Axerra Networks Announces First True Multiservice IP Concentrator for Next-Generation Service Providers and Incumbent Carriers.

Business Editors/Hi-Tech Writers

BOCA RATON, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 21, 2001

`Unlock the Power of Your IP Network' by Integrating High-Margin

Legacy Services Over Next-Generation IP Networks

Axerra Networks, Inc., developer of multiservice over IP products for next-generation service providers and incumbent carriers, has announced the first members of its AXN Multiservice Over IP product family.

The AXN Multiservice IP Concentrators define a new class of products purpose-built to enable service providers to offer both legacy and emerging services over their next-generation IP networks.

The first AXN models allow both next-generation and incumbent carriers to enhance revenues and cut costs by placing high-margin legacy services such as Frame Relay, Leased Line and ATM over their expanding IP network. The result is accelerated return on investment in strategic IP networks, support of a full portfolio of services and access to a significantly larger customer base for carriers.

-- Next-Generation Service Providers can expand service offerings, gain
competitive advantage, attract new business customers and generate immediate
incremental revenues while focusing resources on their IP infrastructure.

-- Incumbent Carriers can smoothly migrate to a unified IP network, cut costs,
eliminate inefficiencies, and focus strategic investment in IP infrastructure
without sacrificing revenues from legacy services.

-- Metro Carriers and BLECs can expand service portfolios, attract new
customers, and increase revenues by offering multiservice over Ethernet.

"With the release of the AXN Multiservice IP Concentrator, we expect to usher in a new generation of public networking using IP," said Axerra Networks Founder and CEO, Gil Biran. "The ability to offer true multiservice over IP with `any service over any port' capabilities down to a DS0 level is exactly what the industry has been waiting for in order to evolve from ATM to an IP-based network."

The new AXN product line is a carrier-class hardware and software solution that boasts the industry's most comprehensive set of legacy and emerging services over IP networks. AXNs perform aggregation, concentration, and service adaptation at the multiservice network edge for traffic carried over next-generation IP and IP/MPLS networks. In addition, the entire product family offers flexible, fully channelized DS1/E1 and DS3/E3 customer facing interfaces, with Gigabit Ethernet and PoS OC-3/STM-1 and OC-12/STM-4 network uplinks.

The AXN's patent-pending service adaptation technology enables it to furnish the most wide-ranging set of multiservice over IP capabilities on the market today, including:

-- Circuit Emulation Service over IP (CESoIP(TM)) for

Private/Leased Line Services

-- Frame Relay over IP (FRoIP(TM)), ATM over IP (ATMoIP(TM)), and

HDLC over IP

-- Dynamic Bandwidth Circuit Emulation Service over IP

(DB-CESoIP(TM)) for voice trunking with activity detection,

echo cancellation, and dynamic jitter control

-- Advanced IP services such as IPoFR, IPoPPP, IPoHDLC, and

IP-VPN (Virtual Private Network)

-- VoIP via integrated Media Gateway functionality

-- Full traffic grooming down to the DS0 level

Because the AXN requires no changes or modification of customer premises equipment already installed at customers' locations, services can be moved from legacy network implementations to IP transparently.

This allows incumbent service providers to smoothly migrate their existing services onto strategic IP networks and next-generation carriers to capture new revenue streams based on a full portfolio of services. With this change, carriers can considerably accelerate the return on their investments in next-generation IP and MPLS networks.

"We have been hearing throughout the industry that the clear future is IP, but the idea of `everything over IP' seemed to fall into the `someday' category," said Kirk Wrigley, President of Axerra. "Our AXN Multiservice IP Concentrator brings that possibility to market as a reality today. We have already received tremendous feedback regarding this product and we are very excited about announcing it to the public."

"There is tremendous opportunity for products that help address the challenge of protecting carriers' money-making legacy services (leased lines, frame relay) while avoiding additional investments in `old' technology," said Kathryn Korostoff, President of Natick, MA based Sage Research. "Solutions that support both traditional services and next-generation IP services over the emerging IP infrastructure are key to addressing that challenge."

The AXN product line will be available initially with three chassis types, the AXN1600N (16 slots NEBS compliant), the AXN1600E (16 slots ETSI compliant) and the AXN600 (a compact 6-slot chassis for remote locations and smaller POPs).

All card types (including power supplies) are fully interchangeable across the various chassis types, allowing providers to begin deployment with the smaller AXN600 and scale up to the AXN1600 while preserving their investment in the system cards.

The AXN is a highly flexible solution that enables any service on any port and even over any DS0 time slot. This allows service providers to rationalize equipment deployment and simplify service provisioning, reduce maintenance inventories, and adapt to evolving service requirements.

The AXN1600 chassis supports up to 4032 T1 terminations per 7-foot telco rack using the channelized T3 interface, or up to 768 physical T1/E1 interfaces per 7-foot rack. In addition, the AXN is architected to support a tenfold increase in bandwidth and port density, providing a scalable platform for both current and future needs.

The AXN Multiservice IP Concentrator will be demonstrated at SuperComm 2001 at Axerra Network's booth, number 9082, in Atlanta, GA, June 5-7. The AXN1600N, AXN1600E, and the AXN600 are entering customer beta trials during May 2001. Pricing is based on specific hardware and software configuration.

About Axerra Networks, Inc.

Established as Axerra Networks in November 2000, and located in Boca Raton, Florida, the Company develops, manufactures and markets products for the emerging market of Multiservice over IP.

Axerra's Multiservice Over IP Concentrator is the only product on the market that gives carriers the ability to unlock the power of the IP network by integrating legacy services, such as Frame Relay and Leased Line over their IP network while simultaneously building out next-generation IP services as the network evolves. For more information please contact: [e-mail].