GREAT NEWS ON NMSS!
Siemens Selects Natural MicroSystems' Fusion IP Telephony Technology; Siemens Integrates NMS Technology Into IP Telephony Gateways for Enterprise and Service Provider Customers
Business/Technology Editors
FRAMINGHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 14, 1999--Natural MicroSystems (NASDAQ:NMSS), the technology leader in Open Telecommunications(TM), today announced that Siemens Information and Communication Networks has selected Natural MicroSystems' Fusion(TM) IP Telephony technology as the platform for Release 2.0 of its Hicom(R) Xpress Telephony Internet Server (TIS), a Windows NT-based gateway that enables voice and real-time fax calls over IP-based networks.
Leveraging the open architecture and flexible ISDN support of Natural MicroSystems' Fusion platform has enabled Siemens to quickly bring to market programmable IP telephony gateways that easily integrate with the company's existing Hicom Communication Server, thereby maintaining networking features for IP telephony users.
"Partnering with Natural MicroSystems enables us to bring extensible IP telephony solutions to market quickly and cost-effectively," said Kurt Renz, president of Siemens Enterprise Switching Networks Division, Munich. "IP telephony presents tremendous opportunities for Siemens and our customers, and we're very excited to have Natural MicroSystems as a technology partner."
"Open, programmable platforms are important for the integration of voice and data in both public and private communications networks," said Bob Schechter, Chairman and CEO of Natural MicroSystems. "Siemens, a world leader in telecommunications solutions, is clearly committed to a leadership position in the dynamic IP telephony market, and we're very pleased that they're taking the open systems approach with our Fusion technology."
Fusion
Fusion is the most highly-scalable IP telephony gateway platform in the industry, supporting multiple T- or E-spans per chassis with high-quality voice and real-time fax capability. Combined with Natural MicroSystems' CT Access integrated software development environment, Fusion simplifies the development of high-performance, multi-media gateways and communications servers for enterprise and network solutions. Fusion uses an intelligent hardware and software architecture that integrates Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) interfaces, telephony protocols, speech encoding, LAN interfaces and data protocols into a cohesive, open and scalable development platform.
Additionally, Fusion supports the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) H.323 standard to support calls from a wide range of IP Telephony clients including Microsoft NetMeeting, Netscape Conference, NetSpeak WebPhone and VocalTec Iphone. Fusion is interoperable with other gateways that support the H.323 protocol.
Hicom(R) Xpress Telephony Internet Server
The Hicom(R) Xpress Telephony Internet Server (TIS), Release 2.0, provides an alternate and cost-efficient transport of voice and real-time fax over IP networks. This release represents one in a series of products that address customer demands for merged voice and data networks. Release 2.0, based on industry standards such as the H.323, features CorNet(R), a Siemens ISDN-based networking protocol with QSIG support, SNMP for management and a scalable interface of up to 4T1s/E1s. A one-stage dialing allows users to access the "toll-by-pass" facility transparently, and the support of universal ports allows users to route voice and fax calls without having to deploy any special hardware for faxes. Also supported are private or standard numbering plans and DTMF tones regeneration.
Furthermore, TIS 2.0 ensures that no calls are dropped due to IP data network failure or congestion via its PSTN fallback features. This feature provides an automatic rerouting to a backup network in case of a failure or congestion on the IP network. The support of CorNet(R) networking protocol as well as the QSIG protocol for networking PBXs of different manufacturers is used to preserve telephony features offered on Siemens' communication servers for all calls routed over the IP network. Thus, in a networked Hicom 300E environment, users enjoy the same single system image to which they are accustomed when connected via the traditional T1/E1 or PRI lines.
About Siemens Information and Communication Networks
The Siemens Information and Communication Networks Group was established on October 1, 1998 as part of the restructuring of the Siemens information and communication activities. Information and Communication Networks has around 60,000 employees and sales of about DM 25 billion, making it one of the world's leading suppliers of end-to-end solutions for voice, data and mobile networks. Information and Communication Networks provides products, systems, solutions, servicing and support for setting up, operating and maintaining complete corporate and carrier networks. It also offers ancillary services ranging from network planning and financial consultancy through startup support to user training. Further information on this Siemens Group can be found on the Internet at siemens.com.
Siemens Information and Communication Networks Inc., headquartered in Boca Raton, Fla., is a leading provider of information and telecommunications solutions to public network service providers and enterprise customers in North America. The company is a subsidiary of Siemens AG, a global business with $66 billion in sales in the fiscal year ended September 1998.
About Natural MicroSystems
Natural MicroSystems (NASDAQ:NMSS), based in Framingham, Mass., is the technology leader in Open Telecommunications, providing hardware and software technologies and consulting and support services for developers of high-value telecommunications solutions. The company's state-of-the-art technology and NaturalEdge Portfolio of Services and Support enable a growing international network of OEMs, VARs, systems integrators and service providers to reduce time to market, leverage development resources, and offer truly global communications products. Natural MicroSystems products are installed in more than 40 countries worldwide.
Founded in 1983, Natural MicroSystems developed the first PC-based telephony product to utilize digital signal processor (DSP) technology and was a leader in the creation of MVIP and H.100, the industry standards for interoperability in PC-based telephony products. The quality processes at Natural MicroSystems have earned ISO 9002 certification. More information on the company is available at nmss.com.
Natural MicroSystems, Open Telecommunications and NaturalEdge are trademarks of Natural MicroSystems Corp. Fusion is a registered trademark of Natural MicroSystems Corp. All other product or corporate references are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.
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CONTACT: Natural MicroSystems
Karen Connor, 508/271-1380
karen_connor@nmss.com
or
C.H.E.N. PR
Pamela Wheatley, 781/466-8282
pwheatley@chenpr.com
KEYWORD: MASSACHUSETTS
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: COMED COMPUTERS/ELECTRONICS TELECOMMUNICATIONS INTERACTIVE/MULTIMEDIA/INTERNET
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