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Technology Stocks : Voice-on-the-net (VON), VoIP, Internet (IP) Telephony -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Stephen B. Temple who wrote (1840)	11/10/1998 7:22:00 AM
From: Stephen B. Temple	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 3178

OT> Sprint Joins Consumer, Business Groups to Oppose SBC/Ameritech Merger Before Wisconsin PSC November 10, 1998 KANSAS CITY, Mo., Nov. 9 /PRNewswire/ An unprecedented alliance of consumer, business and telecommunications industry representatives today jointly petitioned the Wisconsin Public Service Commission (WPSC) to investigate and review the proposed merger of Ameritech and SBC Communications, calling the merger "an ill-conceived alliance intended to recreate the Bell system monopoly over telecommunications services. " The petitioners, which include Sprint, the Citizens' Utility Board, the Wisconsin Merchants Federation, the American Association of Retired Persons, and the Wisconsin chapter of the National Federation of Independent Businesses each have different missions, but are unanimous in their concern that the proposed merger will negatively impact Wisconsin consumers and businesses, they said. The petitioners called for the WPSC to assert its general supervisory jurisdiction and conduct an investigation and hearings that would provide clear evidence of the merger's impact on competition in Wisconsin local phone service. For consumers, the merger would eliminate SBC as a potential choice in local phone service in Wisconsin, and would give the merged company greater ability to keep other competitors out, the petition said. The loss of competition would reduce the incentive to lower rates, would stifle new products and services that consumers and businesses want, and likely would result in a reduction in service quality, petitioners told the commission. "If you don't like paying high prices for call waiting or caller ID today -- too bad. There won't be anyone else offering Wisconsin customers local service at a better price if this merger goes through and eliminates competition," said Ellen D'Amato, Sprint Vice President for State External Affairs. "The SBC/Ameritech merger -- along with the proposed Bell Atlantic/GTE merger -- should be of dire concern to everyone in America because we could be faced with two giant corporations owning more than two thirds of the nation's telephone lines. Essentially, Americans would be at the mercy of a Bell East and a Bell West monopoly," she added. The states of Illinois, Ohio and Indiana are investigating and will hold hearings on the SBC/Ameritech merger, which would be the largest merger of utility companies in the history of the United States. The Wisconsin petition noted that former Pacific Bell customers faced significant service problems and an increase in rates after that company was bought by SBC. Service quality complaints have at least doubled since the Pacific Bell purchase, and anti-consumer behavior and abusive marketing practices by SBC have been reported, the petition said. Given that the Wisconsin commission already has taken action against Ameritech because of service problems, and the record of SBC service problems, "this commission should review the proposed merger to ensure that consumers are protected adequately," the petition said. The merger also would threaten the long distance competition that has benefited consumers and reduced rates for years, petitioners told the commission. Long distance companies almost always must rely on a connection through the local phone company to serve their customers. In the case of Sprint, the merged company would control the territory where more than 45 percent of Sprint long distance calls begin and end, giving the merged company even more incentive and opportunity to restrict competition in long distance as well as local service. "These companies claim their enormous size is necessary to compete, and that big companies are more innovative than smaller companies. But the truth is that competition, not size, is what drives innovation and consumer service, " D'Amato said. In its investigation, the commission should specifically examine the companies' claims of financial and other benefits from the merger, the allocation of such benefits to Wisconsin consumers, the impact on regulating decision makers in a distant state and the potential for "price squeeze" behavior against competitors, the petition said. She added, "We believe that, faced with the facts, the Wisconsin Public Service Commission will determine that this merger will have many significant adverse effects on Wisconsin consumers and businesses by reducing competition, diversity and consumer choice in local telephone service. We call on the commission to investigate the proposal fully." Sprint is a global communications company -- at the forefront in integrating long distance, local and wireless communications services and one of the world's largest carriers of Internet traffic. Sprint built and operates the United States' only nationwide all-digital, fiber optic network and is the leader in advanced data communications services. Sprint has $15 billion in annual revenues and serves more than 16 million business and residential customers. SOURCE Sprint

To: Stephen B. Temple who wrote (1840)	11/11/1998 5:57:00 AM
From: Stephen B. Temple	Respond to of 3178

