Excel Announces Enhanced Relationship with Comverse Network Systems.

HYANNIS, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 8, 1999--

Comverse to Continue its Use of Excel's ONE Architecture(tm)

EXS Switching Solution

Excel Switching Corporation (Nasdaq:XLSW), a leading provider of open switching platforms for telecommunications networks worldwide, announced today that it has enhanced its OEM relationship with Comverse Network Systems. The company currently uses Excel's ONE Architecture(tm) Expandable Switching System (EXS) as a part of its Access NP enhanced service solutions.

"We are pleased that Comverse has reaffirmed its support for Excel's ONE Architecture EXS in their Access NP product offering. Comverse continues to represent a very important part of our business, providing sophisticated enhanced services to major service providers worldwide," said Robert Madonna, president and CEO of Excel. "The use of our flexible, scalable products will give Comverse a competitive advantage, as it will help bring cost effective services to market faster."

The flexibility of the EXS solution is accomplished using Excel's patented Programmable Protocol Language (PPL). PPL is a graphical programming language that allows developers to quickly and cost effectively customize the switch software. PPL call control allows developers to customize the call model in order to differentiate their applications, enabling them to offer unique, competitive services to the carrier community.

"We are pleased to continue our relationship with Excel," said John Weaver, executive vice president of Comverse Network Systems. "The flexibility of Excel's EXS switching solution is allowing us to enter global markets and roll out services quickly. Excel's EXS solution will enable us to build on our global successes."

About ONE Architecture

ONE Architecture defines Excel's strategic technology framework for its state-of-the-art Expandable Switching System (EXS). It enables carriers and developers to integrate network routing, enhanced services and media support on a single, highly-scalable switching platform. With its product and services, Excel provides a scalable network solution regardless of legacy signaling protocols, switching capacity, or billing and subscriber services offered from the PSTN (Public Switch Telephone Network) switch.

About Comverse Network Systems

Comverse Network Systems, a division of Comverse Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:CMVT) and the world's leading supplier of enhanced services platforms to communication network operators is headquartered in Wakefield, MA. Comverse's Access NP(R) and TRILOGUE(tm) INfinity(tm) enhanced services platforms enable communications network operators to offer a range of revenue-generating multimedia messaging and information services to business and residential users. These services include call answering, voice/fax mail, short text message service, fax-on-demand, audiotex, interactive voice response, virtual phone/fax, and next-generation Advanced Intelligent Network-based personal communications services such as pre-paid services, call screening/caller introduction, and mobile attendant. Comverse Network Systems is the worldwide enhanced services platform market leader serving over 270 network operator customers in more than 70 countries. For additional information, visit Comverse Network Systems' Web site at: http://www.comversens.com.

About Excel Switching Corporation

Excel Switching Corporation is a leading provider of open switching platforms for telecommunications networks worldwide. Excel develops, manufactures, markets and supports a family of open, programmable, carrier-class switches that address the complex enhanced services and wireless and wireline infrastructure needs of network providers. Excel's products are currently deployed in telecommunications networks in 60 countries throughout the world. Visit Excel's website at http://www.xl.com.

This release may contain statements which are "forward looking," and is subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ significantly from expectations. Factors that might cause such a difference include, but are not limited to, those relating to potential acquisitions, dependence on and concentration of relationships with application developers, original equipment manufacturers and systems integrators; length of sales cycle; risk of new product introductions; dependence on proprietary rights; and other risks identified in the Company's Securities and Exchange Commission filings including those risks identified in the section entitled "Risk Factors" of the Company's Annual Report for the year ended December 27, 1997 on Form 10-K, as amended.

Product and service names used within this release are trademarks, registered trademarks and service marks of their respective owners.