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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 (1970)	11/25/1998 7:53:00 AM
From: Stephen B. Temple	Read Replies (4) \| Respond to of 3178

Infonet Services Corp. Partners With Networks Telephony Corp. to Deliver Global Voice-Over-IP Services November 25, 1998 EL SEGUNDO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE) New Voice-Over-IP Service Dramatically Improves Costs, Quality and Reach of Infonet's Communications Services Infonet Services Corp., a world leader in providing global communications services to multinational enterprises, will offer Networks Telephony Corp.'s (NTC) voice-over-IP (VoIP) services, the companies announced Tuesday. The new Infonet voice service offers customers high-quality IP telephony with the ability to reach virtually any phone anywhere in the world. Additionally, NTC's integrated suite of Web-based back-office services will handle all transaction processing and billing for the new service. Services will become available in January 1999. "NTC's integrated suite of VoIP services enables us to leapfrog the competition, entering quickly the growing global IP voice market with a ready-to-use solution," said Jose Collazo, Infonet's chairman and president. "By utilizing NTC's proven expertise in global phone-to-phone and PC-to-phone call processing, Infonet is able to leverage its existing worldwide network infrastructure to immediately deliver these low-cost VoIP services to a new market," Collazo concluded. How It Works Using the new service, Infonet's new and existing clients place telephone calls just as they would normally. NTC delivers the call to any phone, logs its duration and generates a billing statement in real time. Due to the efficiency of IP technology and the use of Infonet's private, globally managed network, NTC's services assure quality, reliability and reduced costs. Infonet's headquarter offices in the United States, as well as its offices in Germany and the United Kingdom, are already using the service. About Networks Telephony Corp. One of the first truly global IP carriers, NTC offers a complete, intelligent turnkey IP telephony service that enables its Channel Partners to quickly enter the voice market to provide high-quality, low-cost voice services without a major capital investment. NTC provides both business users and consumers a choice over traditional circuit-switched telecommunications providers, while ensuring the highest quality voice services. Based in El Segundo, NTC will provide IP telephony service to virtually any phone in the world, with a presence in 42 countries and delivery to more than 220 countries. About Infonet Infonet is a world leader in providing global networking services to multinational enterprises for frame relay, Internet, intranet, electronic commerce and integrated voice/data solutions. Infonet provides a full suite of messaging and collaborative products and services. Infonet's services are supported locally in 59 countries. Infonet's World Network is currently accessible from more than 180 countries. News and information are available at infonet.com. [Copyright 1998, Business Wire]

To: Stephen B. Temple who wrote (1970)	11/25/1998 7:55:00 AM
From: Stephen B. Temple	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 3178

USA Talks.com Accelerates Roll-out of First Flat-rate Long Distance Service Flat Rate Internet Long Distance Service Receives Infusion of Capital for Equipment Purchase and System Expansion November 25, 1998 SAN DIEGO, Nov. 24 /PRNewswire/ USA Talks.com., Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: USAT) announced the receipt of over $1.5 million in capital financing and over $6 million in commitments for system expansion and equipment purchase. William H. Ervine, President of USA Talks.com states, "This capital infusion enables USA Talks.com to move ahead on an accelerated program to provide national coverage and to expand into limited international markets. " USA Talks offers a flat rate, "all you can talk", telephone-to-telephone, "toll-quality" long distance service with a variety of service and pricing plans from $20 to $60 per month. The long distance service is designed to meet the needs of residential and small to medium size business target markets. Last month, USATalks began operation of its long-distance Internet telephone service test site in California and has been receiving over 3000 calls per day. The initial success of the test program is evidence of the long-term market acceptance and demand for flat rate, "all you can talk" service worldwide. Headquartered in San Diego, California, USA Talks.com., Inc. is building the first national Internet-based long distance telephone service to offer unlimited use for a monthly flat fee. USA Talks.com's proprietary technologies allow telephone-to-telephone calls using simple, fast call placement. These technologies include speech recognition, speech verification, and speech compression, which aid in security and ease of use. USA Talks' long distance service is marketed through TrendMark, Inc., a direct marketing company based in Memphis, Tennessee. This press release contains forward-looking statements relating to future operating information and their impact on future results. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in forwarding looking statements as a result of risk factors such a market conditions, product life cycles, customer delays in purchasing products, technology shifts, potential difficulties in introducing new products, competition, price sensitivity and the uncertainty market acceptance of the Company's products by distributors, retailers and customers. SOURCE USA Talks.com, Inc. [Copyright 1998, PR Newswire

