Bellcore offers local number portability consulting and software to support mandated local exchange competition.

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 25, 1996--Bellcore today unveiled consulting services and software products that will help network service providers replace the short term quick fixes that they have been using to support local number portability (LNP) with long-term solutions. The announcement was made in Dallas at SUPERCOMM '96.

"Implementing long-term LNP requires network service providers to make complex changes in the way they operate and maintain their networks," said Carole O'Brien, executive director of telecom reform and business development for Bellcore. "In addition to technical issues, FCC and state public utility commission rulings are pending. These factors make an LNP implementation strategy a necessity."

Network service providers that need help implementing LNP can call on Bellcore, which developed and implemented the software used nationwide today to support 800/888-number portability and many of the affected support systems, she added. Bellcore has been applying its experience to develop LNP solutions that span the entire LNP planning and implementation life-cycle. Consulting services available from Bellcore include:

-- Impact Analysis - which analyzes regulatory, network, and

operations issues surrounding LNP.

-- Systems Engineering - which supports carriers and their

suppliers in planning and implementing networks to support

LNP.

-- Cost Analysis - which identifies costs associated with

switching, Common Channel Signaling, operations support

system upgrades, and ongoing operations expenses related

to implementing LNP.

-- Operations Support System Impact Analysis - which identifies

the impact of LNP on operations support systems, and provides

data on how they can interface with other systems.

-- Project Management Support - which helps service providers

meet their LNP implementation schedules without compromising

service to customers.

-- LNP Systems Testing and Integration - which provides testing

and analysis of LNP networks elements to help ensure their

timely and successful deployment.

Bellcore initiated a series of open industry meetings to provide input and comments on its Local Number Portability Capability Specification, or GR - 2936 - CORE, which is in the final stages of development.

In addition to consulting services, Bellcore also announced several new LNP software products that can provide carriers with a customized and complete LNP solution or be adapted to interface with existing service management systems (SMSs) and service control points (SCPs).

A new product based on Bellcore's Advanced Service Management System (ASMS) implements the Number Portability Administration Center (NPAC) functionality that many states are now in the process of defining. The NPAC SMS enables carriers to initiate, activate, and manage porting of numbers between providers. ASMS is a high-performance, mission-critical, client-programmable SMS for emerging technologies. It enables users to create and execute service management logic for service implementation and provisioning flows.

Bellcore also unveiled local SMS software solutions: a near- and long-term solution using ASMS, as well as a near-term solution that enables carriers to reuse their DBAS II administrative systems for local SMS functionality, while implementing a local SCP of their choice. These solutions provide local SMS administration features required for LNP such as:

-- service negotiation with the NPAC

-- validation of customer line data

-- service order and other interface support.

Solutions for LNP SCP functionality will be implemented on both of Bellcore's existing TELEGATE(R) SCP and ISCP(TM) platforms and will interface with Bellcore's Local ASMS's, DBAS II SMS, or an LNP SMS of the carrier's choice. This will allow many companies to reuse their existing systems to deploy LNP SCP functionality.

Bellcore's ISCP Network Database, which supports more than 50 million records, provides many options for deploying LNP as a stand-alone configuration or as a feature along with other services. The SCP line information database (SCP/LIDB) is a multi-application database that supports alternate billing services. Bellcore will provide an upgrade path for clients who want to use their existing SCP/LIDB for LNP.

Carriers can also use Bellcore's MediaVantage(TM) family of products to support operations support systems and to help them interface with new and emerging technology created as LNP is implemented throughout a network.

In addition to these LNP offerings, Bellcore's Telecom Reform portfolio also includes software and consulting for Competitive Checklist Compliance, Unbundling and Interconnection, Long Distance, and Business Process Consulting.

Bellcore, headquartered in Morristown, N.J., is a leading provider of telecommunications software, engineering, consulting services based on world-class research. Bellcore creates business solutions that make information technology work for telecommunications carriers, businesses and governments worldwide. Bellcore has sales offices throughout the U.S., in Hong Kong and in London. More information about Bellcore is available on the World Wide Web at http://www.bellcore.com. -0-

ISCP is a trademark and servicemark of Bellcore.

MediaVantage is a trademark of Bellcore.

TELEGATE is a registered trademark of Bellcore.

CONTACT: Bellcore

Annie Lindstrom

201/829-4062

Booth No.6206

or

Ken Branson

[phone]