OT>> Regional Bell Companies Remain Nation's Best Hope For Ending The Internet's World-Wide Wait November 11, 1998 ORLANDO, Fla., Nov. 10 BellSouth (NYSE: BLS) and other regional Bell companies remain the nation's best hope for building networks that will give all consumers fast, reliable and ubiquitous access to the Internet, BellSouth chief executive Duane Ackerman said Tuesday. Speaking at the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners meeting in Orlando, Ackerman said continued growth in the nation's economy is irrevocably tied to the ability of consumers to connect to the Internet. In turn, regulators must adopt policies that encourage the deployment of advanced networks everywhere, not just in the business markets targeted by Bell competitors. "It is imperative that regulators recognize the selective nature of competition today,'' Ackerman said. "They should avoid adding unnecessarily to our costs of providing advanced services_by requiring separate subsidiaries. Yet, the Federal Communications Commission is moving toward separate subsidiaries." Ackerman recommended that regulators use the following principles when making policies to encourage the deployment of advanced telecommunications services: * Make sure local telephone networks remain viable investments. Regulators must adopt policies that permit local phone companies to recover investments in new network technology without endangering the financial viability of basic residential dial-tone. "No one can deploy data products to the residence unless the local loop is robust," Ackerman said; * Refrain from regulating new data services. At the least, don't introduce additional costs into providing them, Ackerman said. The nation can't afford to be one of Internet "haves" and Internet "have- nots." Regulators must adopt investment-friendly policies that permit phone companies to deploy fast internet connections everywhere. * Approve Bell entry into long-distance. Keeping them out inhibits network investment in advanced technologies. "The continued separation of local and long-distance service is slowing investment in your states," Ackerman warned. Ackerman noted that the U.S. economy is linked to the ability of people to do things like quickly obtain the latest information on stock quotes, mortgage rates and airline tickets - all off the World Wide Web. "The primary machine of our age, the computer, is only as powerful as the networks it is hooked to," Ackerman said. Regulators must adopt policies in telecommunications that keep in mind this key connection. "To get these technologies deployed, the business case has to work," Ackerman said. BellSouth is a $22 billion communications services company. It provides telecommunications, wireless communications, cable and digital TV, directory advertising and publishing, and Internet and data services to nearly 33 million customers in 20 countries worldwide. NOTE: For more information about BellSouth Corporation, visit the BellSouth Web site at bellsouth.com. BellSouth news releases dating back one year are available by fax at no charge by calling 1-800-758- 5804, Ext. 095650.

To: Stephen B. Temple who wrote (1840)	11/12/1998 6:55:00 AM
From: Stephen B. Temple	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 3178

IDT's Net2Phone Expands European Offerings of Net2Phone Direct November 12, 1998 HACKENSACK, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE) Agreement with Capcom enables expanded IP-based phone services throughout Spain and Italy IDT's (NASDAQ: IDTC) Net2Phone today announced that it has signed a multi-year contract with Capcom S.A., based in Madrid, Spain, to offer phone-to-phone Internet telephony services in Europe. Under the agreement, Capcom, an emerging telecommunications provider in Spain, has purchased Net2Phone Direct gateways, and will resell Net2Phone Direct services such as pre-paid phone cards and corporate voice and fax services to its customers. Capcom currently offers long-distance calling to businesses and consumers through postpaid and calling card services. Capcom has planned an aggressive rollout for Net2Phone Direct in Spain, Italy and other markets in southern Europe. Capcom has acquired fiber capacity from Spain to the US in order to offer the quality of service demanded by European businesses. "IDT is pleased to be working with Capcom for two reasons. First, as an emerging telecommunications company in a rapidly deregulating market, they have the ability to seize market share in high technology and discounted telecommunications services," said Michael Long, Director of Business Development for IDT. "Second, they will do this by saving Spanish and Italian callers money and providing great service. Callers will be able to make inexpensive calls using an ordinary telephone, GSM phone, fax machine or PBX. " "We are pleased to be working with the leader in IP telephony," said Laura Caprile, General Manager for Capcom and Printelcard. "Capcom, using Net2Phone technology and distributing Net2Phone products, wants to give the best and most competitive services using IP. With Printelcard, its associated company, we are operating and selling prepaid telephone cards all over Spain. We want to be one of first companies operating in the prepaid market in southern Europe.

