SHCC..006 up 100%-Da GAPPER-Closing near high on News today..
March 23, 2001 12:19
Saratoga Telecom and ipx Join in VoIP Initiative; Companies to Combine Efforts, Exploit Synergies
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KIRKLAND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 23, 2001--Saratoga International Holdings Corp., (OTCBB:SHCC), announced today that its wholly owned subsidiary, Saratoga Telecom, has reached an agreement with ipx Inc, the administrator of T-Portal.
The agreement will allow the companies to combine their efforts in offering next generation ("next gen") telephony services to end users around the world. Saratoga Telecom, headquartered in Hallandale Florida, offers specialized calling services to vertical markets. ipx, in Jersey City, New Jersey, is a leader in providing next gen VoIP clearinghouse services through its innovative T-Portal program.
"We see this combination as a excellent example of how telecommunications niche operators can work together, and provide telecom customers of any size with services and features normally only available to high end enterprise corporations," said Keith J. Rhea, President of ipx Inc. "Saratoga Telecom is a company very focused on its well established retail channels. Our T-Portal services offer this market access to highly functional services that consumers are waiting for."
T-Portal provides the industry's most complete suite of basic and enhanced telecom services. This alliance of application service providers, hardware manufacturers, bandwidth providers, internet service providers, and software providers, have united to spread technology world wide for the benefit of service providers and has customers around the world.
Gene Retske, the President of Saratoga Telecom, said, "We see this strategic alliance with ipx as a major stepping stone for Saratoga, ipx and the specialized telecom industry. The ipx T-Portal initiative has been a leading edge VoIP offering. We are now able to bring the benefits of VoIP to every consumer, regardless of size or sophistication."
Saratoga Telecom focuses on providing bundled applications to specialized vertical markets, including transportation, tourism and communications. One of Saratoga's primary offerings is a calling card family of products.
According to a Frost & Sullivan report that was published in Intelecard News in November, 2000, VoIP is the next major trend in the prepaid and postpaid calling card business, and by 2002, 29% of all prepaid calling card traffic will be completed over VoIP. Another prestigious research firm, Atlantic ACM, has estimated that the prepaid calling card market will increase from $3 billion in 2000, to over $5 billion by 2005. The alliance between Saratoga and ipx gives them a significant edge in the providing of these services to this important market. Use of VoIP will allow Saratoga to offer a very competitive, price leadership consumer product.
Under terms of the agreement, Saratoga will make an investment to enhance the Lucent Excel switching platform system of ipx to add retail services, like prepaid calling programs. ipx will manage the traffic and technology, and Saratoga will provide the retail distribution. The arrangement will make efficient and economical VoIP connections available to retail customers. The initial installation will have the capacity for approximately 2 million minutes of VoIP traffic per month.
About ipx Inc.
ipx Inc. is a pioneering Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) clearinghouse, which has successfully integrated the products of many leading edge telecom companies into a seamless interface, called T-Portal. T-Portal is administered by ipx Inc. Partners in T-Portal include companies like Motorola, Exodus, 3Com, Sonus, Silverback, Webex, Webtelecom, Cirilium and Brooktrout Technologies.
About Saratoga International Holdings Corp.
Saratoga International Holdings Corp. is a publicly traded company, stock symbol SHCC:OB. Saratoga's operating subsidiaries include Saratoga Telecom and SOLVOX Consulting Group, among others. Saratoga is a development stage company, focused on emerging telecom markets.
Note: Global All-In-One Card(TM) is a trademark of Saratoga
Telecom Corporation.
This press release contains forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Act of 1995. Expression of future goals and similar expressions reflecting something other than historical fact involves risks and uncertainties. The actual results the company achieves may differ materially from any forward-looking statements due to such risks and uncertainties.
CONTACT: SHCC
Cory Weber, 888/878-9683 |
