Netergy Networks Unveils Expanded Strategy for Enabling Converged Voice and Data Services
SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 13, 2000--
New Organizational Structure Streamlines Product
Development, Sales and Marketing
Following its recent acquisition of U|Force(TM), Netergy(TM) Networks, Inc. (Nasdaq:NTRG) today outlined its expanded strategy for enabling converged voice and data services for the New Telecom Landscape. Netergy Networks plans to bring to market a suite of prepackaged services, service creation tools and network appliance technology that are designed to allow telephone and data communications companies to offer a wide range of new services -- including voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) dial tone, PBX functionality, unified messaging and contact management -- over IP networks. The phrase "New Telecom Landscape" refers to the networks of powerful servers that telephone companies, Internet service providers (ISPs) and application service providers (ASPs) are assembling to deliver communication services over broadband IP networks. To ensure the rapid integration of its technology with that of U|Force, Netergy Networks has put in place a new organizational structure that integrates the two organizations' sales and marketing and R&D organizations.
Enabling Services for the New Telecom Landscape
With the addition of technology from its acquisition of U|Force, Netergy Networks intends to market three complementary product lines: prepackaged services, service creation tools and network appliances. Prepackaged services, including the Netergy Hosted iPBX(TM) Server Software, Netergy U|Messaging(TM) Server Software and Netergy Contact Management, are being designed to allow service providers to quickly deploy new services over converged voice and data networks. Netergy Networks' Service Creation Environment is intended to allow service providers to modify prepackaged services -- or create completely new ones -- to integrate the service provider's communication services with a subscriber's business processes. Netergy Networks' network appliance technology allows customer premise equipment such as telephones, cable modems and DSL modems to support these new services in a plug-and-play fashion.
"In a telecommunications market where connectivity is a commodity, value-added services are the key to service provider growth and profitability," said Dr. Paul Voois, Netergy Networks' chairman and CEO. "Netergy Networks' suite of prepackaged applications, including its Netergy Hosted iPBX Software and Netergy U|Messaging, are the starting point for these new services. However, our Netergy Service Creation Environment is designed to allow service providers to modify these prepackaged services or create completely new services for classes of subscribers -- even individual subscribers -- to complement the subscriber's business. We believe that these services will be to the New Telecom Landscape what applications like Microsoft Word are to the personal computer: the element that makes the platform truly useful.
"Speed, too, is of the essence," continued Voois. "Traditionally, it has taken service providers many months, often years, to develop and bring a new service to market. With its efficient drag-and-drop user interface, we believe our Service Creation Environment will change that, allowing service providers to deploy new services and optimize them to meet the needs of their subscribers, not in telecom time but in Internet time."
To achieve its vision for the New Telecom Landscape, Netergy Networks is leveraging its partnership agreements with Unisphere, Cisco Systems, Sun Microsystems and iPlanet (Sun-Netscape Alliance), which provide the infrastructure of computer servers, routers and gateways needed for service delivery. To provide the network appliances required to deploy services, Netergy Networks has partnered with STMicroelectronics (cable modem and other VoIP chipsets), Alcatel (DSL modem chipsets), Lucent Technologies (IP Centrex CPE) and CIDCO (IP telephones).
"In order for IP-based solutions to displace legacy PBXs in many applications, it will be necessary to integrate the iPBX with the subscriber's business processes," noted Tom Jenkins, a director of consulting at TeleChoice, a telecommunications consulting firm. "For example, the phone system in a hotel or motel must be integrated with the hotel's guest billing system. Solutions like the Netergy Service Creation Environment should give service providers the tools they need to make their iPBX services absolutely integral to a wide variety of businesses. It represents a powerful combination."
Management Appointments
Capitalizing on the new resources afforded by the acquisition of U|Force, the Company has combined formerly separate sales and marketing and engineering organizations into integrated business, engineering and corporate operations teams under three newly appointed senior vice presidents, each reporting to Voois.
