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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 (2478)	2/14/1999 6:26:00 PM
From: Frank A. Coluccio	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 3178

Stephen, I'm not aware of any currently-available high-end SS7-to-C7 gateway grade switches from NT, or LU or the like, which also provide embedded H.323 or other IP telephony capabilities. I'm sure that they are in the works, but as far as any being released yet? I haven't heard of such. However, some of the smaller programmable switches such as Summa Four (now a part of CSCO), and XLSW, along with a growing number of others, have been programmed and provisioned for both SS7-to-C7 conversion and VoIP on the back end. In turn, these switches either do a PSTN "hand off" or they attach to additional IP facilities for extending the call to a remote VoIP gateway, closer to the called party. The determination here is dependent on many factors, but ordinarily this is dictated by (1) the extent and reach of the ITSP's domestic TCP/IP backbone network, and (2) the locations of the end points with respect to the international gateways. Keep in mind that the larger switching entities in this space are substantial investments in both time and administration, and they must serve a greater number of services (mostly conventional in nature) than just the newer VoIPs. Therefore, they must be utilized optimally, so the price-performance outcome often points to using a discrete gateway, still, for the VoIP component (which is still a small fraction of the overall). In this fashion, they can thus use the larger remaining portion of the switch for domestic tandem and international gatewaying purposes, as well. There's another thing to consider here, which is equally, probably more, important. And that is that many ITSPs would prefer to bypass the SS7/C7 gateway entirely at this time in order to take advantage of the regulatory leniency or forbearance that still exists. Their preference at this time, instead, is to ride directly to their overseas destinations over a private IP backbone, or over a mesh of similar IP links, and handing off to the locals on a domestic (in-coutry) basis. This allows them to remain under the radar screen, as it were, thus permitting them side-step accounting rates and settlement issues. This is, in fact, how they are making most of their moolah nowadays, as it turns out. Perhaps Jeff can elaborate on this if he is looking in here...? Any and all comments/corrections are welcome. Regards, Frank Coluccio

To: Stephen B. Temple who wrote (2478)	2/16/1999 9:12:00 AM
From: Stephen B. Temple	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 3178

