15 leading vendors partner with Sonus to develop services and applications based on Sonus' Open Services Architecture, offering quick time to market, increased revenues and interoperable carrier packet telephony infrastructures

WESTFORD, Mass., June 7, 1999 – Sonus Networks, an emerging leader in carrier-class packet telephony solutions, today launched the industry's most comprehensive partner initiative. The Open Services Partner Alliance (OSPA) allows carriers, application service 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 ArchitectureTM (OSA).

First to join the new program are 15 leading independent vendors offering subscriber specified and user provisioned services for the New Public Voice 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.

The Sonus OSA provides the first multi-dimensional "open" framework for third-party relationships in four distinct areas: 1) PSTN services based on SS7 Service Control Points (SCPs), to allow the integration of legacy PSTN services into the packet network; 2) Interoperability with carrier Operations Support Systems (OSS); 3) New IP-based services such as unified messaging and Internet Fax Messaging, among others, implemented on IP service nodes; and 4) Policy and provisioning, to allow the interaction of the Sonus gateway switch with any policy/provisioning method preferred by the carrier. The components of Sonus' unique service delivery framework include: the Open Services software suite, published APIs for the IP Service Nodes, SoftSwitch and OSS, the GSX9000 Open Services Switch, PSX6000 SoftSwitch, and SGX2000 SS7 Signaling Gateway.

The OSA will allow the rapid deployment of the following services, among others:

• Operator services
• Directory services
• Calling card calling
• Prepaid/debit card calling
• Third party billing
• Automated collect calling
• Geographic distribution
• Call distribution
• Network call queueing
• Conference calling
• Fax store-and-forward
• Fax broadcast
• Multicast
• Televoting
• Voice-activated dialing
• Single-number service
• Voice mail
• Call intercept completion
• Unified messaging
• Internet call waiting

"With toll minute revenues steadily declining, carriers urgently need to retain and attract customers, and grow revenues by introducing new services. We view the Sonus Open Services Partner Alliance as an important set of market drivers with the potential to significantly alter both carrier and partner competitive dynamics," noted Lisa Alloca of Renaissance Worldwide.

"We've witnessed some vendor discussion of services deployment, however, the discussion has been limited in scope with the focus on developing enhanced services on IP service nodes. Sonus is taking a much broader approach with the Open Services Partner Alliance and providing flexibility at all touch points within the carriers' infrastructure: the SS7 cloud, the integration of the legacy OSS, the policy/gateway controller services, as well as IP service nodes. The new IP services are getting a lot of attention in the market because it's the hot new stuff, but the integration of legacy voice services and the integration of OSS services like billing is a huge issue for carriers today. Sonus and its partners are launching an important initiative," observed The Yankee Group's Sanjay Mewada.

OSPA- PSTN Services on SS7 Service Control Points

Many carriers already use services based upon SS7 SCPs. Typical examples are LNP and 8xx number translation. As carriers move services onto a converged network, it will be critical to integrate the legacy PSTN services. The Sonus Networks' SoftSwitch supports existing applications and allows the use of common databases between circuit and packet telephony networks. For SS7 signaling software, Sonus is using SignalWare^(TM) from Ulticom, formerly DGM&S Telecom. Sonus will also be working with IEX Corporation to port legacy voice services to the OSA API.

OSPA- Operations Support System Integration

With today's carriers, the integration of existing Operations Support Systems is critical to achieving a seamless deployment of the new IP network. Within the OSA, Sonus provides an Element Management System (EMS) which consolidates key management functions: fault management and troubleshooting, provisioning, accounting and statistics. The EMS also provides an easy-to-use Web-based interface for network operators, and offers APIs that may be used to tie the EMS with a carrier's overall network management system. Examples of partners working with Sonus on OSS applications include: Apogee Networks for usage-based billing services, and Quallaby Corporation for network performance and service level management software.

OSPA-Enhanced IP-based Services

An open API between the Sonus GSX9000 switch and the IP Service Nodes allows the IP Service Nodes to participate in a call to perform any desired service. For example, a service node could handle pre-paid calling cards. Partners working with the Sonus OSA in this area include:Accord Telecommunications for network video, audio and data conferencing and collaboration, Aspect Telecommunicationsfor call-center applications, eFusionfor value-added Internet telephony applications like Push to Talk ^TM, Internet call waiting, Internet direct dial, and Talking Directory^TM, IEX Corporationfor enhanced services, IPeriafor enhanced VoIP calling and messaging services, NetCentricfor Internet Fax Messaging, Priority Call Managementfor enhanced services such as prepaid calling, enhanced messaging, one number, web access and voice dialing, Ridgewayfor video services and VideoServer for networked multimedia conferencing.

