[November 30, 2010]

Etisalat Lanka Expands IP Interconnects with Acme Packet

Acme Packet® (NASDAQ: APKT), the leader in session border control solutions, today announced that Etisalat (News - Alert) Lanka, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the United Arab Emirates-based Etisalat Telecommunications Corporation, is deploying Acme Packet Net-Net® session border controllers (SBCs) to support its IP interconnects for international calls. Etisalat Lanka uses IP interconnects to enhance international voice traffic and selected Acme Packet (News - Alert) to secure and optimize those connections for expansion. The deployment of SBCs also complements Etisalat Lanka's migration to all-IP networks for lower total cost of ownership and the delivery of new services.

"Acme Packet provides Etisalat Lanka with the means to securely and efficiently grow our IP interconnects so we can maximize revenue," said Mr. Sanath Pilapitiya, CTO of Etisalat Lanka. "With the Net-Net SBCs we have the industry's leading security and control functions for our international VoIP traffic."

Etisalat Lanka selected Acme Packet's Net-Net 3820 Session Director to improve revenue from international calls by increasing call completion rates and providing fault tolerance and resiliency for the network by detecting and routing around network failures. The Net-Net SBC SIP header manipulation feature enables wider interoperability and expedites time to market. Call detail records and quality of service (QoS) monitoring provide real-time information on quality of calls in the network for reporting, planning and settlement.

With Acme Packet's policy-based routing features, Etisalat Lanka has the flexibility to implement QoS-based and codec-based routing to further optimize the network in the future.

"Mobile service providers are making the transition to IP interconnects to drive down costs and prepare for the all-IP future," said Mr. Sumant Sharma, managing director, Asia Pacific region for Acme Packet. "Etisalat Lanka is an early mover in this regard and uses Acme Packet's rich feature set to optimize its IP interconnections."

The Net-Net SBCs were installed by MillenniumESP, an Acme Packet channel and integration partner in Sri Lanka. MillenniumESP pioneered the deployment of SBCs in Sri Lanka and has been a leading solutions provider for service providers in the areas of voice over IP, core networks, security and data center techologies.

"We are pleased that Etisalat Lanka chose MillenniumESP to provide for their next generation IP interconnect needs," said Mr. Faiq Faaiz, executive vice president, MillenniumIT. "I am confident that Etisalat Lanka will benefit immensely from the vast experience of MillenniumESP in the area of session border controllers in providing future next generation network services."

About Acme Packet

Acme Packet (NASDAQ: APKT), the leader in session border control solutions, enables the delivery of trusted, first-class interactive communications-voice, video and multimedia sessions-and data services across IP network borders. Our Net-Net family of session border controllers, multiservice security gateways and session routing proxies supports multiple applications in service provider, enterprise and contact center networks-from VoIP trunking to hosted enterprise and residential services to fixed-mobile convergence. They satisfy critical security, service assurance and regulatory requirements in wireline, cable and wireless networks; and support multiple protocols-SIP, H.323, MGCP/NCS, H.248 and RTSP-and multiple border points-service provider access and interconnect, and enterprise access and trunking. Over 10,000 Acme Packet systems have been deployed by more than 1,180 customers in 105 countries. They include 92 of the top 100 service providers in the world and 11 of the Fortune 25. For more information, contact us at +1 781.328.4400, or visit www.acmepacket.com.

About Etisalat Lanka

100% owned subsidiary of Etisalat UAE, who is the world's 13th largest telco operator with subscribers exceeding 107 million worldwide. Etisalat UAE is on a very sound financial footing with S&P recently upgrading their rating to AA-/A-1+ and Fitch reaffirming their rating to A+.

With the entry of Etisalat into Sri Lanka and re-branding of the Sri Lankan operation as Etisalat in February 2010, the name Etisalat has become a household name in the Sri Lankan market. The local company, Etisalat Lanka with the support and guidance of the giant parent telco of UAE is making in-roads into the telco market shares in Sri Lanka. Locally one of the most efficient and dynamic operators, Etisalat Lanka will continue to grow in strength whilst contributing to the economic growth of the country too.

About MillenniumESP

Part of the London Stock Exchange Group, MillenniumESP, the enterprise and service provider business of MillenniumIT, is a leading Sri Lankan information technology solutions provider, specialising in IT solutions for the financial and telecom industries. MillenniumESP also offers information technology infrastructure and consulting services.

MillenniumIT is a premier technology solutions provider serving the global capital markets industry. The company's products currently powers exchanges, depositories, brokerages and regulatory bodies in the United States, Europe, Africa and the Asia-Pacific region.

For more information, please visit www.millenniumit.com

Acme Packet, Inc. Safe Harbor Statement

Statements contained herein that are not historical fact may be forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements may relate, among other things, to our position in the session border control market, our expected financial and operating results, our ability to establish and maintain intellectual property rights, our ability to build and grow Acme Packet, the benefits and advantages of our products, including any enhancements or new features, services and programs, and our ability to achieve our goals, plans and objectives. Such forward-looking statements do not constitute guarantees of future performance and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. These include, but are not limited to: difficulties in growing our customer base, difficulties leveraging market opportunities, difficulties providing solutions that meet the needs of customers, poor product sales, long sales cycles, difficulty developing new products, difficulty in relationships with vendors and partners, higher risk in international operations, difficulty managing rapid growth, and increased competition. Additional factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or suggested in any forward-looking statements are contained in our recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including those factors discussed under the caption "Risk Factors" in such filings.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]