The chase is on for 'wireless Internet', microbrowser wars begin> I've added some interesting links within. February 16, 1999 ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING TIMES: New Orleans - New companies, alliances and products struggled to come to grips with a still-undefined market for wireless Internet services at the Cellular Telephone Industry Association's Wireless '99 show last week. Announcements ran a broad gamut from new players pursuing broadband fixed wireless services to fresh efforts to deliver simple messaging schemes over traditional circuit-switched networks. Competition flared just below the surface here in areas including microbrowsers for next-generation handheld devices and server-based software tools. But most agreed that the future of cellular systems lay not in voiceband services but in a general shift toward Internet Protocol data over any wireless system. Much of the action swirled around true broadband millimeter-wave services like Local Multipoint Distribution Service (LMDS). Not only were there dedicated sessions on broadband LMDS, but millimeter-wave startup Wavtrace Inc. wavetrace.com (Bellevue, Wash.) elected to launch its broadband-access system at the show, while wireless-ATM specialist Netro Corp. netro-corp.com (San Jose, Calif.) launched an effort to switch gears to LMDS and other licensed access services. Narrowband data services also enjoyed a renaissance of sorts, as developers formed alliances to exploit simple messaging methods, primarily the Short Message Service (SMS) initially developed for GSM cellular. SMS found a new home in the iDen Enhanced Specialized Mobile Radio band from Nextel Communications Inc. and Motorola Inc., as those two companies formed new links with Unwired Planet Inc. unwiredplanet.com and other software developers. Separately, Motorola's computer group (Tempe, Ariz.) announced a dedicated SMS server, developed in conjunction with ADC NewNet, for handling nationwide SMS distribution in iDen networks. The upshot was to put the 800-MHz digital cellular and 1.9-GHz PCS communities on notice that they must hammer out a range of data services for today's frequency bands and the wider-band channels promised by third-generation (3G) cell phones. Merle Gilmore, president of the Motorola Communications Enterprise Sector, said that these transitions drove Motorola's deal, announced last Monday, to work with Cisco Systems Inc. on bringing advanced IP routing and switching to cellular networks. "One of our first goals is adding wireless-data capabilities to existing networks, and this will start in the 2.5G generation," Gilmore said. "More important is to put in place a migration path to move [circuit] switched hierarchical networks to a distributed, peer-to-peer, IP-based net. " This change in the physical network is sparking software battles in client and server worlds. A microbrowser war is emerging between Unwired Planet and Microsoft Corp., as the latter company divides its interests between independent CE-based microbrowsers optimized for Windows and work with Qualcomm Inc. (San Diego) on a "personal portal" for unified server-based applications accessible through small appliances such as PDAs and cellular phones. That effort-undertaken by the pair's Wireless Knowledge joint venture-begins to intrude on server-based information tools such as the ByeDesk agent technology from Fujitsu Software Corp. and the DNS Peering tools launched at the show by Canadian startup Saraide.com Corp. The lesson for carriers is to go broad, exemplified at Wireless '99 by a flurry of deals that link regional and national wireless carriers to specific handset and PDA developers and software houses working on wireless data. Broadband grows up The obvious first front is LMDS and similar high-frequency systems. Last week Wavtrace, a company with founders from Motorola, Siemens, MCI and other key vendors, launched what it called the first broadband Internet access system based on time-division duplexed (TDD) channels. Chief executive Tom van Overbeek said that TDD technology was critical in allowing LMDS to support the type of symmetrical services currently served by symmetric and high-bit-rate DSL (digital subscriber line) schemes. Another LMDS startup, Ensemble Communications Inc., is rumored to be working on a TDD LMDS system as well, but is said to be several months from announcing systems. Wavtrace announced initial trials of its system at Virginia Tech, and chief technology officer Bob Foster predicted a growing interest in the dynamic bandwidth-allocation features that omnidirectional TDD radio allows. Netro, a company that got its start two years ago touting point-to-point wireless ATM, made an extended pitch at the show for using its point-to-multipoint AirStar product line in a variety of millimeter-frequency bands, corresponding to many regions' LMDS plans. Cynthia Hillery, vice president of marketing, said that the 28-GHz version of the system for the United States will follow versions for 26, 10 and 39 GHz. The North American LMDS market is not as mature as in other nations, she said, where wireless broadband access is often the only Internet option available. Traditional cellular providers are looking to chip and subsystem developers for help in crafting midrate wideband services to deploy prior to the availability of 3G 384-kbit/second channels. Qualcomm, which made a strong push for its High Data Rate system at last year's PCS show, is trying to show carriers how to install HDR alongside CDMA cellular and future 3G systems in unified basestations. HDR uses dedicated bands to provide 128-kbit to 1-Mbit channels alongside traditional cellular service. Qualcomm anticipates that the only way data service can be made profitable is by amortizing the cost of the technology over a common cellular infrastructure, said Paul Jacobs, president of the consumer products division. SMS, long popular in Europe for simplified low-data-rate messages in a GSM environment, made a big splash as Nextel forged deals with Motorola, Netscape Communications Inc. and Unwired Planet to provide simplified Internet access using Motorola iDen phones and the SMS message structure. Mary Evren, business-development manager for wireless data at Nextel, emphasized that her company will work with application developers in SMS, circuit-data and packet-data realms. She said developers often need some basic training on the types of e-mail and messages they want to support. Some assume they want a full packet-data service when SMS will actually work more reliably, she said. The telecom team in Motorola's computer group is providing fault-tolerant systems, developed in conjunction with ADC NewNet, for SMS server duty, as part of the iDen infrastructure. This begs the question of what kind of platform wireless users will want for interfacing to the Internet. LMDS and other millimeter-wave services clearly are oriented to desktop platforms, where full browsers and multimedia can be supported. The microbrowser makers, on the other hand, see the phone with a small display as the access platform. New, augmented phone/PDA systems from companies such as Innovative Global Solutions Inc. (La Jolla, Calif.) were on view at the show, offering enhanced Web access based on the Unwired Planet browser. But Ben Linder, Unwired Planet's vice president of marketing, said it was just as interesting to see a simple four-line browser show up on the tiny iDen phones. That these mini phones can access scores of Web sites shows that Unwired Planet is gaining ground in getting its Web tools widely deployed, he said. The next battleground may be server tools. Wireless Knowledge launched the first offering for mobile server-based Internet access, Revolv. The company said 11 developers are working in the Revolv environment for Windows platforms, and pledged other service suites in coming months. Wireless Knowledge sees its server technology as enabling "personal portals" for Web service, based on a mobile user's personal Web space. Others in this realm include Fujitsu Software's ByeDesk and newcomer Saraide.com (Nepean, Ont.), which grew out of a skunkworks program at Nortel Networks. Copyright c 1999 CMP Media Inc. By Loring Wirbel