OSPA- Policy and Provisioning

Many carrier networks will have various infrastructure frameworks satisfying particular requirements. For example, the Media Gateway Control Protocol (MGCP) framework is ideally suited for controlling low-cost gateways such as cable modems and DSL boxes. Other networks will have devices that use the ITU H.323 protocol. The Sonus GSX9000 switch interconnects with devices operating under these complementary frameworks. Sonus has partnerships with policy and provisioning vendors who will work with (or in some instances replace), the Sonus SoftSwitch. Typically, they offer policy engines and provisioning systems with a central repository of preset logic that applies call policies and routes calls against user/organization specific profiles. Partners include: Bridgewater Systems, IEX Corporation, Syndesis, and Vsys.

Sonus will continue to build the OSPA portfolio of industry vendors offering carrier customers more choice, more flexibility and more profitability. The 15 initial members of the OSPA include:

Accord Telecommunications Network Conferencing and Collaboration "The promise of the new public network will be truly realized by a new breed of multimedia applications that seamlessly and transparently deliver voice, video and data simultaneously," said Jules L. DeVigne, chief executive officer, Accord Telecommunications. "The sole central office platform that enables the development of these exciting new applications and simplifies customer provisioning is the Sonus OSA." www.accordtelecom.com

Apogee Networks Billing Systems
"While the lack of timely, highly granular information on customer usage patterns and potential services needs has been frustrating in the circuit switched era, this ability can represent an important new opportunity for CLECs and carriers in understanding their customer needs and shaping new services to meet them," noted Apogee Networks' president and CEO, Pablo Tapia. "We view the Sonus Open Systems Architecture as an ideal service development platform for usage-based billing services such as our award-winning NetCountant, enabling CLECs and carriers to ensure consistent global network service quality, and negotiate equitable Service Level Agreements with their business user constituencies."
www.apogeenet.com

Aspect Telecommunications Call Center
"Aspect supports the OSPA initiative to drive standards and deliver solutions. OSPA will help enable the next generation of products that will support multiple channels to merge voice, data and video," said Rod Butters, vice president, product strategy and marketing, Aspect Telecommunications. "The resulting standards and technologies will open the door for integration of greatly expanded products and services with the network."
www.aspect.com

Bridgewater Systems Policy and Provisioning
"The Sonus GSX9000, when coupled with Bridgewater's WideSpan Solution, tested to support up to 5 million subscribers, is extended to offer a highly reliable policy and provisioning platform that can handle a wide range of VoIP applications and a multitude of IP services," said Doug Somers, president and CEO of Bridgewater Systems. " This umbrella framework creates the right environment to seamlessly create and control IP services from e-mail, web hosting, e-commerce applications to advanced voice services such as Internet call waiting, unified messaging, or voice activated dialing for any forward-looking service provider."

eFusion Value-Added Services for IP Telephony
"Linking eFusion's enhanced application server with Sonus Network's carrier-class platforms is an important step in our strategy to bring compelling, integrated applications to the New Public Network," commented Ajit Pendse, CEO and president, eFusion. "This alliance makes it much easier for service providers to deploy value-added multimedia call-completion applications like Push to Talk and Internet Call Waiting. It shortens the time to market for these applications so the applications can begin generating revenue more quickly."
www.efusion.com

IEX Corporation Policy, Provisioning and Voice Services "By utilizing the IEX DaVinci VoX or DaVinci SCP in conjunction with the Sonus OSA, carriers can offer a broad menu of voice services via an IP network, including calling card, pre-paid calling, call distribution and single-number service," said David Laizerovich, IEX vice president, Intelligent Network Products. "The flexibility and scaleable nature of IEX products coupled with efficiencies provided by the Sonus packet network gives carriers a new set of options. The possibilities of new services and revenue streams for carriers are endless."

IPeria Enhanced VoIP Calling and Messaging Services
"The IPeria Service Node was designed from the ground up to interface to packet telephony and data networks. The Sonus OSA allows IPeria to quickly integrate its suite of IP-based service offerings with these next generation networks," said Ken Osowski, IPeria's vice president of sales & marketing. "This gives service providers the ability to deliver innovative, revenue generating services at a much lower cost than traditional TDM-centric enhanced services platforms."
www.iperia.com

NetCentric Internet Fax Messaging
"Carriers worldwide are deploying IP fax as their first enhanced IP application. They are providing Fax over IP [FoIP] as an outsourced service to their enterprise customers," noted John Fleming, NetCentric's vice president of marketing and business development. "Users gain productivity improvements, email-fax integration, and significant dollar savings on long distance and international faxing. The Sonus OSA will help to drive the rate of deployment of FoIP services."
www.netcentric.com

Priority Call Management Calling and Messaging Services "Sonus' OSA will allow Priority Call to offer flexible and reliable services solutions to carriers for deployment on existing and next generation networks. It is critical that carriers can offer services that are transport independent," commented Mary Stanhope, Priority Call's director of market development. "The ORYX platform which provides multiple applications on a single platform will now offer its services on multiple networks."
www.prioritycall.com

