[May 20, 2002]

Convergent Networks Expands Cohesion Alliance Program

With a common goal of enabling communications carriers to enhance their residential and business offerings to include new IP-based services, eight leading applications and technology providers have joined Convergent Networks' Cohesion Alliance Partner Program. New members include Acme Packet, BroadSoft, Gallery IP Telephony, IPeria, Pingtel, SnowShore Networks, Sylantro Systems and VocalData.

Together, Convergent Networks and its partners are creating a migration path from today's legacy circuit-switches to an open, packet-based network architecture where new IP applications such as distributed call centers, hosted PBXs, voicemail, unified communications, custom calling services and multi-party conferencing are readily deployed. Using Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) for applications interworking, Convergent Networks and its Alliance Partners are enabling carriers to deliver next-generation converged services over IP, ATM and TDM networks.

"Carriers want to deploy next-gen platforms, but need the revenue justification that advanced voice services will bring," said Deb Mielke, principal, Treillage Network Strategies. "Carriers are excited by the innovative services that are being deployed, and they are looking to these next-generation vendors to help deliver them. Convergent Networks and their Cohesion partners recognize the critical importance of vendor interoperability in a successful network deployment."

Technological achievements and highlights of each partnership include:

-- Acme Packet's Net-Net product family allows service providers to extend the reach of their IP networks to generate revenue by delivering not only basic telephony and IP Centrex services, but also presence with instant voice or video calling/conferencing, multimedia collaboration, distance learning and others with the proper security and quality of service guarantees. www.acmepacket.com

-- BroadSoft, Inc. is the leading provider of voice applications and servers for service providers. BroadWorks, the company's flagship product, allows service providers to rapidly and economically deliver basic and enhanced voice services to enterprises of any size. BroadWorks' highly scalable, flexible architecture and capabilities provide comprehensive packet-based telephony applications including IP Centrex services, enterprise networking and private branch exchange (PBX) replacement. www.broadsoft.com

-- Gallery IP Telephony is an innovative software development and integration house leading the way in the delivery of true carrier-class IP Telephony solutions. The CAssiopeia Class-5 Softswitch suite is the only PacketCable Advanced Baseline softswitch deployable today that offers a comprehensive Class-5 alternative for IP telephony carriers. Cable TV and DSL carriers can offer IP telephony services to their subscribers in a minimum timeframe and deliver a rich and innovative set of services and features. CAssiopeia Softswitch SS7 Signaling Gateway ensures seamless performance between the PSTN and IP networks. www.g-ipt.com

-- IPeria provides communications and messaging solutions software for next-generation networks that enable telecommunications service providers to attract and retain customers. Its innovative IPeria(R) ActivEdge(TM) Enhanced Communication software suite provides visual voicemail, auto-attendant, voice-e-mail, unified communications, and other high-value subscriber services. Service providers use ActivEdge to build strong, long-term relationships with their customers by allowing customization and personalization of their services. www.iperia.com

-- Pingtel, a leading champion of Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) technology, exploits the flexibility of SIP, Java and XML with its family of IP phones, xpressa for the desk and instant xpressa for the PC, both of which are delivery platforms for next-generation hosted IP voice services and premise-based IP PBX systems. The Pingtel phones are redefining VoIP communications with their intelligence, exceptional functionality, intuitive user interface and superb audio quality. Exploiting the power of the SIP protocol and Java environment, the Pingtel phones provide a limitless software development platform for Java developers, enterprises and voice service providers who want to create innovative next-generation voice services. www.pingtel.com

-- SnowShore Networks, a telecommunications equipment company, provides innovative IP communications infrastructure products to service providers worldwide. SnowShore's N20 Media Server is an IP-optimized media-processing platform that blends voice and dynamic web content to enrich the user's communications experience. As the foundation of the carrier's applications infrastructure, the media server vastly improves the creation, deployment and management of traditional services and makes possible visionary new voice services. www.SnowShore.com

-- Sylantro Systems is a software company providing the industry's premier suite of Hosted IP-PBX and IP Centrex services, as well as other advanced managed telephony services, via the company's application servers for legacy or next-generation networks. This award-winning set of services allows service providers to rapidly deploy and deliver high-margin, high-value telephony services. Sylantro's solutions offer an advanced class of managed telephony services that replace today's in-house PBX and key system offerings, and generate substantial new revenues for service providers. Sylantro's service-provider customers have deployed to over 10,000 users worldwide. www.sylantro.com

-- VocalData, Inc. is the leading provider of integrated real-time communication applications that enable service providers to deliver reliable, next-generation IP telephony services. VocalData's award-winning VOISS(TM) solution is a comprehensive suite of Virtual PBX and IP Centrex applications that provides higher value telephony services to enterprise customers, while reducing the costs associated with traditional PBX telephony systems. www.vocaldata.com

"Next-gen voice platforms have proven themselves to be carrier-grade and cost-effective in basic tandem and trunking applications," said Sally Bament, vice president of marketing at Convergent Networks. "Service providers are now looking for the advanced applications that will allow them to offer services above and beyond long distance and local dial tone. These are the services SIP will enable along with the solutions from our partnerships."

Convergent Networks has been shipping its carrier-class Cohesion softswitch product line since 2000 and has established itself as the leading platform in deployed traffic per month among next-generation vendors.

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