Monday January 4, 8:01 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
International ISP Consortium
ISPtel Selects Ascend to Supply Internet Telephony Solutions
Ascend MultiVoice for the MAX Enables ISPs to Deliver Next Generation Voice and Fax over the Internet
ALAMEDA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 4, 1999-- Ascend Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq:ASND - news), a leader in wide area networking (WAN) and Intelligent Networking (IN) solutions for providers and users of the next-generation public network, today announced that ISPtel, an international consortium of independent Internet Service Providers (ISPs), has standardized on the Ascend MultiVoice for the MAX platform to deliver voice and fax services over the Internet. ISPtel has more than 20 points of presence (POPs) in ten countries enabling members to offer Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service on a global basis.
ISPtel members are using Ascend MultiVoice for the MAX VoIP gateway, which runs on the award-winning MAX 4000 and 6000 WAN access switches. To ensure international reach for its member services, ISPtel has already established VoIP gateways in the United States (JPS.net), Canada (Globalserve), Australia (ICOMTEL PTY.LTD.), England (Cerbernet), Argentina (Internet de Argentina) the Netherlands (Worldonline), France (ISDnet and Atsat), Egypt (Intouch), Taiwan (Seednet), and Hong Kong (HKnet). Current ISPtel members have more than one million customers. By the end of the first quarter in 1999, ISPtel expects to have members in 25 countries with more than 100 POPs globally.
''ISPtel brings members a total business solution so they can easily offer Internet telephony services to expand their customer offerings and further leverage their network investment to quickly roll out new revenue-generating services,'' said Paul Mc Govern, international marketing director of ISPtel. ''We chose Ascend's MAX family of WAN access switches because of its high-density, proven reliability, worldwide deployment and unmatched flexibility for VoIP solutions.''
ISPtel is an Internet telephony consortium that is building a worldwide voice and fax over IP network comprised of independent ISPs and based on Ascend MultiVoice for the MAX platform. Member ISPs are offering a full range of IP telephony services -- including long-distance fax and voice -- to customers around the globe. With Ascend MultiVoice for the MAX VoIP platform, ISPtel makes it possible for regional ISPs to tap into an international network to deliver comprehensive voice and fax services on a worldwide basis. Voice quality is the focus of the ISPtel network and long-distance VoIP rates are expected to be more cost-efficient than traditional Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) rates.
''Joining ISPtel is a great way for service providers to add Voice over IP into their service offerings with a minimum of risk and a low marginal cost,'' said Dick Slezak, vice president of Product Management and Business Development, Enterprise Access Division, Ascend Communications, Inc. ''By leveraging their existing MAX 4000 and 6000 solutions or taking advantage of Ascend's MultiVoice for the MAX Voice Over IP Starter Kit promotions, Ascend customers who join ISPtel are able to implement terrific value-add solutions from the consortium, such as billing and settlement solutions.''
Ascend MultiVoice for the MAX VoIP gateway supports the ITU-T H.323 standard for transmitting voice over an IP network. MultiVoice for the MAX is built upon the market-leading MAX WAN access switching platform, which provides toll-quality voice over managed IP networks. The solution provides end-to-end integration with the PSTN, network scalability and carrier-class redundancy.
Ascend Continues to Deliver on its MultiVoice Strategy
Ascend is driving market acceptance of VoIP with its three-phased MultiVoice Strategy, unveiled in March of 1998. Phase 1 of MultiVoice, MultiVoice over IP and Frame Relay, shipped in Q1 of 1998. Phase 2, MultiVoice over ATM, has been in field trials during Q2 and Q3. The third phase of the Ascend MultiVoice Strategy calls for the transparent integration of a MultiVoice VoIP network with an existing carrier PSTN signaling networks via an SS7 gateway. The Ascend MultiVoice Strategy provides a roadmap for ISPtel members and others throughout the industry that are utilizing Ascend technology to deliver next-generation Internet telephony solutions.
Ascend MAPs Way to ISPtel Member VoIP Deployment
In advancing its MultiVoice Strategy, ISPtel members will benefit from the Ascend MultiVoice Alliance Program (MAP), which is designed to extend Ascend VoIP solutions through key alliances with ''Best of Class'' application providers. The Ascend VoIP alliance program includes mainstream applications that provide both PSTN-type features and next generation telecommunications applications. These applications include VoIP billing, fax, roaming, and multimedia/unified messaging services.
About ISPtel
Launched in 1997, ISPtel is a privately owned Internet telecommunications company building a comprehensive global network of Internet Service points-of-presence offering voice and fax communications over the Internet. Based on Ascend Communications MultiVoice for the MAX technology, the ISPtel Network provides a Total Business Solution to ISPs looking to offer Internet telephony services to their customers. For more information about ISPtel and its services, please send email to info@isptel.com.
About Ascend Communications
Ascend Communications, Inc. (Nasdaq:ASND - news) develops, manufactures, sells and services wide area networking solutions for telecommunications carriers, Internet service providers and corporate customers worldwide.
For more information about Ascend and its products, please visit the Ascend Web site at www.ascend.com, or send e-mail to info@ascend.com. For Investor Relations, please call our communications hotline at 800-648-3059 or 760-704-4423 (outside the US & Canada). Additional investor information can also be accessed on our Web site at: ascend.com. Ascend is headquartered at One Ascend Plaza, 1701 Harbor Bay Parkway, Alameda, Calif. 94502; phone is 800/ASCEND4 and fax is 510-814-2300.
This release, other than historical financial information, contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. The results or events predicted in these statements may differ materially from actual future events or results. For instance, factors which could cause actual events or results to differ from anticipated events or results include the rate of development of new and enhanced technology by Ascend and its competitors, the integration of new businesses, the introduction and market acceptance of new products by Ascend and its competitors, competitive pricing actions and marketing programs, among others. Readers are referred to the documents filed by Ascend Communications with the Securities and Exchange Commission, specifically the most recent reports on forms 10-K and 10-Q, which identify important risk factors which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements.
Editors Note: Ascend and the Ascend logo are registered trademarks of Ascend Communications, Inc.
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