Maybe this is the start of many things to come!!! A cascade of similar announcements, finally!:
biz.yahoo.com
Press Release
France Telecom Interconnects with Net2Phone's Voice over IP Network for Carrier-Grade Interconnection
One of the World's Largest Telecom Companies in the World to Plug Into Net2Phone's Voice over IP network
NEWARK, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 25, 2001-- Net2Phone Inc. (NASDAQ: NTOP - news) today announced that France Telecom (NYSE: FTE - news), one of the world's leading telecommunications carriers, is interconnecting its voice network with Net2Phone's managed Voice Over IP Network for worldwide carrier grade termination. The interconnection is now on service.
The relationship between Net2Phone and France Telecom will allow France Telecom to gain access to Net2Phone's managed Voice over IP Network. Net2Phone will benefit from France Telecom's global voice and data networks and International presence.
``We are proud that France Telecom, one of the world's largest telecom companies, has chosen to interconnect with Net2Phone for routing Voice over IP traffic'' commented Kenny Helfer, Vice President of Carrier Sales. ``Our agreement with France Telecom as well as over a dozen other Tier 1 carriers around the globe enables us to continue to lead the IP telephony market with quality products and services globally.''
``With this contract with Net2Phone, France Telecom will offer a better value-price ratio as well as an effective alternative access to reach destinations for the best interest of its retail and wholesale customers. France Telecom is very excited about working with Net2Phone this will allow us to hold our ongoing competitive position on a number of destinations. The evolution of our network and our partnership with Net2Phone enable us to maintain our position of market maker and to be in the center of wholesale industry's vision about the evolution of voice trading activity,'' says Francis Kretz, Executive Vice President, Marketing & Sales, France Telecom Long Distance.
Net2Phone will handle call management, rating, routing, and authentication through utilization of Net2Phone's top-rated gatekeeper platform. Net2Phone's fully redundant carrier-grade gateways connect to legacy telephony devices via T1, E1 or analog interfaces. By utilizing Net2Phone's existing Least Cost Routing capabilities, Net2Phone provides efficient toll quality audio, and can terminate calls to anywhere in the world.
ABOUT FRANCE TELECOM
France Telecom is one of the world's leading telecommunications carriers, with 2000 consolidated operating revenues of Euro 33,7 billion and operations in more than 75 countries. France Telecom provides businesses, consumers and other carriers with a complete portfolio of solutions that spans local, long-distance and international telephony, data, wireless, multimedia, Internet, cable TV, broadcast and value-added services. With the acquisition of the UK mobile operator Orange, France Telecom is the second largest European mobile operator, totalling more than 33 million subscribers. France Telecom is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and Paris Bourse. Wanadoo, France Telecom's consumer Internet subsidiary, has been listed on the Paris Bourse since July 2000. www.francetelecom.com. www.carriers.francetelecom.com
ABOUT NET2PHONE
Founded in 1995, Net2Phone is a leading provider of voice and enhanced services over IP networks to consumers, businesses and carriers worldwide. With millions of users around the world, Net2Phone enables toll-quality calls between computers, telephones, and broadband devices utilizing IP networks. Recognized as the first company to bridge the Internet with the public switched telephone network, Net2Phone has routed more than 1.5 billion minutes of traffic over its award-winning network. Traded on the NASDAQ under the symbol NTOP, Net2Phone's strategic partners and investors include AT&T, America Online, and Yahoo!. Net2Phone also offers enhanced hosted service solutions, including voice recognition, for businesses around the world. For more information about Net2Phone's products and services, please visit www.net2phone.com.
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward- looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and actual results could differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. For this purpose, any statements contained in this press release that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Factors which may affect the Company's results include, but are not limited to, the Company's ability to expand its customer base, the Company's ability to develop additional and leverage its existing distribution channels for its products and solutions, dependence on strategic and channel partners including their ability to distribute the Company's products and meet or renew their financial commitments, the Company's ability to address international markets, the effectiveness of the Company's sales and marketing activities, the acceptance of the Company's products in the marketplace, the timing and scope of deployments of the Company's products by customers, fluctuations in customer sales cycles, customers' ability to obtain additional funding, technical difficulties with respect to the Company's products or products in development, the need for ongoing product development in an environment of rapid technological change, the emergence of new competitors in the marketplace, the Company's ability to compete successfully against established competitors with greater resources, the uncertainty of future governmental regulation, the Company's ability to manage growth, obtain patent protection, and obtain additional funds, general economic conditions and other risks discussed in this Report and in the Company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. All forward-looking statements and risk factors included in this document are made as of the date hereof, based on information available to the Company as of the date thereof, and the Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement or risk factors. |
