Company Press Release
VocalTec More Than Doubles Size of Its NextGen Telephony Partnership Program
16 ITSPs Choose VocalTec Total Solution for Offering PC-to-Phone and Phone-to-Phone Services to Consumers
and Businesses Worldwide
HERZLIYA, Israel--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 17, 1998-- VocalTec Communications Ltd. (Nasdaq:VOCLF - news), the Internet (IP) Telephony Company, today announced its unique NextGen Telephony Partnership Program has more than doubled in size during its first seven months of operation with the addition of nine new Internet telephony service providers (ITSPs), many of which are significant players in the international telco arena.
The VocalTec NextGen Telephony Partnership Program is a co-marketing program based on the award-winning VocalTec Internet Phone(R) 5 and VocalTec Telephony Gateway(tm) server, the first client/server solution for the ITSP market. The VocalTec NextGen Telephony Partnership Program enables ITSPs to offer PC-to-phone and phone-to-phone service to consumers and businesses worldwide.
''As we anticipated, next generation telcos have been the first to aggressively deploy IP telephony solutions,'' said Dr. Elon Ganor, chief executive officer and chairman of VocalTec Communications. ''We're proud to be the supplier of choice for these NextGen partners. Based on our customers field experience, we're accumulating valuable market feedback that is helping us to maintain our leadership role. Now a growing number of established companies and entrepreneurial carriers are entering this market, expanding their service packages and generating revenue with VocalTec's end-to-end business systems solutions.''
Recently added NextGen partners are comprised of established companies and innovative new entrants in the international telco industry. The following are some of the new NextGen partners that are currently or will be offering PC-to-phone and/or phone-to-phone service during 1998.
Advanced Business Communications (ABC) Inc., a next generation telco, plans to provide access to various countries in the South East
Asian region including Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia and Malaysia as well as Australia, New Zealand, England and other European countries;
Dot Com Technologies, LLC, a next generation telco, offers the first collect PC-to-phone service enabling online users anywhere in the world to place collect calls throughout the United States;
Escort Telecom, a subsidiary of EscortNet (the largest Internet service provider in Turkey), offers service in five major cities in Turkey;
IncoNet, the largest ISP in Lebanon, plans to focus on the Middle East, including Lebanon, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates;
International Telcom (Kallback), a premier provider of discount domestic and international telecommunications services serving 140,000 customers in 226 countries, plans to launch their new worldwide WebKall(tm) service;
Iscom, Inc, a next generation telco, plans to rollout service from anywhere in the world to New York City.
Shared Network Services, a Northern California-based Internet company, is releasing its ''1st2Phone'' IP service to its more than 35,000 customers;
Unicom, a next generation telco, will focus on service between Russia and the United States;
These new members join existing NextGen Partners who have continued to expand their presence around the world. The following are some of the existing NextGen partners that are currently offering PC-to-phone and/or phone-to-phone service and their expansion plans for 1998.
Access Power (OTCBB: ACCR - news) currently offers service to 10 major cities across the United States. Access Power is scheduled to expand its service to include 50 cities nationwide as well as markets in Canada and Latin America;
BizTrans currently offers low-cost service to 10 cities worldwide and has doubled the capacity of its network since its launch in August 1997. BizTrans plans to expand to the Middle East and Asia;
Delta Three, Inc. currently has facilities-based coverage in 18 major countries and plans to expand this coverage to the 50 major telecom markets. Delta Three also already offers worldwide coverage through the circuit switched network of its parent company, RSL Communications.
''VocalTec offers the most advanced IP telephony software solutions available in the industry today, enabling us to roll out competitive services rapidly,'' said Glenn Smith, chief executive officer and chairman of Access Power. ''Today, Access Power connects businesses and residents across ten major cities throughout the United States by phone for just $.07 a minute. Our plans to expand our services and our coverage to 50 cities nationwide and to Canada and Latin America by the end of 1998 will have a dramatic effect on the way the world communicates.''
''Our focus is to make IP telephony simple and easy to use, allowing anyone in the world to call the US and Canada at the lowest rate possible,''
said Ron Cummins, of Dot Com Technologies. ''The VocalTec NextGen Program is helping us to accomplish this goal. We've been able to enhance our position as an innovator, incorporating our call center with the VocalTec Telephony Gateway and Surf & Call(tm) plugin to create the first Internet operator service on the world wide web.''
''Recently, Delta Three, Inc. introduced the first PC-to-phone service for worldwide coverage over a managed network. We also created a partnership initiative to give ISPs and telcos access to the lucrative Internet telephony market,'' said Elie Wurtman, Chief Executive Officer of Delta Three. ''VocalTec and its NextGen Program have played a critical role in allowing us to develop our services internally and expand in the
marketplace.''
''These ITSPs are providing the telephony solutions of the future,'' said Tom Evslin, chief executive officer and chairman at ITXC. ''ITXC's WWeXchange Service(tm) is a worldwide monitored IP telephony network for routing, authorization, termination and settlement services that will enable new independent telcos, such as VocalTec's NextGen partners, to broaden the reach of their services and expand their businesses.
VocalTec continues to offer products that are enabling this exciting new industry to succeed.''
VocalTec will demonstrate this service at ISPCon in Baltimore on March 17 - 19, 1998. ISPs will have the opportunity to discuss how to join the NextGen partnership program and plan to start generating increased revenues from PC-to-phone and phone-to-phone services. |