To: Stephen B. Temple who wrote (2478)	2/16/1999 9:14:00 AM
From: Stephen B. Temple	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 3178

BellSouth First Regional Bell to Offer 'Local Toll' Dialing Parity Region-Wide February 16, 1999 WASHINGTON, Feb. 15 /PRNewswire/As further proof its markets are open to competition, BellSouth (NYSE: BLS) customers region-wide now have the option of using any telephone company for " short-haul" toll calls using one-plus dialing. The ability of customers to switch phone companies for such in-state toll calls has been a goal since the Telecommunications Act was signed three years ago. The idea is to give customers who switch to competing long-distance companies the ability to make such calls by dialing a "1," plus the number, just as customers of BellSouth can do. BellSouth revealed its implementation of toll-dialing parity in a letter to the Federal Communications Commission on Monday, February 8, 1999, the third anniversary of the Act. "BellSouth is proud to be the first regional Bell to implement this service regionwide," said Margaret Greene, BellSouth's group president, regulatory and external affairs. "It shows we have opened all our markets to competition. We hope it helps convince the FCC we should be let into the long-distance market currently dominated by AT&T, MCI and Sprint." BellSouth is the first regional Bell company to implement such "intraLATA toll dialing parity" throughout its region, which in BellSouth's case covers nine southeastern states. These calls, which until recently have been handled primarily by incumbent telephone companies, are short-haul long-distance calls that stay within artificial "Local Access and Transport Areas," or LATAs. Bell operating companies are prohibited from sending calls between LATAs without FCC approval, which to date has not been granted. Under the supervision of state regulators, BellSouth recently came to agreements with long-distance companies and competing local exchange companies to implement intraLATA toll dialing parity in Alabama, South Carolina and Tennessee. It also began implementing the service February 8 in Louisiana, Mississippi and North Carolina and has previously implemented intraLATA toll dialing parity in Florida, Georgia, and Kentucky. BellSouth is a $23 billion communications services company. It provides telecommunications, wireless communications, cable and digital TV, directory advertising and publishing, and Internet and data services to nearly 34 million customers in 19 countries worldwide.

To: Stephen B. Temple who wrote (2478)	2/19/1999 8:57:00 AM
From: Stephen B. Temple	Respond to of 3178

