Aastra Announces Hi-Q Enhanced Audio.

New Audio Technology Available as Free Upgrade on All 67xxi Series Phones

LOS ANGELES -- Aastra, a leading company at the forefront of the enterprise communications market, announced the introduction of its Aastra Hi-Q[TM] audio technology, delivering significantly enhanced audio performance and voice clarity for its 67xxi family of SIP phones.

Aastra's Hi-Q[TM] audio is a software-based acoustic optimization, backwards compatible with existing 67xxi series SIP phones, delivering a more life-like conversation and richer user experience via an industry standard G.722 wideband codec. This innovative software-only upgrade works on existing hardware and is available as a free download from Aastra.

The new technology is already garnering rave reviews from end users and dealers alike. "We tested the enhanced audio in our lab and with individuals in their offices," said Jamie Stapleton, President, Computer Business Solutions, Inc. "Aastra's Hi-Q delivers impressive sound, comparable to other products in the marketplace that charge much more for their enhanced audio offering. This quality and price point is just what the market needs. We commend Aastra on delivering such a great product."

"Widespread adoption of high quality voice technologies by businesses has been elusive because the ROI has been difficult to justify, particularly in a difficult economic climate. Additionally, support for high quality voice on entry level phones has been scarce," said Rob Arnold, Senior Analyst at Current Analysis. "Aastra's Hi-Q software is a great solution to allow users to receive the productivity benefits from high quality audio on their Aastra phones without additional capital outlay. An added benefit is that this solution is available across a wide spectrum of endpoints, from entry-level phones to advanced-featured executive sets."

Aastra Hi-Q[TM] audio technology is included in 67xxi firmware version 2.5.0 or later, and is easily configurable. Once configured, it is automatically activated for calls that successfully negotiate the use of G.722 codec. For more information, including a link to download the updated firmware, visit http://aastraHi-Q.com.

"Aastra is well known in the industry for delivering high quality phones with market-leading features at very competitive prices," said Simon Beebe, Vice President of Product Management at Aastra. "This latest innovation provides a remarkable voice experience and it's free!" he added.

Aastra will be demonstrating its Hi-Q audio at ITEXPO in Los Angeles, Sept 1-3, Booth #212.

About Aastra USA

Aastra USA is the North American business unit of Aastra Technologies Limited, (TSX:AAH), a leading company at the forefront of the enterprise communication market. Headquartered in Concord, Ontario, Canada, Aastra develops and delivers innovative communications products and applications for businesses. Aastra's operations are truly global with more than 50 million installed lines around the world and a direct and indirect presence in more than 100 countries. Aastra is entirely dedicated to enterprise communications and offers one of the most complete portfolios of unified communications solutions individually tailored to satisfy its customers' requirements. These range from feature-rich call managers for small and medium businesses and highly scalable ones for large enterprises, integrated mobility, call center solutions to a wide selection of terminals. With a strong focus on open standards, Aastra enables enterprises to communicate and collaborate more efficiently. For additional information on Aastra USA, visit our website at http://www.aastrausa.com.