AGIS and POPstar Introduce Profit-Generating Internet Fax Services to ISP Partners and Customers Worldwide.

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 24, 1999--

INET '99--POPstar Global Communications, a newly formed global consortium of independent Internet Service Providers (ISPs), today announced a strategic partnership with AGIS, a leading network backbone provider, to provide profitable Global Internet Fax Services to AGIS ISP partners and Internet users.

POPstar is building a worldwide IP messaging network comprised of Independent ISP partners. Through the POPstar consortium, AGIS and other ISPs will offer a full range of billable value-add IP-Fax services including long distance fax services - to customers around the world. POPstar's goal is to provide users with easy-to-use, localized, quality messaging services at rates that are very competitive with traditional Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) rates.

The POPstar global ISP network is comprised of both "on-ramp" partners (ISPs that originate calls from users) and "off-ramp" partners (ISPs that accept and deliver calls to the local phone network). Each partner receives a share of revenue for originating or delivering calls which cross network domains. POPstar will use AGIS' extensive network of POPs and ISP partners to terminate fax calls within the United States and other parts of the world. Similarly, AGIS partners and customers will use POPstar ISP partners to terminate traffic outside of the AGIS network.

"We are very pleased to include AGIS in the POPstar ISP FoIP consortium," said Russ McDermott, Director of Marketing for POPstar. "AGIS is a leading backbone provider and AGIS provides our international POPstar partners with extensive IP-fax off-ramp services to most major US markets and cities."

POPstar enables ISPs to enter the IP-Fax messaging business for zero to very low start-up costs. POPstar licenses TGI's Solaris-based Enroute Carrier-Class IP-Fax software to connect partners at no charge in return for a share of the long distance Inter-Domain fax revenue. Enroute also provides an integrated solution that leverages popular Remote Access Server (RAS) Products to keep ISP market entry costs to a minimum.

POPstar uses the TransNexus Private Open Settlement Protocol (OSP) Clearinghouse Service for its revenue sharing service. The TransNexus Clearinghouse provides an impartial, third party call settlement service that allows real-time secure call authentication and authorization, settlement reconciliation, billing, reporting, and support for multiple currencies.

OSP also allows ISPs to share Enroute servers, network resources, fax traffic and revenue. OSP uses certificates, public and private keys, secure socket encryption, and digital signature methods to ensure the creation of non-repudiated communication call records. "The new OSP standard allows Internet fax/voice services to be offered with the same level of confidence and security as services currently provided by the PSTN," said McDermott.

AGIS Director of Product Marketing, Jean-Claude Geha, commented, "We chose POPstar for our FoIP service because the Enroute software and TransNexus Clearinghouse provide a low entry cost, very scalable, full-featured, secure, and open service for AGIS and its partners. POPstar allows our ISP/CLEC partners and other ISPs around the world to share fax traffic and be compensated for delivering fax calls. The potential geographical coverage and growth of the service is therefore tremendous since we can leverage the combined networks of POPstar partners, including the AGIS network, to provide value-add FoIP services to customers."

Enroute also provides a robust turnkey solution with industry accepted Brooktrout Fax/Voice cards and T1/E1/PRI Net Access cards. Enroute provides Internationalized Web Fax clients with file conversion server to support automated file to TIFF conversion and conversion of foreign language double byte fonts. Other key value add features include fax mailboxes, fax to email services, fax broadcasting, fax on demand, etc.

About POPstar Global Communications

POPstar is an Internet Messaging Consortium comprised of Independent ISPs. POPstar is building a worldwide IP messaging network, beginning with IP-Fax services and later unified messaging. Member ISPs are offering a full range of billable services - including long distance fax services - to customers around the world. POPstar makes it possible for regional ISPs to tap into an international network to deliver billable fax services on a worldwide basis. POPstar's goal is to provide users with easy-to-use, localized, quality services at rates that are competitive with traditional Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) rates.

About AGIS

AGIS is a global leader in high-speed, high-capacity Internet communications for business. Its state-of-the-art nationwide backbone network is scaleable up to speeds of OC-192 (10 Gbps). AGIS provides a full suite of ATM, SONET, Frame Relay, Virtual Private Networking, dial-up and dedicated Internet access services to millions of users through its extensive customer base of carriers, LECs, CLECs, ISPs, content providers, and major corporations. AGIS also offers a full suite of advanced multimedia and data communications services, including voice over IP, fax over IP, streaming audio and video, videoconferencing, messaging and caching. Customers can connect to the AGIS network at over 200 points of presence domestically and in 59 countries around the globe. Additional information about AGIS is available at http://www.agis.net.

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