Lucent Technologies and Russia's SviazStroy-1 Form Fiber Cable Venture February 19, 1999 MOSCOW, Feb. 18 /PRNewswire/ Lucent Technologies and SviazStroy-1 today announced the formation of a joint venture company to manufacture fiber optic cable to meet the growing needs of network operators in Russia and other countries within the Commonwealth of Independent States. The new company, called Lucent Technologies SviazStroy-1 Fiber Optic Cable Company, will be based in Voronezh, Russia, about 500 kilometers south of Moscow. Lucent will be the majority owner of the joint venture, with a 51 percent share. SviazStroy-1, the largest construction company implementing orders of Rostelekom and regional PTTs in Central Russia, will own 49 percent share. "This is an important milestone in our ability to serve the worldwide optical fiber marketplace," said Bill Spivey, president of the Network Products Group for Lucent Technologies. "This is a vital, growing market for us, and we believe our new partner, SviazStroy-1, will be a key to our success with this venture." "Modern communications networks have created a growing demand for high- quality fiber optic cables," said Anatoly Rogozin, General Director of SviazStroy-1. "Lucent's technology and manufacturing experience will ensure our joint venture produces the industry's most advanced fiber optic cable at a competitive price. SviazStroy-1, in cooperation with Lucent Technologies, will provide construction and turn-key projects for sophisticated communications and information systems deployment." Initially, some 60 people will be employed by the company, with approximately 40 production employees expected to be hired for the fiber optic cable operation during the next two years. The facility, which is located in already-constructed and operational SviazStroy-1 workshops, will produce single-mode fiber optic cable, as well as Lucent's TrueWave(R) RS and AllWave (TM) fiber optic cable offerings. These offerings represent a breakthrough in the fiber industry by opening new windows in the fiber spectrum. The company is expected to begin initial product manufacture in the next few weeks, upon completion of the registration process in Russia. "USA investment into the Russian economy will deliver technologies that will serve as a foundation for our economic growth," said I.M. Sabanov, the governor of Voronezh region. "The establishment of this venture will contribute to everyone by adding new jobs to the area and transferring advanced management and production experience to our factories. We are optimistic that other high-tech manufacturing ventures will follow as a result." "This project represents the culmination of many months of work by Lucent and SviazStroy-1," said John Tefft, the U.S. Embassy's Deputy Chief of Mission in Russia. "It is an important step toward the revitalization of the Russian telephone network with the kind of advanced technology in which both of our countries excel." Lucent Technologies has more than 400 employees at nine locations in Russia, CIS in manufacturing, sales and service operations in the cities of Moscow, St. Petersburg, Irkutsk, Ekaterinburg, Kiev, Almati and Voronezh. In the past few years, Lucent has invested well over $30 million in Russia, including its 5ESS(R) System manufacturing facility in St. Petersburg, and switching and transmission software research and development laboratories in Moscow and St. Petersburg, as well a National 5ESS software support center in co-operation with Leningrad Telecommunications Research and Development Institute (LONIIS). "Today's announcement is a further indication of Lucent's commitment to the Russian marketplace -- and our plans to be a major force in this part of the world," said Spivey. SviazStroy-1 designs, develops and implements the full range of project and construction activity on all types of cabling and installation of networking equipment. The company has an experience of communications cable with copper trend manufacturing and performs industry and residential construction. During the last three years, SviazStroy-1 has installed more than 4000 km of fiber optic cables, deploying trunk lines and backbone network infrastructure. "We consider the establishment of this fiber optic joint venture to play a significant role in the Russian communications network development, which will help advance the country's integration into the global telecom community," said A. E. Krupnov, the chairman of the State Committee of Communications and Information of Russian Federation. "Implementation of this joint venture project will allow Russian network operators to acquire fiber optic cable in country, without the necessity to purchase it abroad. "This will help us gain additional experience in working with modern telecommunication technologies," Krupnov added. "Today the entire world is building the 'last mile' subscriber access with fiber optics, and Russia plans to fully utilize this progressive infrastructure for our telecommunications needs." Lucent Technologies is the largest vertically integrated fiber optic cable manufacturer in the world, with 24 cable manufacturing and joint ventures around the world. Lucent's extensive fiber product line is designed by the company's research and development organization, Bell Laboratories, which has won more than 1,600 patents in optical networking. Lucent's Bell Labs invented nonzero-dispersion (NZDF) fiber with its award-winning TrueWave fiber offering. With more than 70 percent of the installed NZDF base around the world, Lucent remains the industry leader in providing fiber for high capacity networks. Since introducing TrueWave Fiber in 1993, Lucent has sold millions of kilometers of TrueWave Fiber. Lucent Technologies designs, builds and delivers a wide range of public and private networks, communications systems and software, business telephone systems and microelectronic components. Bell Labs is the research and development arm for the company. More information about Lucent Technologies, headquartered in Murray Hill, N.J., is available on its Web site at www.lucent.com. AOOT "SviazStroy-1", formed in 1992, operates as part of concern "SviazStroy." It is a successor of the State Construction and Deployment Trust "SviazStroy-1" established in 1965. The company incorporates 11 structured enterprises, located in eight large cities of Central Russia, as well as joint venture "KVO Cable" with BICC Communications, based in England, for copper trend cable production, and a joint venture with Reliant Trade Corporation for the waste cable processing. AOOT "SviazStroy-1" and its JVs have 2,542 employees. SOURCE Lucent Technologies

To: Stephen B. Temple who wrote (2478)	2/19/1999 8:59:00 AM
From: Stephen B. Temple	Respond to of 3178

