Sonus Networks Continues to Increase Alliance of Leading Telecom Vendors

14 Companies Join with Sonus to Provide Packet Voice Solutions to Carrier Market

WESTFORD, Mass., April 16, 2001 – Sonus Networks (Nasdaq: SONS), a leading provider of voice infrastructure solutions for the new public network, today announced the expansion of its Open Services Partner Alliance(R) (OSPA) with the addition of 14 new partners. Joining the OSPA today are Acme Packet, alexis communications, Amoeba Telecom, congruency, ipx, iTelco Communications, Linguateq, Luminous Networks, MasterMind Technologies, NetReality, Riparius Ventures, SnowShore Networks, Switch Management, and Texas IT. The Alliance, which stands at more than 100 members, helps speed the creation and delivery of next-generation, integrated solutions for carriers and service providers.

"We are gratified with the growing market acceptance and vendor interest in our partner program as demonstrated by the number of partners that have recently joined us," said Terri Griffin, vice president of marketing programs, Sonus Networks. "Each relationship we form is important in moving toward the overall goal of the program - to empower standards-based interoperability between best-of-breed applications and hardware vendors, and Sonus' product family. The 14 vendors joining the Alliance today help us continue along this path."

The newest OSPA partners provide many types of products, solutions and consulting services to next-generation carriers and service providers:

  • Acme Packet develops carrier-class network products that dynamically enable routing, quality, security and service delivery, both within a single routed IP network and across IP network boundaries. By leveraging and extending emerging protocols such as SIP and TRIP, Acme Packet provides unique solutions for network service providers' inter- and intra-network session networking problems.
  • alexis communications designs, develops and distributes a family of business communication applications that enable advanced personal conferencing, Internet call waiting, remote call control, speech-to-text transcription, unified messaging, Microsoft Exchange integration and contact management. alexis is an Executive Assistant or "trusted advisor" using the latest in speech recognition to empower mobile workers. The company's products are SIP-based solutions that scale from enterprise through carrier-class solutions optimized for service providers.
  • Amoeba Telecom provides infrastructure solutions for new generation service providers. The company's flagship product, Convergence Traffic Analysis Platform (CTAPTM), is a distributed analysis tool that performs real time analysis and manages traffic on converged networks. The platform is designed to support dynamic plug-ins for new protocols and services.
  • congruency develops hosted VoIP telecommunications infrastructure software and products that enable the creation and delivery of enhanced services and end-to-end telecommunications over next- generation, broadband-based networks. congruency's CNS 3200 Enhanced Hosted Communications Platform enables carriers and enterprises to deploy hosted infrastructure services such as IP voice mail with unified messaging, automated attendant and integrated call conferencing.
  • ipx is a global telecommunications applications service provider. It offers clearinghouse services, audio conferencing, unified messaging and other applications on a wholesale basis. These new services can be implemented quickly by companies that are launching IP telephony solutions for the first time.
  • iTelco Communications, Inc. provides a highly scalable, global IP-based enhanced communication service platform to telecom carriers, Internet service providers and mobile service providers. iTelco's Enhanced Communication Services suite comprises a variety of services including unified messaging, IP conferencing and unified communications.
  • Linguateq offers DataStream Management System (DSMS), a high-speed, high-volume, high-reliability, embeddable solution for data integration. DSMS allows the operational interfaces from any switch, media gateway, or other network element to rapidly integrate with downstream applications or systems. By performing data transformation at the bit level, DSMS has the precision, accuracy, flexibility, and control of integration required by the telecommunications industry.
  • Luminous Networks develops carrier-class voice and data platforms for Metropolitan Area Networks based on optical Ethernet technology. The company's PacketWave(TM) Metro Access family delivers toll-quality TDM voice and circuit services, along with packet-based data and video traffic in an efficient and cost-effective manner. The integration of Luminous' metro optical platform with Sonus' packet voice solution provides carriers toll-quality, carrier-class voice and VoIP capabilities on an optical Ethernet platform, with true multi-service capability based on traditional voice and circuit services, as well as packet-based VoIP, video and data services.
  • MasterMind Technologies delivers service solutions to the new telecom infrastructure marketplace. These fully extensible applications include unified communications, voice portals, and VoIP interactive voice response (IVR) platforms. The AOS 100(TM) Application Server is a media server with application creation and deployment capabilities. Enabled by MasterMind's GUI service creation environment, the AOS 100 delivers virtually any IP IVR solution or enhanced service including those requiring the latest speech recognition and/or text-to-speech technologies.
  • NetReality is the leader in application priority switching. The company's WanTel(TM) module for the WiseWan(TM) network application priority switch is the ideal solution for shaping traffic coming from the PBX or voice gateways. NetReality's WanTel is a major breakthrough for organizations looking to manage converged voice-data information flow and xSPs looking to ensure call performance over data lines without overprovisioning the network.
  • Riparius Ventures develops industry leading Internet telephone handsets for use with VoIP applications. One example is the Riparius INT 100 Internet Telephone Handset, which plugs into a PC's microphone and speaker jacks, providing high quality audio and eliminating any feedback.
  • SnowShore Networks builds highly scalable, IP-optimized carrier-class networking products that enable the efficient integration of real-time media services into next generation IP networks. The company's products power reliable and scalable integration of real-time media with Web media and Web content. These solutions enable innovative service providers to create and deploy a new class of converged, value added and differentiated Web enhanced media services.
  • Switch Management is an OSS software vendor that provides carrier billing and QoS monitoring products to wholesale and international telecom carriers. Its flagship product is WebCDR(TM), a web-based wholesale billing ASP that features automated data collection, processing, reporting, and bill presentment, all via the Internet.
  • Texas IT is a growing group of information managers, programmers, technical writers and Internet developers dedicated to providing its clients with reliable, efficient, and cost effective solutions to information management problems. The company, based in Houston, Texas, provides information-based tools for management and cost control.

