Sonus Networks Establishes New Development Operations to Focus on Access Technologies

Renowned Technologist Dale L. Skran to Lead Access Development Efforts; Sonus' New R&D Facilities Take Advantage of New Jersey Technology Talent Pool 

WESTFORD, Mass., April 17, 2000 – Sonus Networks, a leading provider of voice infrastructure products for the new public network, today announced that it has established new research and development operations that will focus on the development of access technologies. The company also announced that leading technologist Dale L. Skran has joined Sonus to direct its new development operations. Sonus has situated its Access Technologies division in Monmouth County, New Jersey, a location that enables the company to draw upon the rich telecommunications development expertise in the area. 

The formation of Sonus' new Access Technologies division will allow the company to accelerate its development efforts in access services and advanced Internet-based call features using protocols such as H.323, MGCP (Media Gateway Control Protocol), MEGACOP (Media Gateway Control Protocol)/H.248 and SIP (Session Initiation Protocol). In addition to these services and features, Sonus' new development organization is focused on the delivery of access technologies such as xDSL, cable modems and fixed wireless. 

"Over the past year, carriers have begun to deploy packet telephony solutions, primarily in their trunking infrastructures," said Hassan Ahmed, president and CEO, Sonus Networks. "Our new development operations will enable us to expand our product offerings into other areas such as business and residential access. This approach will allow our customers to execute a coordinated migration and expansion strategy as they transition from circuit-switched infrastructure or build entirely new voice networks." 

Sonus has hired Dale Skran to lead the company's New Jersey research and development operations, appointing him senior director for Access Technologies. Skran joins Sonus from Lucent Technologies, where he was most recently vice president of engineering for the MultiVoice product line, including MultiVoice for the TNT and MAX, and the MultiVoice Access Manager. Previously, Skran was the vice president of engineering for the Ascend Communications' Enterprise Access division. 

Skran is also currently the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Rapporteur for SG16 WP2 Question 13 (Multi-Media over Packet Networks), responsible for the further development of the H.323/H.450.x protocol suites. The H.323 standard is widely accepted as the basis for Internet Telephony, and is supported by well-known products such as Microsoft's NetMeeting. Skran has been recognized as the instigator of H.323, having written the original U.S. position calling for an ITU-T standard for packet multi-media, and having been the original editor of H.225.0, the foundation protocol for H.323. 

"Sonus is viewed as a major player in voice infrastructure solutions for the new public network, and I am absolutely thrilled to be joining the company at such an exciting time in its development," commented Skran. "Access technologies will be critically important to carriers as they build end-to-end packet voice infrastructures, and I look forward to leading the development of Sonus' offerings in this area." 

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 solutions at companies such as Cisco Systems, Lucent Technologies, and Nortel Networks. Sonus, founded in 1997, is headquartered in Westford, Massachusetts. 

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