[March 27, 2000]

Intelligent IP Phone From Pingtel Ushers In New Era Of Voice Services And Applications

Delivering on the promise of next- generation IP voice services, Pingtel Corporation has introduced xpressa, an intelligent Java-based, voice-over-IP (VoIP) phone capable of leveraging the infinite potential of IP networks. Offering new levels of functionality, ease-of-use, audio quality, comfort and elegance that exceed those in today's digital and IP phones, the patent-pending xpressa features a Java-enriched, open environment for the delivery of new valuable, personalized voice services and applications not possible with a dumb phone. In conjunction with xpressa, Pingtel has also introduced Voice Internet-age Architecture (VIA), its Internet-age architectural vision for next-gen voice services and applications.

xpressa in a VIA framework enables the immediate and continuous delivery of new features by voice service providers seeking a means of differentiating themselves from their competitors. It acts as the catalyst for entirely new businesses such as Telephony Application Service Providers for vertical market applications. It even enables, for the first time, individual enterprises and users to easily personalize their phone services and applications.

"The promise of VoIP is not just a new transport infrastructure with equivalent PBX and CLASS features," commented Treillage Network Strategies President, Deb Mielke. "The real future of convergence requires a change in the mindset of the traditional service provider. For those service providers who are not afraid of a new demarcation point in the network, the intelligent desktop IP telephone can stimulate the development of valuable and innovative services and features and open a whole new world of business opportunities," she continued.

The Voice Internet-age Architecture
xpressa is the new delivery platform in Voice Internet-age Architecture (VIA), Pingtel's Internet-age architectural vision for next-gen voice services and applications. This architecture antiquates the traditional voice service host-terminal model using dumb phones. In this new architecture, voice services and applications will be both developed and deployed in three ways:

• Centralized services for the masses will live in the network such as generic PBX services, 800/900 numbers, PSTN local number portability (LNP), telephone number to IP address translations and other directory service functions
• Distributed, personalized features and applications for individuals will live at the desktop such as integration with Microsoft Outlook, Goldmine or ACT, audio and graphical user interfaces, personalized call handlers, caller-identifying rings, etc.
• Services and applications for specific workgroups -- departments, project teams, business units, enterprises -- will be deployed on a distributed, yet consolidated basis. This includes ASPs offering occupation-specific services for highly-paid professionals that spend their lives on the phone and need to interact with data -- sales reps, purchasing agents, brokers, consultants, executives, PR professionals, etc.

"The tremendous innovation found on the Web was not created by the network equipment vendors, " said Pingtel CEO and founder Jay Batson. "Similarly, this new architecture enables innovation in voice services and applications by anyone -- service providers, ASPs, web portals, enterprises, third party software developers, even individuals."

New-Age Voice Services And Applications
In this architecture, Pingtel's xpressa is not an ordinary delivery device for next-gen IP PBX systems and virtual IP PBX services. It makes their hundreds of features extremely easy to use. More importantly, xpressa enables a broad range of new valuable, personalized voice services and related personal productivity, occupation-specific and Web-telephony integration (WTI) applications. Some specific examples include:

Personal Productivity:

• Call handling - use caller ID, call subject and Outlook calendar information to handle calls - forward to voice mail, cell phone, ring all devices, another employee, ...
• Cost-effective single number access -- use your Pingtel phone as your single telephone number and have it forward calls to cell or home phone
• Electronic business cards -- push electronic business cards (vCards) automatically with telephone call as caller ID info, or during the call into the other party's contact database in Outlook
• Voice tag elimination -- deliver customized messages to people calling
• Conference calling -- create appointment in Outlook to automatically set-up 6-party conference call using Pingtel phone as bridge and have your phone ring when all parties are ready
• Personalization -- create unique rings from any sound file based on caller ID or personal directory info -- boss, spouse, kids, anyone; and customize your music on hold to your favorite MP3 recording

Occupation-Specific:

• Telecommuters -- get all the telephony functionality as if you were in the office -- extension dialing, transfer, intranet intercom, call billing, ...
• Consultants - start the "clock" automatically when you pick up the phone or dial the number to your client using caller ID or contact database info
• Sales reps - ACT, Goldmine or sales.com integration
• Public relations ASP -- provide personalized, up-to-date click-to-dial press, analyst and vendor contacts, time tracking and reporting, etc.