Quallaby Corporation VoIP Analysis and Reporting "The deployment of packet voice services is a major initiative for our customers," says Tom Axbey vice president of marketing and business development. "Supporting Sonus' Open Services Architecture allows our customers to deploy a best-in-class voice switching infrastructure and service level management seamlessly."
www.quallaby.com

Ridgeway Systems & Software Video Applications & Services
"Next generation carriers are investing substantially in core bandwidth. Video telephony will transform the business – allowing strong user-level value differentiation and the ability to exploit bandwidth as a competitive weapon," commented Graham Seabrook, founder, president and chief executive officer of Ridgeway. "The Sonus Open Services platform creates the ideal converged network transport for the instant provisioning of a new generation of video services and applications with the ease-of-use of a web browser. The OSA will revolutionize business-to-business and consumer communications."
www.ridgeway-sys.com

Syndesis Policy and Provisioning
"Syndesis provides an open architecture for creating and activating new services across multi-technology and multi-vendor environments. Our support for converged packet networks is completely in line with Sonus' OSPA as a way for service providers to offer subscribers innovative voice, video, and data services with immediate and flexible automated provisioning," said Neil Baimel, president and CEO, Syndesis Limited.
www.syndesis.com

Ulticom, formerly DGM&S Telecom Voice Services
"Ulticom, Inc. has been a Sonus Open Service Partner since last summer. We worked closely with them to integrate our SignalWare^(TM) Client/Server SS7 product with their GSX9000 switch. This unique combination meets the telecommunications industry's challenge to provide global, seamless and reliable multimedia next generation network services," said Shawn Osborne, president and CEO of Ulticom, Inc.
www.ulticom.com

VideoServer Networked Multimedia Conferencing
"As the new public network emerges, tremendous opportunities exist for moving multimedia communications into the mainstream, allowing on-line business and consumer communities to fully exploit the power of next generation networks. We are excited about the opportunity to partner with an innovator such as Sonus Networks to drive the next era in networked communications," said Khoa Nguyen, president & CEO, VideoServer. www.videoserver.com

Vsys Soft-Switch (Policy & Provisioning)
"The packet telephony market is rapidly moving towards an open network architecture model and Vsys, Sonus and a host of other suppliers are promoting this evolution. Our product roadmap, as well as our business model, is developed based on this fact. We are very glad to be part of Sonus' OSPA initiative. This type of relationship is really in line with our vision of the future for the emerging converged networks," said Bardia Saeedi, CEO, Vsys, Inc.
www.vsys.com

Sonus' vice president of sales and marketing, Gary Rogers noted, "The Sonus Open Services Architecture and Open Services Partner Alliance will add a new dimension of profitability to the service provider. We see this as a revolutionary step in converged network applications, re-shaping the utility and usability of currently offered carrier services. The OSA has also been the key differentiator and reason several of our beta customers are currently in trials with the Sonus solution."

The Sonus Open Services Developer's Kit: Complete Support for Advanced Applications

The Sonus Open Services Developer's Kit is a comprehensive set of tools and support that enable carriers and developers to create and deliver new applications in "Internet time." It includes:

• published APIs 
• a developer's took kit and support services 
• test protocols and certification benchmarks 
• independent testing and support 
• joint customer marketing programs 

Additional program information for carriers and independent software vendors is available on www.sonusnet.com or by contacting Sonus Networks via email at partner@sonusnet.com.

"The Sonus OSA is giving control to the carrier that was otherwise absent in the circuit world. In the past, if carriers were able to convince their circuit switch vendor to write a new services application, it would takes months and even years at an extremely high cost. With the Sonus Open Services approach, carriers have the unmatched flexibility to choose best in class services and the opportunity to influence every aspect of network operation," concluded Hassan Ahmed, Sonus Networks' president and CEO.

About Sonus Networks

Sonus Networks, Inc. is delivering a new class of carrier solutions that enable the movement of telephony to converged circuit-packet networks, and the development of a new generation of innovative voice and data services. The Sonus Packet Telephony suite and Open Services ArchitectureTM (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, while building important new revenue streams. Its highly scalable products fully interoperate with, and extend the life and utility of today's public network.

Sonus, founded in 1997, is headquartered in Westford, Massachusetts and is privately held. Its management team has developed and introduced many of the industry's most widely used carrier solutions, and has led organizations such as: Ascend Communications (Nasdaq: ASND), recently acquired by Lucent Technologies (Nasdaq: LU); Summa Four, recently acquired by Cisco Systems (Nasdaq: CSCO); Bay Networks, recently acquired by Northern Telecom (NYSE:NT); and VideoServer (Nasdaq: VSVR).

Sonus was named one of Red Herring's "Top Ten to Watch" companies, awarded Data Communications magazine's prestigious Hot Startup of the Year and Hot Product of the Year, and received Technologic Partners' Investor's Choice award. Additional information is available at: http://www.sonusnet.com.