To: Stephen B. Temple who wrote (1840)	11/12/1998 6:57:00 AM
From: Stephen B. Temple	Respond to of 3178

Catalyst Telecom Partners with TouchWave, Inc Partnership brings new networked PBX product to VAR channel November 12, 1998 GREENVILLE, S.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE) Catalyst Telecom, a leading value-added distributor of computer telephony products, has teamed with TouchWave, Inc., provider of the award-winning WebSwitch, to provide a powerful, easy-to-use, network-integrated phone system for small to medium-sized businesses or branch offices. As an authorized distributor of WebSwitch, Catalyst Telecom will provide VARs with this full-featured phone system - including a full complement of PBX functions, an auto-attendant, voice mail, and an integrated Voice over IP Gateway. "The addition of the WebSwitch complements our existing product line, " said Edith Jacoby, Product Marketing Manager for Catalyst Telecom. "Providing a PBX integrated with a Voice over IP Gateway gives the VAR a unique product to sell. The WebSwitch 1608IP is easy for the VAR to install, configure, and service. And the addition of a Voice over IP Gateway means the customer saves money on long distance calls." The WebSwitch 1608IP is a PBX with 8 trunk lines, 16 extensions, and support for up to 16 channels of Voice over IP. The WebSwitch 1608IP allows companies to combine the reliability of proven circuit switched telephony with the money-saving potential of IP telephony. The result is a highly scalable solution that allows small to medium-sized companies to build enterprise wide phone systems distributed across IP networks, including the Internet. Jeff Snider, TouchWave's Vice President of Marketing, stated: "We are very excited about the opportunity to work with Catalyst Telecom. They have demonstrated clearly that they are truly focused on the voice/data convergence market and bring impressive skills to the table. In addition, they add value by providing flexible payment terms, including leasing, to the reseller channel. Their warehouse near the FedEx and UPS hubs in Memphis is a real advantage enabling them to provide same day shipping anywhere in the US." TouchWave, Inc. is a privately held, venture-backed company based in Palo Alto, California. TouchWave's mission is to build network-integrated phone systems that combine the power of telephony, the company network, and the Internet. TouchWave's products offer customers flexible, modular, integrated phone solutions that leverage the power of computer networks. For information, call 650-843-1850 or visit the company's web site at touchwave.com

To: Stephen B. Temple who wrote (1840)	11/12/1998 6:58:00 AM
From: Stephen B. Temple	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 3178

Cisco Systems and Vocaltec IP Telephony Solutions to Interoperate November 12, 1998 SAN JOSE, Calif. and HERZLIYA, Israel--(BUSINESS WIRE) Nov. 11, 1998--Cisco Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: CSCO) and VocalTec Communications Ltd. (Nasdaq: VOCLF) today announced that the two companies are developing interoperability between their IP telephony solutions based on the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) H.323 Version 2 international standard. The first phase of the interoperability development, currently underway, will interoperate the intelligence of the carrier-grade VocalTec Gatekeeper(TM) with Cisco gateways including the Cisco AccessPath-VS3, AS5300, 3600 series and 2600 series. The second phase of this project will focus on interoperability between the two companies' complete product sets including gateways, gatekeepers, conferencing servers and clients. Field trials are expected to start in the fourth quarter of 1998 with shipping product available in the first half of 1999. "Cisco considers interoperability to be crucial to the success of packet telephony," said Alistair Woodman, product line manager for packet telephony applications at Cisco Systems. "We have recently stepped up our interoperability testing efforts and are pleased to be working with other market leaders like VocalTec." "VocalTec continues to fulfill our goal to bring to market comprehensive standards-based IP telephony solutions that manage networks, route traffic and support enhanced multimedia services in multi-vendor environments," said Dr. Elon Ganor, chairman at VocalTec Communications. "By pursuing interoperability with market leaders such as Cisco Systems, and providing VocalTec IP telephony solutions on multiple platforms, VocalTec is meeting carrier and corporate customer needs for flexible high performance solutions. " "Multi-vendor solutions are crucial for the success of this industry, " said Hans Albert Aukes, senior executive director at Deutsche Telekom. "We believe that IP telephony will be a dominant platform for the communications industry and that H.323 provides a strong standard for the development of interoperable solutions for this industry." "This announcement between Cisco and VocalTec demonstrates a commitment by both companies to offer their customers standards based solutions," said Bob Goodwin, senior vice president, Killen & Associates. "The marketplace must applaud any efforts between major vendors to ensure interoperability of their products. This positions both companies well for continued leadership in offering IP telephony solutions." Cisco Voice Gateways Cisco's portfolio of voice-over-IP (VoIP) enabled gateway products includes the Cisco 2600, Cisco 3600, Cisco AS5300 and the Cisco AccessPath(TM) VS3 access system. The Cisco 2600 and Cisco 3600 are scaleable multiservice routers providing solutions for the integration of data, voice and video in branch offices and are often deployed as managed service customer premise equipment. The Cisco AS5300 VoIP gateway is a high-performance H.323-compliant gateway optimized for VoIP applications. About the VocalTec Ensemble Architecture The VocalTec Ensemble Architecture(TM) is the first open IP telephony platform to support the most advanced industry standards for widescale, secure and reliable IP telephony services. With support for third-party accounting, billing and security solutions, it provides the framework for quality, intelligent IP telephony services and centralized management solutions for the routing of traffic between thousands of gateways and gatekeepers, network management agents and millions of end-user devices, including PC clients, standard telephones and other communications devices. About VocalTec Communications VocalTec Communications software enables audio, video, data, text and collaborative communications between personal computers and other devices over IP networks. VocalTec is a leader in developing innovative, open standards products that bridge IP networks and the traditional public switched telephone network (PSTN) and drive the convergence of computing and telephone technologies. For the latest company information, visit VocalTec on the World Wide Web at vocaltec.com.