Web-Telephony Integration (WTI):

• Auction site for electronics components purchasing agents -- sedate, text-based parts auctions on the Web could be turned into energized, live audio auctions as a method to increase sales prices for sellers (and grow the commissions for the auction sites) by utilizing Java applets running in the xpressa to initiate and manage an IP-telephony-based bidding process -- who raised hand to bid first, etc.
• Virtual call center ASP -- support integrated voice and data requirements of home-office based agents
• Airlines reservations -- use applet to visually display IVR options rather than forcing users to wait through very long recorded instructions

"Like the Web, these new voice applications will create entirely new ways for how people work and businesses operate," stated Jim Hourihan, Pingtel's marketing vice president. "Even more importantly, they will create entirely new business opportunities for service providers, ASPs, web portals and third party application developers."

These applications execute across the phone, the PC and servers on the network just like Web applications. Entire applications or application components execute in the phone in the same manner that plug-ins, Java applets, Java script, Flash, cookies, etc. execute within web browsers. Some, like browser plug-ins, will be downloaded from servers at the service provider, enterprise, web site, or desktop PC and be stored on the phone. These will also automatically update themselves just like plug-ins. Others will be downloaded dynamically in real-time when needed.

Inside xpressa
xpressa delivers all the features and functions required by developers, users, and organizations responsible for deploying and managing voice systems, services and applications.

For service and application developers, xpressa incorporates a Java virtual machine (JVM) and all the Java tools required for quickly and easily integrating applications on the phone with PCs and servers. These tools include a Java-based application framework for phone control, JTAPI for interfacing to the phone's call control and audio systems, Java Beans, security facilities and internationalization support. Pingtel also provides libraries for integrating with applications on the PC.

For users, xpressa is not designed to be a PC, but a reliable, high- performance communication appliance that is a companion to users' computers. PCs are not reliable enough for voice with frequent crashes and lengthy reboots. On PC-based phones, call handling and audio quality are plagued by the latency of Windows -- it's very awkward and very slow. xpressa uses a proven, reliable real-time operating system and provides the performance required for high quality audio and easy, real-time call handling. xpressa doesn't require a keyboard or a laptop-sized display. Personal data entry and editing is done on the PC where it is comfortable. xpressa easily integrates with the PC over the LAN, not by adding a card to the PC. It will also support click-to dial from PDAs through an infrared port as well as PCs.

As a phone, xpressa features superior phone functionality such as multiple phone books, 6-party conference calling, multiple call and station support (100's), call/park/pickup, auto-redial, hoteling, etc. xpressa can also deliver high-fidelity audio through support of a wideband audio encoder/decoder (codec). Its GUI includes call wizards and help screens driven by a crisp greyscale, 160x160 pixel greyscale display driven by softkeys and scroll knob for scrolling through phone books and other application lists. A VUI, voice-prompt user interface, makes it even easier- to-use. An elegant, ergonomic design makes it very comfortable. Through color options and replaceable bezels, xpressa's visual appearance can even be personalized to meet the needs of any office setting ranging from wild dotcoms to woody law offices.

As the next-gen delivery platform for PBX systems or virtual PBX services, xpressa is interoperable with many VoIP products including softswitches; service creation and delivery environments; applications -- unified messaging, conferencing, calling cards, etc.; IP/PSTN enterprise and service provider gateways; and IP PBX systems. xpressa uses industry-standard VoIP call control protocols including the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), the scalable, extensible IETF standard. Pingtel's Deployment Server makes large service deployments infinitely scalable and manageable, supporting millions of phones in "plug and talk" operation through automated configuration, software installs and application updates.

Availability And Pricing
Pingtel's xpressa has completed several interoperability tests and lab trials, and will begin beta testing late this spring. xpressa will be generally available for delivery in Q3, 2000 at a price of $549.