To: Stephen B. Temple who wrote (1970)	11/25/1998 8:09:00 AM
From: Stephen B. Temple	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 3178

Consumers of New Wireless Technology Better Served by Market Competition Than Government-mandated Standard, Economic White Paper Concludes November 25, 1998 WASHINGTON, Nov. 24 /PRNewswire/Consumers of third generation (3G) wireless technology will be better served by marketplace competition than by a single, government-mandated standard, according to a new economic white paper released today by the North American GSM Alliance. Written by Joseph Farrell, Professor of Economics at the University of California, Berkeley and former chief economist of the Federal Communications Commission, the White Paper concludes that "allowing multiple third generation standards to compete can create greater product variety and _ stronger incentives for innovation." "This comprehensive economic analysis reaffirms our belief in the free market as the best way for American consumers to obtain the least costly, most technologically advanced wireless communication equipment," said Don Warkentin, Chairman of the North American GSM Alliance. "Multiple standards provide companies flexibility to respond to varying consumer demands and will allow the manufacturing of all types of wireless equipment to continue here in the United States." Competition Fuels Response to Consumer Needs Farrell finds that marketplace competition provides consumers with a greater variety of products from which to choose. Competition in second generation wireless standards, for example, led to Nextel's Direct Connect feature, allowing consumers instant access to conference calls from their wireless phones. Similarly, the ability of GSM customers to make calls from almost any location using the "smart card" is the result of marketplace competition. The evolution of CDMA speech coding technology is yet another example of the benefits of market-driven innovations. Nationwide roaming, a purported benefit of a single standard, is already happening regardless of a mandated standard, according to Farrell, because wireless service providers recognize consumer demand for it. AT&T, Sprint PCS and Nextel have the ability to offer seamless, near-national roaming now and several other firms and alliances are not far behind. Likewise, manufacturers' economies of scale will adjust to reflect the choices made by wireless equipment buyers. A government mandate is not necessary to bring about what the marketplace is already causing to happen, Farrell concludes. Mandated Standards Stall Technology Advances A single, government-mandated standard, Farrell concludes, would hamper the industry's ability to respond quickly to new challenges and opportunities and remove incentives to improve upon existing technology. Multiple standards, on the other hand, avoid "locking in on an obsolete technology." They provide companies with the incentive to meet varying consumer needs and adapt to new ones, and to constantly search for technological innovations in the race to outdo their competitors. Manufacturing Jobs Created Independent of Standard Origins Characterizing wireless manufacturing jobs as "internationally mobile, " Farrell also calls into question job creation claims made by proponents of a single standard. "Manufacturing jobs and manufacturing leadership depend on manufacturing advantages, and do not simply rest in the country of origin of a standard," he states. Experience with the U.S.-developed NTSC-based color television standard as well as second generation wireless technology shows that manufacturing decisions are made independent of standards development. Both the TDMA/IS-136 and CDMA second generation wireless standards originated in the United States, yet major manufacturers utilizing these standards include Ericsson, Nokia, Sony, Samsung, and Siemens. Likewise, while the second generation GSM standard is considered a European standard (although based on a number of U.S.-held patents), Ericsson, Nokia, Mitsubishi, Sony and Hyundai -- as well as American-based manufacturers Lucent and Motorola -- make GSM and CDMA equipment in the United States and other countries, employing a significant number of American workers. Farrell foresees nothing to prevent U.S. manufacturers from producing equipment compatible with any third generation standard adopted by a group such as the European Telecommunications Standards Institute. Endorsement of a U.S.-developed standard would not ensure manufacturing jobs are created domestically. North American-based Motorola, Lucent, Qualcomm and Nortel all manufacture second generation wireless equipment abroad. "Requests to base standards policy on alleged employment advantages of nationally sponsored standards are unconvincing even on their own terms: 'foreign' manufacturers can and do manufacture to 'U.S. standards,' and foreign and U.S. firms alike manufacture both in the U.S. and abroad," Farrell concludes. SOURCE North American GSM Alliance LLC