New AT&T Global IP Telephony Interoperability Lab Opens; Ten Companies Sign Up February 19, 1999 FLORHAM PARK, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIREAT&T today announced that three service providers and seven network equipment manufacturers will be the first participants in the AT&T Global IP Telephony Interoperability Lab. This industry test bed will promote consistent implementation of standards for global IP telephony and other advanced IP services. AT&T Labs will host the effort at its East and West Coast locations - in Florham Park, N.J., near the company's headquarters, and in San Jose in California's Silicon Valley - to enable more companies to participate. The service providers working with the lab - in addition to AT&T -- are Delta Three, GRIC and @Home. The participating network equipment providers are Cisco Systems, Clarent, Ericsson, Lucent Technologies, Siemens, 3COM and VocalTec. "Next-generation IP services must be as reliable and must work together as well as the telephone network we've built over the past 100 years," said David C. Nagel, AT&T Labs president and chief technology officer for AT &T. "We're looking forward to working with many of the players in the global IP telephony industry to make that a reality." "Clearly AT&T's Interoperability Lab has struck a responsive chord. Many of the top players in the industry have joined us in taking a leadership role to solve the issues surrounding interoperablity," said Kathleen B. Earley, vice president, AT&T Internet Services. "We'll be addressing a wide range of issues, right down to the technical nuts and bolts of exchanging billing information, and making certain that companies' network management tools interoperate effectively." The Interoperability Lab is housed in AT&T Labs facilities where experts test telecommunications equipment before deployment in AT&T's network. Each participant is installing its IP telephony products. A variety of wired and wireless transmission media is being used to simulate several real-world network environments, including a home, a home office, an office complex and a community. The phones and computers of the hundreds of employees throughout the Florham Park facility are being connected to the lab and will serve as part of the test bed. Integration with AT&T's IP platform lab in San Jose will allow testing of the entire spectrum of IP capabilities, including the ability to make settlements among a group of IP service providers. Interoperablity Lab participants will team to develop and implement joint test plans and evaluate results, to further the evolution of products and services toward full realization of the potential of IP telephony. For more information about AT&T's IP Services, go to att.com, or to att.com for information about AT&T Labs. Comments from participating companies. "Clarent fully supports the opening of AT&T's interoperability lab. The lab demonstrates AT&T's continued leadership in promoting the rapid growth of IP Telephony," said Jerry Chang, president and CEO, Clarent Corporation. "Clarent is also very supportive of Internet telephony activities and is honored to be a charter participant in AT&T's interop lab." Contact Heidi Bersin 650-481-1707 "This is an industry milestone," said Elie Wurtman, CEO of Delta Three. "AT&T's ability to bring many of the top VOIP players into their interoperability test lab is a vote of confidence for the entire VOIP industry. Delta Three is extremely pleased to be one of the participating service providers." Contact Farah Hain 212-588-3672 "Ericsson believes interoperability and innovation are the cornerstones of growth for global network providers," said Staffan Lindholm, Ericsson's general manager of IP Services at Data Networks. "As a vendor intimately involved with wireless, wireline and data solutions, we are excited that AT &T's lab provides an incubator for real-life advanced IP telephony offerings to the marketplace." Contact Barbara Boyle 972-583-5481 "Interoperability between ISPs, carriers and other service providers is a key issue affecting the growth of Internet telephony," said Dr. Hong Chen, chairman and chief executive officer of GRIC Communications, Inc. "Working closely with AT&T's Interoperability Lab will accelerate the availability of new value-added services that interoperate with the industry." Contact Jon Porter 408-965-1162 "Our VoIP customers are demanding multi-vendor interoperable solutions, " said Chris Schoettle, vice president of IP Communications, Lucent Technologies. "As a leader in delivering on 'ready-to-go' interoperable VoIP products, we are delighted to participate in AT&T's Global IP Telephony Interoperability Lab." Contact Steve Loudermilk 908-953-7514 "The success of IP telephony depends on addressing key issues like interoperability. Siemens applauds AT&T's leadership and believes that the interoperability lab will help maximize the long term value of IP-based communications. With our global reach and solutions-oriented approach, Siemens is pleased to be working with AT&T in this important effort," said Chuck Harris, Vice President and General Manager of Siemens Internet Solutions group. Contact Thomas Phillips 561-955-3670 "Interoperability is key to making IP telephony a reality," said Irfan Ali, vice president and general manager, Carrier Systems Business Unit, 3Com Corporation. "3Com welcomes the opportunity to join with AT&T in its Global IP Telephony Interoperabilty Lab. Through this effort, 3Com and AT &T will work together to advance end-to-end network connectivity and interoperability as customers implement IP telephony and other converged network solutions." Contact Steven Plavney 847-262-1329 "VocalTec considers interoperability one of the foremost challenges facing the delivery of reliable, global Internet telephony services," said Dr. Elon Ganor, chairman at VocalTec Communications. "AT&T deserves credit for creating an objective means for evaluating real-world VoIP solutions. VocalTec has long dedicated resources to developing standards-based, interoperable products and we are glad to join other leading technology companies, carriers and ISPs in this cooperative effort." Contact Jo Lee 201-768-9400 x 211

