BROOMFIELD, Colo., Sep 12, 2000--
Level 3 Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq: LVLT) today introduced (3)Voice Exchange, a new
service that enables telephone quality voice communication using personal
computers and Internet protocol (IP) phones.
The announcement of (3)Voice Exchange follows Level 3's launch last year of
(3)Voice, the industry's first long-distance IP voice service with sound quality
and ease of use indistinguishable from traditional telephone service. (3)Voice
enables long-distance callers to use their traditional telephones to place calls
over Level 3's IP network. The new service, (3)Voice Exchange, enables customers
of Level 3's IP voice service providers to place calls with their PCs and with
new IP or "smart" phones with the same voice quality as traditional voice
services.
"The development of (3)Voice Exchange further solidifies Level 3's Softswitch
leadership and commitment to making quality communications faster, less
expensive and more productive," said Ike Elliott, senior vice president of
Global Softswitch Services for Level 3. "Using (3)Voice Exchange, Level 3
customers can connect to our high quality network in a pure IP format. This new
capability means our customers won't have to buy traditional and expensive
circuit switches to connect their voice traffic to our network."
The Industry's First SIP-based IP Voice Service
(3)Voice Exchange is the industry's first Session Initiation Protocol
(SIP)-based IP voice service. SIP is an open, scalable Internet-based standard
that initiates voice, video, interactive games, virtual reality and other
communication over IP networks. Since its designation as a standard by the
Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), SIP has emerged as the premier signaling
system for merging telephony services with the Internet to create whole new
classes of enhanced session-based communications services.
Allied Riser and TalkingNets Support (3)Voice Exchange
Dallas-based Allied Riser, a nationwide provider of broadband services to
enterprise customers, said Level 3's announcement is key to its voice strategy.
"(3)Voice Exchange provides a SIP-based service that we expect can play a
critical role in providing our customers with IP telephony applications and next
generation network capabilities," said Tom Guthrie, senior vice president,
Technical Services at Allied Riser.
Tony Surak, executive vice president of marketing and sales for TalkingNets, a
telephony ASP headquartered in Wilmington, NC, said, "We're excited to be able
to connect our softswitch controlled network using Level 3's (3)Voice Exchange
product as the common long distance network platform for delivering our local
voice services to our service provider channel partners."
About (3)Voice Exchange
(3)Voice Exchange allows Internet service providers (ISPs), application service
providers (ASPs), interexchange carriers (IXCs) and competitive local exchange
carriers (CLECs) to deliver high quality, innovative IP voice services
economically and efficiently. The new service enables voice service providers to
focus on developing innovative voice services instead of managing the underlying
infrastructure.
The new service uses Level 3's softswitch technology to provide customers with a
secure IP voice platform connected to the Public Switched Telephone Network
(PSTN). (3)Voice Exchange allows service providers to use Level 3's IP network
to deliver voice traffic to any location in the world, and is a secure and
flexible service that connects customers through standard interfaces such as
SIP, Signaling System 7 (SS7), and Primary Rate Interface (PRI).
Because Level 3 transmits voice traffic over its own private IP network, the
company can minimize the latency and packet loss that typically occur with VoIP
services that use the public Internet to transmit voice traffic. Level 3
protects its network with firewalls that provide customers with a secure
environment for their voice services.
Jack Toto, vice president of business development at dynamicsoft, a participant
in Level 3's (3)Works program, also commented on today's announcement, stating,
"We envision Level 3's (3)Voice Exchange service as a catalyst for enabling a
new class of innovative applications that use IP-based devices. We're pleased to
be among the first companies to provide IP products to Level 3's customers."
Level 3 expects to begin accepting orders for (3)Voice Exchange on September 18.
The (3)Voice Exchange service will be available this year in a number of major
markets, including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, New
York, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C. Level 3 expects to offer
(3)Voice Exchange service in Europe and Asia by year's end.
About Level 3 Communications
Level 3 (Nasdaq: LVLT) is a global communications and information services
company offering a wide selection of IP-based services including broadband
transport, colocation services, submarine transmission services and the
industry's first Softswitch@ based services. Level 3 offers services primarily
to Web-centric companies that deliver their services over the Level 3 Network.
The Level 3 Network will include metropolitan networks in 56 U.S. markets and 21
European and Asian markets connected by an approximately 16,000 mile U.S.
intercity (long-distance) network, an approximately 4,750 mile European
intercity network, both transpacific and transatlantic undersea cables and 6.5
million square feet of gateway and technical space. Level 3 expects to
substantially complete the U.S. and the second ring of the European intercity
network by the fourth quarter of 2000. Level 3 currently offers broadband
infrastructure services in 38 U.S. markets and five European markets. Its Web
address is www.Level3.com.
(@Softswitches are advanced software based switching systems that enable Level 3
to provide services combining the best features of the Internet and traditional
telephone networks.)
(3)Voice and (3)Voice Exchange are service marks of Level 3 Communications, Inc.
Some of the statements made by Level 3 in this press release are forward-looking
in nature. Actual results may differ materially from those projected in
forward-looking statements. Level 3 believes that its primary risk factors
include, but are not limited to: substantial capital requirements; development
of effective internal processes and systems; the ability to attract and retain
high quality employees; changes in the overall economy; technology; the number
and size of competitors in its markets; law and regulatory policy; and the mix
of products and services offered in the company's target markets. Additional
information concerning these and other important factors can be found within
Level 3's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Statements in
this release should be evaluated in light of these important factors.
SOURCE Level 3 Communications, Inc. |
