Acme Packet Piles On Peering Features.

New Net-Net OS Release 5.0 Extends Capabilities of Industry-Leading Session Border Controllers for Interconnecting Service Provider VoIP Networks

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. -- Acme Packet[R] (NASDAQ: APKT), the leader in session border control solutions, today announced over 30 new features and enhancements that further extend the control capabilities of its Net-Net session border controllers (SBCs) for interconnecting IP voice (VoIP), video and multimedia networks to one another. These features, delivered in Net-Net OS Release 5.0, advance the functions of the Net-Net SBCs in the areas of security, service reach maximization, SLA assurance, revenue and profit protection and regulatory compliance.

These features are also expected to foster the growth of the recently announced Acme Packet Connected Universe[TM] program. Acme Packet Connected Universe leverages Acme Packet's growing global community of over 360 service provider customers in 75 countries to promote trusted, first class IP interconnects and introduce interconnect partners. The Connected Universe program helps Acme Packet-enabled service providers quickly find potential IP interconnect and peering arrangements and build business relationships with other Acme Packet service providers. The new features are designed to help customers maximize service reach and potential as they look to capitalize on new opportunities.

"At Acme Packet, we are continually looking for ways to increase the value of our products for our customers," said Seamus Hourihan, Acme Packet's vice president of marketing and product management. "Each of these new features was developed in direct response to requirements from our service provider customers across all tiers, including those involved in some of the largest peering deployments in the world."

New peering features for precise control

The new peering features in Net-Net OS Release 5.0 (detailed in the table below) enhance the precise signaling and media control required by service providers in their interconnect deployments. They further enhance the functions of Acme Packet Net-Net SBCs in the areas of security, service reach maximization, SLA assurance, revenue and profit protection, and regulatory compliance.

More specifically, the numerous new edge routing features in Release 5.0 are designed to optimize the selection of the best-available peered network for sessions leaving a provider's network to ensure quality while minimizing transport or termination costs. Similarly, the admission and signaling overload control features assure SLAs for incoming traffic and police network usage. Many SIP, H.323, SIP-H.323 interworking and SDP enhancements facilitate greater interoperability to extend service reach while maintaining security. More flexible and optimized accounting for sessions crossing the interconnect border are enabled via RADIUS Call Detail Record (CDR) enhancements.

Because sessions that cross an interconnect border are moving beyond just interactive voice and video, Acme Packet's comprehensive control capabilities have been extended to the data, text, image and application content of multimedia sessions such as gaming and collaboration. To protect session privacy between peered networks, the scale of the IPSec encryption capabilities has been increased to 512,000 security associations per SBC using new physical network interface hardware. Lastly, service availability commitments in SLA agreements are addressed with several enhancements in the areas of SBC management, troubleshooting and high-availability operation.

Collectively, these new features, combined with an extensive and robust set already utilized in many Acme Packet peering deployments will help enable providers to offer new services, extend service reach, ensure quality and control costs using a secure, trusted SBC solution.

About Acme Packet

Acme Packet, the leader in session border control solutions, enables service providers to deliver trusted, first class interactive communications--voice, video and multimedia sessions--across IP network borders. Our Net-Net family has been selected by over 360 service providers in 75 countries to satisfy critical security, service assurance and regulatory requirements in wireline, cable and wireless networks. Our customers include 23 of the top 25, and 72 of the top 100 service providers in the world. These deployments support multiple applications--from VoIP trunking to hosted enterprise and residential services to fixed mobile convergence; multiple protocols--SIP, H.323, MGCP/NCS and H.248; and multiple border points--interconnect, access network and data center. For more information, contact us at +1 781.328.4400, or visit www.acmepacket.com.

Acme Packet 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 build and grow Acme Packet, the benefits of our products, including any enhancements or new features, 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 form 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.