To: Stephen B. Temple who wrote (1840)	11/12/1998 7:01:00 AM
From: Stephen B. Temple	Respond to of 3178

OT>> Mississippi Public Service Commission Certifies Long Distance for BellSouth November 12, 1998 ATLANTA, Nov. 11 /PRNewswire/ The Mississippi Public Service Commission (MPSC) today certified BellSouth's (NYSE: BLS) request to provide full long distance service within the state. "We applaud the MPSC's decision to endorse our long distance filing and commend the commissioners for putting the needs of this state's telephone customers first," said Kelly Allgood, president of BellSouth's Mississippi operations. "Their decision is a win-win for Mississippi consumers who are now one step closer to having a real choice in long distance service providers. BellSouth will now be able to take the next step in bringing the full benefits of competition to the citizens of Mississippi," he continued. "We are pleased that the commission is supporting us as we move one step closer to giving the customers a choice in long distance. We are certain that by this action the commission has also significantly speeded up the beginning of residential competition." Allgood said BellSouth's entry into long distance will not only give customers lower prices and more choices for long distance service, but will also encourage the large long distance carriers to provide local service in order to remain competitive. "Customers will then be able to choose one company -- whether it is BellSouth or one of our competitors -- to provide their telecommunications needs including local, long distance, wireless, Internet access or entertainment services," he said. "One-stop shopping is what our customers have been asking for since the breakup of the Bell System almost 15 years ago." Allgood said the Telecommunications Act of 1996 requires local companies like BellSouth to file requests with the FCC before they can begin providing long distance service in their region. The company plans to begin preparations to file its request for approval with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) so it can bring the benefits of long distance service to the people of Mississippi. "However, Congress intended for the state commissions to be the primary decision makers in the deregulation of the telecommunications industry, particularly in the area of consumer interest," Allgood said. "We believe there is no substitute for the first-hand consumer knowledge of the Mississippi Commission; they know what is in the best interest of the people they serve." "We believe our record throughout this proceeding was overwhelmingly indicative of BellSouth's compliance with each and every one of the requirements of the Telecommunications Act, FCC orders and the Mississippi Commission's own rules for competition," he said. Allgood said that in addition to giving customers a real choice in long distance service and saving customers money on their telephone service, economic studies have indicated that BellSouth's entry into long distance will give a $650-million boost to the state's economy and create nearly 8,200 jobs. "When BellSouth is allowed to enter the full long distance business, Mississippi consumers will enjoy the full benefits of competition, including lower prices, more choices and one-stop shopping," Allgood concluded BellSouth is a $22 billion communications services company. It provides telecommunications, wireless communications, cable and digital TV, directory advertising and publishing, and Internet and data services to nearly 33 million customers in 19 countries worldwide. SOURCE BellSouth Corporation