To: Stephen B. Temple who wrote (2478)	2/19/1999 9:06:00 AM
From: Stephen B. Temple	Respond to of 3178

Lynk Offers Click & Talk Functionality for E-Commerce February 19, 1999 MISGAV, Israel--(BUSINESS WIRE)Lynk Ltd., a subsidiary of Better On-line Solutions (NASDAQ: BOSCF), introduces TeleLynk software, enabling online shoppers to "click and talk" to merchants at no charge. This IP telephony software is ideal for online storefronts that want to offer their customers and merchants convenient and personal voice communication over the Internet. TeleLynk is a suite of IP telephony solutions for the corporate market including a range of Gateways and client products. TeleLynk is designed to dramatically lower the cost of telephone calls and telephony equipment by routing calls over corporate Intranets or the Internet. Companies that want to add voice capabilities to their Web site can install a single TeleLynk Gateway and the TeleLynk software. This allows customers browsing an E-Commerce Web site to simply click an icon and speak with merchants to get specific information. The TeleLynk Gateway routes calls to the requested merchant's regular telephone line and customers can use their PCs' speakers and a microphone to speak with a representative. According to a report by Forrester Research, Inc., worldwide E-Commerce sales will reach between $1.4 and $3.2 trillion in the year 2003. This total represents 5 percent of global sales. "A growing number of customers want the convenience of shopping online, yet the benefit of speaking with a real person," said Avi Oron, Lynk president. "TeleLynk gives companies that sell through the Web the tools needed to enhance customer satisfaction and increase market share." Israel (Izzy) Gal, President of BOS Ltd., Lynk's parent company, said, " Lynk's new IP telephony solution for the E-Commerce market is a natural extension to BOS' E-Commerce product line. The combination of the companies' technologies creates a competitive advantage for both Lynk and BOS." WDE Implements TeleLynk to Enhance E-Commerce Business Following a two-month pilot by World Data Exchange and Radio Rotterdam, WDE selected TeleLynk to provide Click & Talk capability as standard service on its E-Commerce site. "TeleLynk adds the human touch to the mechanized procedure of electronic shopping," said David Daniel Rachimi, President of WDE. "TeleLynk allows online customers to speak with service representatives in real-time and quickly retrieve information needed to make a purchase decision." He added, "Technical reasons lead us to choose TeleLynk after checking products of other leading phone-over-IP providers. We found that TeleLynk downloads faster than other products we tried, it is easier to implement within our E-Commerce platform and it delivers better voice quality." Click & Talk is a natural extension of the range of E-Commerce services that WDE provides for several thousand merchants based in Rotterdam, Holland, said Rachimi. In addition, the company will soon offer turnkey solutions to ISPs worldwide including Click & Talk, business-to-business and business-to-consumer E-Commerce, a search mechanism, Fax over IP and more. WDE will show TeleLynk at CeBIT 1999: Hall 6, USA Pavilion D20, Booth G4. Lynk, headquartered in Israel, is a leading developer and manufacturer of IP telephony and remote access solutions. To download a free trial version of TeleLynk Client, visit Lynk's Web site at www.soholynk.com. The BOS Web site is www.bosweb.com. Visit Lynk at CT Expo Spring '99, Booth 3716.