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 100 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 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 Acme Packet

Acme Packet, Inc. is a privately held company located in Woburn, Massachusetts. The company offers carriers and service providers' solutions that enable dynamic routing, quality and service delivery both within and between session networks. The company is funded by Menlo Ventures, Canaan Partners and private investors. For more information about Acme Packet, please call 781-933-6166 or visit http://www.acmepacket.com.

About alexis communications, inc.

Founded in 1994, alexis communications inc./COM2001.com is a leader in Unified Communications software for Application Service Providers (ASPs) and small to large-scale enterprises. The company's award-winning software facilitates Unified Communications for business and individuals by integrating the Internet with intelligent voice, fax, e-mail, messaging and telephony systems. alexissm provides anytime, anywhere communications access which improves customer service while reducing costs and simplifying system administration. The company is based in San Diego, California. For more information, visit the Web site at http://www.alexis.com or call 1-866-7alexis.

About Amoeba Telecom

Amoeba Telecom, a Limited company based in Coimbatore, South India, provides innovative infrastructure management solutions to service providers. Amoeba Telecom is fast becoming one of the technology development houses in India creating a wealth of intellectual property in the emerging niche area of Service Level Management and is constantly accumulating a wealth of experience in bleeding edge technologies such as mobile internet, technology convergence over IP, network processors, core networks, traffic management and business intelligence mining. Amoeba's solutions help service providers to identify differentiated services to generate additional revenue and concentrate on customer retention to ensure growth and success in the long run. These solutions help to operate service provider network infrastructure with reliability and availability that can meet or exceed the standards set and achieved by traditional telecom operators, and achieve the highest level of service offered to their customers by complying with all the service agreements through optimal usage of network resources and cost. Amoeba Telecom products are targeted at the new generation Telecom Service Providers, Mobile Internet Operators, Internet Service Providers and Internet Telephony Service Providers who have all embraced Internet Protocol as the unified transport medium to deliver their services to customers. For more information on Amoeba Telecom and its products, visit http://www.amoebatel.com.

About congruency

congruency provides hosted VoIP telecommunications infrastructure software and products that enable the creation and delivery of enhanced services and end-to-end telecommunications over next generation broadband-based networks, eliminating the need for costly and high maintenance equipment at end-user locations. The company's leading edge software platform, the CNS 3200 Enhanced Hosted Communications Platform, enables carriers and enterprises to deploy hosted infrastructure services, including VPN and Managed Telephony, over managed broadband networks. Advanced services include IP voice mail with unified messaging, automated attendant and integrated call conferencing. The CNS 3200 also enables innovative and enhanced capabilities, such as the simple personalization of IP telephones, as well as the delivery of directed visual content and HTML applications to screen-enabled IP telephones like the company's touch-screen i.Picasso(TM) 6000 IP phone with the quality and reliability expected by business enterprises. Based in Rochelle Park, N.J., congruency (http://www.congruency.com) has development offices in Petah-Tikva, Israel.

About ipx

ipx is a global telecommunications applications service provider. It offers clearinghouse services, audio conferencing, unified messaging and other applications on a wholesale basis. These offerings allow companies planning to offer IP telephony services an unprecedented opportunity to quickly implement new services.

