Digium and Ranch Networks Team to Make Asterisk the Most Secure and Scalable VoIP Solution; Security Code Now Available to the Asterisk Community.

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. & MORGANVILLE, N.J. -- Digium, the original creator of Asterisk(R) and pioneer of open source telephony, and Ranch Networks, the first IP telephony network appliance provider to integrate security and bandwidth control for IP-based applications, today introduced its security code for the Asterisk open source IP telephony platform. When combining Asterisk with Ranch Networks new RN series appliances, the solution provides unprecedented security and scalability to the open source telephony industry. The code is available for download at www.ranchnetworks.com and ftp.digium.com

Ranch Networks solves the problems associated with VoIP implementations through both its MIDCOM integration with the Asterisk platform, and several of its Patent-Pending technologies. The MIDCOM integration provides for dynamic per-call firewall control, bandwidth management, NAT traversal, and RTP traffic bridging - all supporting encrypted signaling streams, while the Patent-Pending technologies separate voice, video, and data traffic into multiple, secure zones without having to reconfigure IP addresses.

"Security is potentially an issue for SIP deployments since ports need to remain open at all times in order to enable voice traffic--leaving potential open doors for intruders," said Mark Spencer, president of Digium and creator of Asterisk. "In providing this technology, we are proactively addressing the security of VoIP before it becomes a major concern, while also providing quality of service and increased scalability."

Ranch Networks' technology sends instructions to the firewall to open the ports on an as needed basis. Media streams can flow from one phone to another, then close ports when the call is terminated. Instructions are also sent to the appliance determining the amount of bandwidth needed. As calls come in, data is shrunk to allow necessary bandwidth on a protocol basis. Ranch Networks guarantees that voice is given priority over data. This technology supports multiple phones behind any number of firewalls.

"We expect this will change the mindset of large enterprises and service providers that were previously skeptical of VoIP and open source technologies, to look more closely at the customization, flexibility and huge costs savings that a platform like Asterisk provides," said Ram Ayyakad, founder and CEO of Ranch Networks. "We have eliminated any security and scalability issues that could be argued by proprietary vendors."

The Ranch Networks security code has received the highest certification through ICSA. The security code is available by the download of Asterisk 1.2.2 and is available for download from www.ranchnetworks.com and ftp.digium.com

About Digium

Digium is the original creator and primary developer of Asterisk, the industry's first open source PBX and Asterisk Business Edition, the professional-grade version of Asterisk. Used in combination with Digium's PCI telephony interface cards, Asterisk offers a strategic, highly cost-effective approach to voice and data transport over IP, TDM, switched and Ethernet architectures.

Digium provides quality hardware and software products that enable telephony applications including legacy PBX, IVR, auto attendant, next generation gateways, media servers and application servers. Digium also offers a full range of professional services including consulting, technical support and customer software development services.

About Asterisk

Code for Asterisk, originally written by Mark Spencer of Digium Inc., has been contributed from open source software engineers around the world. It supports a wide range of TDM protocols for the handling and transmission of voice over traditional telephony interfaces, and VoIP packet protocols such as IAX, SIP and H.323. It supports US and European standard signaling types used in business phone systems, allowing it to bridge between next-generation voice-data integrated networks and existing infrastructure.

About Ranch Networks

Ranch Networks offers IP telephony network appliances that secure, manage, and scale VoIP traffic beyond existing firewall technologies. The company's flagship RN series of products are the first-ever appliances to integrate security and bandwidth control for VoIP applications. Established in 2000 by award-winning ex-Bell Labs engineers, Ranch Networks guarantees the delivery of reliable and secure IP communications between office employees, remote office locations or service providers and enterprise customers.

The Digium logo, Digium, Asterisk, and the Asterisk logo are trademarks of Digium Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respected owners.