To: Stephen B. Temple who wrote (2478)	2/19/1999 9:11:00 AM
From: Stephen B. Temple	Respond to of 3178

Endless connectivity> Intermost Completes Search Engine; Race is on for Internet Supremacy February 19, 1999 NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE) Intermost Corporation (OTC BB:IMOT) announced today the completion of its Chinese language search engine to harness the online buying power of China's 1.2 billion people. With Chinese Internet access doubling in the past year and China's government embracing E-commerce, the Intermost search engine puts the Company in a position to dominate the enormous online product reference market and become the "Yahoo of China." Intermost's popular website, www.ChinaEcom.net, already has the highest volume of user traffic of all Chinese trade-related Internet sites. It also has the most advertisers of all business sites in China. Now, Intermost has expanded the site's coverage to include trade regulations, investment opportunities and exhibition schedules. Buyers and suppliers can also list their information on the Company's web bulletin board. Intermost President, Jun Liang, who is in the US this week discussing acquisition opportunities, said, "The next big wave of E-commerce in China will be wholesale and retail online shopping. Every 100 days, the number of E-commerce transactions is doubling. We are now in negotiations with brand name manufacturers to form joint ventures to sell products directly." In negotiations are an Amazon.com type Chinese joint venture. Also under consideration is an Ebay type auction site for wholesale and retail sales in China. Add to that joint venture talks for online music sales and a host of other opportunities, and you can see that Intermost is determined to lead the race as China's Internet leader. In the US, E-commerce is throwing entire industries in chaos as consumers switch buying methods for stocks, airline tickets, books and clothing. In China, E-commerce is offering Chinese consumers their first look at many products, making web-based E-commerce their first buying opportunity. In other words, Chinese consumers will look first to the web because they will no longer be limited by geography, spotty distribution and out-of-date department store buyers who aren't up on the latest trends. The E-commerce gold rush is to win the web loyalty of the 200 million Chinese who will have credit cards by the year 2000 - and Intermost has 2 million businesses in their database ready to welcome these new spenders into their stores. With close to 10% of the Intermost 2 million business database already converted to the search engine, the Company strategy to lead the web revolution involves regional sales strategies and content, value-added Internet services, E-commerce joint ventures and Internet telephony. Everything we take for granted in the US Internet market is up for grabs in China. Intermost believes that the key to dominating China's race for Internet penetration and services will be access to a substantial subscriber and business database throughout China and Hong Kong. Intermost's ownership of China's largest business database will enable the Company to attract advertisers, online merchants, online joint ventures and acquisition of other Web-oriented businesses. With their three data and technology centers already up and operating, with a fourth coming online soon, Intermost is racing to capture the gold - the E-commerce gold - in China. With US companies already eyeing the market, the question is: who will end up partnering with Intermost? Investor information can be found on the web at: www.MarketManagement.com or www.Intermost.com. "Safe Harbor" Statement Under The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: The statements in the press release that relate to the company's expectations with regard to the future impact on the company's results from new products in development are forward-looking statements, within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The results anticipated by any or all of these forward-looking statements may not occur.

To: Stephen B. Temple who wrote (2478)	2/19/1999 9:24:00 AM
From: Stephen B. Temple	Respond to of 3178

AT&T-TCI Phone Trial Slips To March February 19, 1999 Inter@ctive Week: The start of an eagerly awaited cable-telephony trial by AT&T and Tele-Communications Inc. has slipped a few weeks, into March, because systems and service still need work. The trial in Fremont, Calif., was to start Feb. 16, the companies told California regulators. AT&T (www.att.com) now expects the trial to start in March, spokesman James Peterson said last week. The providers are "working through operationalizing the technology," he said. They also are working on service, he said, but he wouldn't provide details. The Fremont trial -- the first to test AT&T's crucial strategy of relying heavily on TCI (www.tci.com) and other cable companies to offer residential local phone service -- should last about six months, the companies told regulators. The trial is expected to involve thousands of customers. It follows technology testing with a few hundred AT&T and TCI employees plus a small number of additional Fremont "friendlies," Peterson said. The companies also provide phone service at a San Jose apartment complex. No marketing beyond the participants is likely before the market trial concludes. Last week, AT&T said Chairman and Chief Executive Officer C. Michael Armstrong will take on a more direct role in managing AT&T's cable operations. He will work closely with TCI President Leo Hindery to oversee day-to-day operations of TCI's network and the partnerships AT&T forged with cable operators as part of its telephony strategy. AT&T is moving ahead with its $48 billion TCI purchase despite the lack of approvals from scattered cities. Share-holder merger votes are set for Feb. 17.