About iTelco Communications

iTelco provides a highly scalable and global IP based service platform to telecommunication carriers, internet service providers, next generation telco's and web-based businesses. It is an extraordinarily powerful and convenient way to unify and simplify communications by combining web and telephony features into one package. The company's current offering for consumers, their Enhanced Communication Services products, which includes unified messaging, IP conferencing and unified communication, enables users to personalize and control all forms of communications, including inbound (voicemail, email, fax-mail, intelligent voice and fax forwarding, etc.) and outbound communications (VoIP long-distance calls, least-cost-routing, intelligent call forwarding, intelligent call screening, and other advanced features). The company was founded in 1999, and is headquartered in San Jose, CA. For more information, please go to the company's website at http://www.i-telco.com.

About Linguateq

Linguateq, Inc., is a privately held company based in McLean, Virginia, backed by Polaris Venture Partners and Generation Partners. Linguateq offers DataStream Management System (DSMS), a state-of-the-art, patented technology approach to data integration that reduces complexity, time-to-market, and cost. Linguateq is well versed in legacy and emerging platforms, switches, networks, and industry standards such as BAF/AMA, ASN.1, AMADNS, and IPDR. Linguateq enables its customers to achieve interoperability in any architecture, thus maximizing their revenue and profit in today's competitive marketplace. For more information, call 703-770-1000 or visit the Company's Web site at http://www.linguateq.com. 

About Luminous Networks

Headquartered in Cupertino, California, Luminous Networks is an optical networking company, shipping the industry's first carrier-class optical Ethernet platform for Metropolitan Area Networks. The company is funded by Doll Capital Management (DCM), DynaFund Ventures, Morgan Stanley Dean Witter Venture Partners, Rader Reinfrank, RWI Group, Scientific-Atlanta, Thomas Weisel Partners, and Vanguard Venture Partners. Luminous can be found on the web at http://www.luminous.com.

About MasterMind Technologies

MasterMind Technologies, an Inc. 500 company, provides media-rich service applications and solutions to the new communications infrastructure marketplace - solutions that enable service providers to differentiate themselves from the competition by rapidly and cost-effectively delivering customized, high performance communications and messaging services across the global spectrum of disparate telecom and data networks. MasterMind's field-proven products - deployed in over 30 countries - help bring customized service applications from concept to market faster than any alternative. For more information, please visit our website at http://www.mastermindtechnologies.com.

About NetReality

Founded in 1997, NetReality (http://www.net-reality.com) is the premier provider of network application priority switches (NAPS). Installed in hundreds of enterprises including Daimler Chrysler, A.T. Kearney and Nike, NetReality's technology enables organizations to prioritize mission-critical traffic, get the most out of existing bandwidth and put off costly WAN upgrades. What differentiates NetReality's solution from others is its ability to monitor real-time WAN conditions and shape traffic accordingly, so priorities are enforced and bandwidth use restricted only when conditions necessitate. NetReality's service provider customers leverage the WiseWan NAPS to establish and enforce Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and realize new revenue streams through differentiated services. The company's technology has earned numerous awards and recognition from publications such as Network Computing, e-WEEK and Communications News and at major tradeshows including Internet Telephony, COMNET and SUPERCOMM.

About Riparius Ventures

Riparius Ventures develops industry leading Internet Telephone Handsets for use with Internet voice applications. The original patent pending INT100 was first developed in 1996 and launched globally in July of 1997. Riparius is committed to manufacturing the highest quality products and delivering first class customer service. Our handsets are frequently endorsed and recommended by the top technology leaders in the Voice over IP field and are currently the most popular audio interface available. For additional information, please contact Riparius at 410-561-8811/800-394-8812 or visit http://www.riparius.com.

About SnowShore Networks

SnowShore Networks (http://www.snowshore.com) is a telecommunications infrastructure company backed by Charles River Ventures and Matrix Partners. The company is creating category defining infrastructure products that enable the development and scalable deployment of innovative, high performance, enriched telephony and web applications in next generation networks.

About Switch Management

Switch Management Corporation is a telecom software company based in Oakland, California. SMC operates the popular WebCDR ASP-based wholesale billing service, and develops and markets the Switch Watchdog real-time QoS monitor. More information about SMC can be found at http://www.switchmanagement.com, or by calling 510-452-9200.

About Texas IT

Founded in 1997, Texas IT was one of the first companies to develop purely web based applications for the energy industry. The company's successful collaborative tools and web applications provide real-time access to vital information from anywhere in the world, which helps reduce costs in an extremely secure environment. Our experience and expertise with enterprise level web applications has brought us into a new field of NexGen IVR, Enhanced Call Center applications, Smart Routing, and a whole host of other SIP based applications.

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 ArchitectureTM (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 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. 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' Annual Report on Form 10-K, dated March 28, 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, rapid technological and market change, integration risks relating to the acquisition of telecom technologies and manufacturing and sourcing risks.

Open Services Partner Alliance and Open Services Architecture are trademarks of Sonus Networks. INtelligentIP is a registered trademark of Sonus Networks. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated. 

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