Excel Launches New Scalable Signaling Platform for Creation of Enhanced Mobile Services.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

HYANNIS, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 7, 2004

- The Future-Proof MSP 1010 Platform Converges 2G and 3G Networks To Speed Delivery of Revenue Generating Services While Cutting Costs -

Excel Switching Corp. (www.excelswitching.com) today launches its new Multi-Signaling Platform (MSP) 1010, the first in a family of highly scalable Excel platforms that converge legacy and next generation architectures enabling rapid service deployment.

The MSP 1010 leverages over 15 years of Excel signaling expertise to create a compact, carrier-grade platform that simultaneously supports SS7, SIGTRAN and SIP signaling protocols, enabling seamless service offerings across 2G and 3G networks as well as across mobile networking standards such as TDMA, CDMA and GSM. Its high-density, single-shelf 1u form factor is designed to reduce initial development and deployment costs while negating the need for carriers to support multi-vendor solutions. In addition, its single, open API allows third party application developers, OEMs and self-developing carriers to cost-effectively create enhanced signaling services that can increase the ARPU (Average Revenue Per User) of mobile operators, while lowering customer churn. Rich applications like televoting, short messaging service (SMS), mobile prepaid voice and data, Personalized Ring Back Tone (PRBT), Push-To-Talk (PTT) and location based services that have proven lucrative for mobile operators can be easily created and seamlessly deployed globally.

"Today's network architectures need to evolve in order to handle the subscriber interest in hot, new value-added services that provide subscribers with unprecedented control over their personal communication preferences," said Philip Marshall, Director of Wireless Technologies at the Yankee Group. "Excel's MSP1010 is a good example of technology that enables future, wide scale deployment of these types of services."

"We highly anticipate the availability of the Excel MSP 1010," said Kari Kailamari, CEO of Exomi. "It will provide us with an unprecedented degree of flexibility and performance so that we can offer more efficient and cost-effective SMS solutions for our mobility service provider customers."

MSP 1010 Readily Adapts to Meet Changing Network and Market Demands

While deployments of SMS, mobile prepaid voice and data services, and location based services are already underway in today's mobile networks, carriers want to streamline their networks for a more efficient and economical delivery of those services going forward. According to Yankee Group, service providers are struggling to maintain legacy networks and services while simultaneously rolling out next generation networks. "Operators' capital expenditure to revenue ratios will be 15 percent by 2008. This will prove challenging with the 3G network expenditures, which will be 37 percent of the total spent by 2008," said Marshall.

Today, typical network architectures consist of large, centralized SCPs, which have large a start-up costs and which can stress the network due to the significant volume of backhauled SS7 signaling.

Excel's MSP 1010 improves network performance by offloading localized SS7 traffic from a centralized SCP while dramatically lowering start-up costs. In applications like SMS, a distributed architecture leveraging the MSP 1010 can eliminate signaling bottlenecks and reduce backhaul. A significant added benefit of the MSP 1010 is the investment protection that it offers. By simultaneously supporting SS7, SIGTRAN and SIP, Excel enables providers to be reassured that their investment will continue paying dividends well into the future, regardless of how networks evolve from 2G to 3G and beyond.

Availability

Excel plans to release the MSP 1010 in August 2004.

About Excel Switching Corporation

Founded in 1988, Excel Switching Corporation is a leading provider of carrier-class, open services platforms deployed as differentiated media gateways, media servers, signaling gateways and enhanced service platforms for original equipment manufacturers, value-added resellers, and self-developing service providers worldwide. As a profitable company with over 125 customers worldwide, Excel provides the leading open services platform that addresses carriers' needs for profitable applications by bridging wired, wireless, and IP networks. By working closely with its application partners, Excel provides customers with highly reliable, localized solutions designed to meet their immediate and future needs. For more information, visit www.excelswitching.com.