Business operations, which includes business development, sales, marketing and customer support will be managed by Jean-Luc Calonne. As founder and CEO of U|Force, Calonne drove the development of an open architecture service creation environment for emerging IP-based telecom market. He also founded Les Systemes Sun Quebec Inc, a Sun Microsystems independent sales organization.
Bryan Martin will lead engineering operations, which includes product development, basic R&D, system integration and manufacturing for all Netergy Networks' products. Martin joined the Company in 1990, serving most recently as chief technical officer and vice president of engineering for the Network Communication Technologies group. He has a B.S. and M.S. in electrical engineering from Stanford University.
Jonathan Foster will manage finance, legal, corporate communications, strategic planning and human resources under the umbrella of corporate operations. Foster joined the Company in January 1998 and served as director of Netergy Networks' Monitoring Business Unit before being named vice president of corporate development and general counsel. Prior to joining Netergy Networks, Foster served for four years in the Clinton administration in Washington, D.C., including two years as a deputy director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. He previously practiced law at Crowell
Moring, a Washington, D.C. law firm. Foster received a B.S. in mechanical engineering from Yale University and a J.D. from Harvard Law School.
In addition, Netergy Networks has named Cyrille Thilloy chief technology officer. As CTO, Thilloy is responsible for promoting the technology vision and strategy of the Company. He was co-founder, chief technology officer and vice president of R&D for U|Force. He was responsible for the decision to develop products with an open, flexible and scalable architecture exclusively using Java technology. He has a MSc in computer science from Laval University.
"I am looking forward to working with these executives and our 250 professionals in the U.S., Canada, France and the United Kingdom to realize our common vision and business goals," said Voois. "We will capitalize on the powerful synergies of our technologies, people and marketing skills to become a leading supplier of technology for the New Telecom Landscape."
Chris Peters, formerly vice president of sales and business development for Network Communication Technologies, has resigned to pursue other interests. His duties will be assumed by personnel within Jean-Luc Calonne's Business Operations group.
About Netergy Networks
Netergy Networks develops and markets prepackaged VoIP services, service creation tools and network appliances for converged voice and data networks to communications service providers and telecommunication equipment manufacturers. The company is based in Santa Clara, California, and has offices in Canada, France and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit Netergy Networks' Web site at www.netergynet.com.
This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements about: the planned introduction of prepackaged services, service creation tools and network appliance technology; the convergence of voice and data networks; the planned functionality of prepackaged services, the Service Creation Environment, and network appliance technology; and the role our products will play in assisting service providers in meeting the needs of their customers. These statements are based on management's current expectations and may ultimately prove to be incorrect or false. Factors which could cause future results to differ materially from the results discussed, implied or forecasted in the forward-looking statements include delays in scheduled product availability dates (which could result from various occurrences including development or testing difficulties, software errors, shortages in appropriately skilled software engineers and project management problems); the risks inherent in the commercialization of the Company's anticipated products and services, including difficulties satisfying the high standards of reliability and scalability required of carrier-grade telephony software; other unanticipated technical or developmental difficulties; shifts in customer or market demand for the Company's anticipated products; possible disruptive effects of organizational changes; problems associated with managing a foreign subsidiary, including retaining key personnel and coordinating operations; rapid technological changes; and difficulties encountered under our partnership agreements. Further information on these and other factors that could affect the actual results of are included in the Company's Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2000, which is on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company assumes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements contained in this press release.
Note to Editors: Netergy, U|Force and hosted iPBX are trademarks of Netergy Networks, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
CONTACT:
Netergy Networks
Scott St. Clair, 408/654-0998
scott.stclair@netergynet.com
Martine Nadeau, 514/282-8484 x 259
martine.nadeau@uforce.com
or
Ruder Finn
Lauren Felice, 212/593-6370
felicel@ruderfinn.com
KEYWORD: CALIFORNIA
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