FCC-mandated contributions from telecommunications carriers and distributes funds across the four universal service programs — High Cost, Low Income, Rural Health Care, and Schools and Libraries — pursuant to the requirements of FCC rules. Universal service is the federal policy of helping provide communities across the country with affordable telecommunications services. For more information, please visit: www.usac.org.

Important Information Regarding Forward-Looking Statements:

The information in this release may contain certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding future events that involve risks and uncertainties. Although Sonus believes that its expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, readers are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are only predictions and are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this report are forward-looking statements.  Our actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. For further information regarding risks and uncertainties associated with Sonus’ business, please refer to the “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and “Risk Factors” sections of Sonus’ filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  Any forward-looking statements represent Sonus' views only as of the date on which such statement is made, and should not be relied upon as representing Sonus' views as of any subsequent date. While Sonus may elect to update forward-looking statements at some point, Sonus specifically disclaims any obligation to do so, except as required by law.

For Sonus Networks:

Sonus Networks
Wendy Tullo, +1 (978) 614-8167
wtullo@sonusnet.com

Lois Paul & Partners
Siobhan Nguyen, +1 (617) 986-5784
Siobhan_Nguyen@lpp.com

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