COI Deploys Taqua 7000 for Switching and Intelligent Gateway Applications.

RICHARDSON, Texas -- Taqua([R]) LLC., a leading supplier of next-generation end-office switching systems and technologies, today announced that Communications Options, Inc. (COI), has purchased two Taqua 7000s (T7000[TM]) to support its growing voice services in Ohio.

Communications Options, Inc. (COI) is a 17-year-old Westerville, Ohio-based service provider that provides a bundle of local, long distance, and Internet services to approximately 6,000 business and residential subscribers throughout Ohio. COI purchased and deployed the first T7000 as a full-featured next-generation Class 5, operating with centralized call control at the edge of COI's access network. The second T7000 is being used as an intelligent gateway at a different location within the COI network. In this deployment, the advanced features and call control are managed by a remote softswitch and the T7000 provides the PSTN interconnection.

"Flexibility, reliability and functionality were key in our decision making process," said Steve Vogelmeier, president of COI. "With the switch-on-a-card architecture for both IP and TDM services, the T7000 can deliver centralized or distributed call control on a DS0, trunk group or system level. With our diverse customer base, this flexibility allows us to cost-effectively deliver services how and where it makes sense. In addition, configured as an intelligent gateway, the T7000 reduces deployment complexity and cost as it eliminates network elements required by other gateways alternatives, especially for the full emergency standalone capability."

"COI's deployment exercises some of the unique capabilities of the T7000," said Scott Weidenfeller, Taqua's chief marketing officer. "COI is using the T7000 as a both a full-featured next-gen Class 5 and as a PSTN gateway. They are deploying the T7000 for both IP and TDM services. The flexible hybrid capability of the T7000 enables a centralized call control element to also be deployed as part of a distributed network design, subjecting certain subscribers to a centralized level of call control while maintaining survivability intelligence at the edge. There is simply no other system on the market today with this level of flexibility and survivability."

The Taqua 7000 is the only field-proven next generation Class 5 switch that meets the strict requirements for five 9 reliability and provide a full-set of Class 5 services within a compact, gateway-like chassis. The T7000 scales from 40 to 40,000 subscribers in a single 17" X 24" shelf, enabling carriers to pay as they grow and provide profitable voice services upon initial deployment. In addition, the compact footprint and conservative resource requirements of the T7000 make it practical for installation in a variety of locations including collocation spaces, MTUs or any site with a controlled environment. Used as an intelligent media gateway application, the T7000 is designed for centralized or distributed deployments. The platform can simultaneously support all the legacy interface types including GR303, PRI, CAS, POTS and an integrated SS7 gateway capability for ISUP/TCAP. It also supports IP interfaces like SIP, MGCP and NCS.

About Taqua, Inc.

Established in 1998, Taqua is a leading supplier of next-generation switching systems and technologies. With 300 system deployments, the Company's solutions are deployed by wireline, cable, and wireless carriers as next-generation end-office exchanges. Taqua's T7000 Switching System (T7000) lowers switching deployment and operational costs, while delivering new IP-based services. Taqua is headquartered in Richardson, TX with research and development located in Hyannis, MA and Richardson, TX. More information on Taqua and the T7000 can be obtained by calling +1.972.692.1800, by email at [e-mail], or by browsing the website at www.taqua.com.