To: Stephen B. Temple who wrote (2478)	2/19/1999 9:26:00 AM
From: Stephen B. Temple	Respond to of 3178

nextlink slowly positions for big wireless play February 19, 1999 Inter@ctive Week: With LMDS licenses in hand, operator willmake broadband technology choices later this year By Ken Freed Special To Inter@ctive Week Rival operators already deliver services in key metropolitan markets, but NextLink Communications is confident it ultimately will lead the way as a provider of broadband wireless services -- and it has the paper to prove it. With its $695 million acquisition of spectrum licenses from WNP Communications, NextLink (www.nextlink.net) holds more licenses to offer broadband wireless service via Local Multipoint Distribution Service (LMDS) technology than any other operator, including Teligent and WinStar Communications, both of which started rolling out broadband wireless services late last year. With the WNP buy, which awaits approval by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, NextLink holds licenses to reach about 95 percent of all customers in the top 30 U.S. markets. Although NextLink's NextBand subsidiary has yet to launch commercial LMDS in a single market, the company founded by wireless pioneer Craig McCaw isn't expected to sit on the sidelines much longer. "The LMDS community has been looking for leadership for some time," says Andrew Kreig, president of the Wireless Communications Association, a trade group. "NextLink is making a bold move by finally establishing their leadership. Everybody in the LMDS community and the larger universe of fixed wireless broadband providers now has a common map of the competitive landscape. " Sense Of Direction NextLink's LMDS strategy is emerging as a key component in the operator's overall service plan. The company already operates as a wireline service provider, offering facilities-based local and long-distance service in 36 markets. It has close ties to Teledesic, the would-be satellite service provider backed by McCaw and Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates. Despite its bold move to secure licenses, NextLink isn't rushing to match the aggressive rollout schedules of other broadband wireless providers. "It's still a bit early to say exactly what NextLink will do, because they've been playing their cards pretty close to the vest," Kreig says. The top guns at NextLink sound almost duty-bound to keep from rushing to market. "As the largest player in this segment of the marketplace, we have equipment vendors coming to us, and we're asking them to maximize capacity and reliability in a cost-effective manner," says George Tronsrue, NextLink's president and chief operating officer. "We are cooperatively figuring out how to do that. We believe that what is good for our customers will be good for the industry. Historically, McCaw companies have been active in industry affairs." For technology options, NextLink is looking at the equipment Teligent and WinStar are deploying in their wireless broadband networks. "We're learning from their experiences," Tronsrue says. "We're not getting information first-hand, but we're talking with vendors about their customer feedback and performance statistics." Tronsrue says NextLink will evaluate technology options over the next few months and won't make a decision on equipment or suppliers until later this year. "We have lab trials scheduled to test wireless transmission equipment from different vendors," he says. "We'll conduct field trials in a couple of markets during the second and third quarters, make our decisions in the late third quarter and begin commercial deployment in the fourth quarter." The interactive services NextLink is considering for LMDS delivery -- in addition to voice and data -- include Internet Protocol-based streaming video and audio, videoconferencing and distance learning. But television programming service is not on NextLink's service list, Tronsrue says. Enterprising Strategy That decision reflects a sea change in the LMDS industry, which originally was envisioned as a "wireless cable" service to compete with cable operators. Over the past year, however, wireless license holders have abandoned the home entertainment market in favor of the enterprise telecom market. "We're going after the enterprise customer, not the residential customer, " Tronsrue says. But he leaves the door open to rethinking a TV play later. "Our underlying architecture uses ATM [Asynchronous Transfer Mode] packet switching, so we can leverage our LMDS spectrum to bundle and deliver interactive television services in every place that makes sense for our customers," he says. "Short term, wireless cable is not a viable business for us, but after our commercial launch of voice and data services, who knows? Never say never."