AP Engines and NetSpeak Partner to Develop Best-of-Breed Telephony Solutions for IP Networks; Companies to Demonstrate Integrated Capabilities at NCTA'S CABLE 2000.

Business Editors

NEW ORLEANS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 8, 2000

AP Engines, Inc. adds NetSpeak Corp. to its growing list of partnerships with leading telephony equipment manufacturers and service providers.

Under the terms of this agreement, AP Engines will join NetSpeak's exclusive Solutions Partner Program to accelerate the deployment of their complementary advanced Voice over IP (VoIP) solutions.

Through the Solutions Partner Program, NetSpeak will provide interoperability testing of AP Engines' Record Keeping Server(TM) (RKS). NetSpeak will utilize the RKS to accurately bill and right-price its high quality, cost-effective VoIP applications for converged networks.

In addition to the partnership, AP Engines and NetSpeak will integrate real-time billing for an IP over Hybrid Fiber Coax (HFC) telephone call using the PacketCable(TM) standard during a joint demonstration at the National Cable Television Association's (NCTA) Cable 2000 exhibit in New Orleans, May 7-10.

"It took the PSTN years to deliver integrated services and the results still fall short of customer expectations," says Michael Rich, CEO of NetSpeak Corp. "The IP telephony world must address this issue in Internet time and offer far more flexible, richer and easier-to-manage services in the process -- for both service providers and end-user customers.

"AP Engines is providing the core set of mediation capabilities between the network and services to enable this next level of packet telephony infrastructure. As a leading vendor of packet telephony call management, we view AP Engines as a essential partner in providing better than PSTN telephony service over IP networks."

The AP Engines RKS is the centralized collection point for all billing data on the network. The RKS sits directly between those network elements that deliver IP services and the existing billing system. It collects event messages from a variety of network devices and services, including call agents, PSTN gateways, and Cable Modem Termination Systems (CMTS).

This data is collated into a single Call Detail Record (CDR) and formatted specifically for the operator's billing system and other downstream applications. The records are then delivered to be rated and invoiced.

In November, NetSpeak and AP Engines conducted the first real-time billing for an IP over Hybrid Fiber Coax (HFC) telephone call using the PacketCable standard. This landmark demonstration applied PacketCable specifications in real time from call placement to usage billing.

NetSpeak's Call Agent generated PacketCable Event Messages, sending them to the AP Engines RKS, which then created a Call Detail Record and sent it to a CSG Systems billing system where it was rated and invoiced. The demonstration was conducted as part of a PacketCable interoperability test.

NetSpeak and AP Engines continue to work within the PacketCable interoperability framework to further develop and refine PacketCable specifications.

"We are partnering with one of the fastest growing pioneers in Voice over IP technology," says Jon Sieg, president and CEO, AP Engines. "Our partnership ensures that services built using NetSpeak solutions can be billed and provisioned through the incumbent billing and customer care infrastructure."

About NetSpeak Corp.

A pioneer in Voice over IP (VoIP) network and infrastructure management solutions, NetSpeak (Nasdaq: NSPK) is the leading developer and marketer of advanced telephony software for IP networks.

NetSpeak's protocol-independent iTEL software architecture, designed to meet the rapidly evolving business needs of its service provider and enterprise customers, delivers efficient management of network resources and enables cost-effective introduction of new VoIP applications. For more information about NetSpeak's advanced IP telephony solutions, visit www.netspeak.com.

About AP Engines, Inc.

AP Engines accelerates the creation of next-generation services by providing carrier-class billing mediation and service activation capabilities, enabling service providers to effectively offer advanced broadband services, including IP telephony, broadband Internet and digital video.

AP Engines has developed comprehensive solutions for cable MSOs, telephony carriers and service providers and has secured key alliances with next-generation network hardware/software vendors, and billing and customer care companies.

For additional information, contact AP Engines at 978/461-5000, or visit the company's home page at www.apengines.com.

AP Engines and the AP Engines Record Keeping Server are trademarks of AP Engines, Inc. NetSpeak, is a registered trademark of NetSpeak Corp. PacketCable is a trademark of Cable Television Laboratories, Inc.