the Article LU:Company Press Release
Lucent Technologies First to Support Inter-Carrier Billing
and Call Management Across GRICphone Internet
Telephony Network
New GRICphone Capabilities Enable Internet Service Providers to Expand
Their Global Coverage
BASKING RIDGE, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 6, 1998-- Lucent Technologies and
GRIC Communications today announced that Lucent is the first to incorporate the
GRICphone IP telephony application programming interface -- the first of its kind to
provide global authentication, routing, termination and billing capabilities into Lucent's
PacketStar(TM) Internet Telephony System (PacketStar ITS).
The GRICphone API enables the 350 ISPs and telcos in the GRICphone network to use the
PacketStar ITS as the foundation to expand their global reach, increase their revenue and
enhance their interoperability with other carriers in different areas of the world.
GRICphone is a worldwide Internet telephony network that offers low-delay, high-quality
service for corporations, small businesses and dial-up users. GRICphone will be available to
all telcos and ISPs worldwide who are members of the GRIC alliance. To use GRICphone, a
customer of a GRIC-member service provider simply dials into Lucent's PacketStar ITS,
either by handset or computer, enters a user ID and PIN, then dials the call. Because the
GRIC global network is already established for roaming, remote corporate access/VPN and
fax, Internet telephony can be seamlessly integrated into the network.
Lucent's PacketStar ITS, which has been providing GRIC ISPs IP telephony connectivity
since 1997, allows service providers to send voice and fax communications through the
Internet with unsurpassed reliability and quality. Now, the incorporation of the GRICphone
API into the PacketStar ITS via a simple software upgrade means Lucent will be able to
support inter-carrier call management and billing services. Lucent and GRIC will begin tests
with existing GRIC alliance customers within 60 days.
The benefit to service providers is they will be able to offer enhanced IP telephony service
over the worldwide GRICphone network, enabling them to boost their revenues, expand
their global reach and lower their international calling rates.
Lucent is the first IP telephony equipment provider to integrate the GRIC API portion of
the GRIC specification for IP telephony authentication, call routing, billing, and settlement
services based on the ITU H.323 standard for telecommunications interoperability. In
addition, GRIC is creating an interoperability certification lab to test products and ensure
compatibility with the GRIC-ready specification.
''Lucent has been working with GRIC on IP telephony since 1997, offering Lucent's
PacketStar ITS for GRICphone trials,'' said Karyn Mashima, vice president, Lucent Data
Networking Systems. ''The GRICphone API integrated into the PacketStar ITS gives ISPs
and telcos the capability to finally take advantage of the real cost-savings in Internet
telephony.''
Following six months of extensive trials between Europe, Asia and the U.S., GRICphone
was introduced June 8 as the first platform- independent wholesale Internet telephony
service to provide billing and settlement capabilities to ISPs and telcos.
Telcos initially involved in the roll-out include o.tel.o/germany.net in Germany and
Intercom Danmark in Denmark. These telcos will provide service in Western Europe and to
the U.S., offering their customers savings of 50 to 80 percent on long-distance phone calls.
Trials are underway with other GRIC members, including Belgacom of Belgium and
STAR-NET of Japan. To date, more than a dozen GRIC-member telcos or ISPs have started
commercial service or trials with GRICphone.
''A telco that doesn't have an Internet telephony strategy in today's market is at a
competitive disadvantage,'' according to Dr. Andreas Grebe of o.tel.o/germany.net. ''We
were very satisfied with the Lucent PacketStar ITS and GRICphone trials. As one of the
leading new telcos in Germany, it's important for us to be a GRICphone partner.''
''Working with Lucent will accelerate our entry and growth in the IP telephony market,''
said Dr. Hong Chen, president and CEO of GRIC Communications. ''Plus their support for
the GRIC-ready API will help resolve the issues of global authentication, call routing and
settlement for IP telephony, which are major concerns for many ISPs thinking of entering
the market.''
Lucent Technologies, headquartered in Murray Hill, N.J., designs, builds and delivers a
wide range of public and private networks, communications systems and software, data
networking systems, business telephone systems and microelectronics components. Bell
Laboratories is the research and development arm of the company. For more information
about Lucent Technologies, visit its web site at lucent.com. For more
information about Lucent's PacketStar ITS, please visit
lucent.com.
GRIC Communications is the leading clearinghouse for Internet telecommunications
services. GRIC provides routing, authentication, network management, billing and
settlement services to ISPs and telcos worldwide, enabling global Internet roaming,
corporate remote access/VPN, fax, and telephony. GRIC-member ISPs and telcos number
over 300 in more than 75 countries, and have a combined subscriber base of more than 16
million dial-up users and 20 million corporate users, making the GRIC alliance the largest
managed network of Internet-based telecommunications services in the world.
The GRIC alliance is comprised of the world's largest ISPs and telcos, including SpryNet,
NETCOM (NASDAQ:ICGX - news), Singapore Telecom, NEC, Fujitsu Niftyserve,
KDD/KCOM, NTT DATA, SANNET, Malaysia Telecom, Telecom Finland, Korea
Telecom, FranceNet, Cybernet AG, Hong Kong Telecom, Samsung, Hyundai, Chungwha
Telecom, and Telstra.
GRIC's strategic partners include Check Point Software Technologies (NASDAQ:CHKPF -
news), Digital Equipment Corporation (NYSE:DEC - news), Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT -
news), NetXchange Communications, Open Port Technology, and Oracle (NASDAQ:ORCL
- news).
Founded in 1994 and privately held, GRIC Communications, Inc. (formerly AimQuest) has
offices in California, Asia and Europe. For additional information, please contact GRIC
Communications at 1421 McCarthy Blvd., Milpitas, Calif., 95035. Phone: 408/955-1920.
Fax: 408/955-1968. Email: info@gric.com. Web site: www.gric.com.
GRIC and the GRIC logo are trademarks of GRIC Communications, Inc. PacketStar is a
trademark of Lucent Technologies.
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