Excel and Vocalocity Redefine Performance and Price Expectations for Large-Scale VoiceXML Deployments.

HYANNIS, Mass. & ATLANTA -- -- Carrier-grade speech platform simplifies and accelerates development for enhanced services application providers --

Excel Switching Corp. (www.excelswitching.com), a leading provider of carrier-class open services platforms, media gateways and media servers for communications networks, and Vocalocity (www.vocalocity.net), a provider of VoiceXML and SALT software designed for OEM and VAR partners, today announced a partnership to deliver a high-performance, low-cost VoiceXML platform designed explicitly for service provider deployments. The offering will make it easier and significantly less expensive for fixed and mobile providers across VoIP, traditional TDM and converged networks to provide touch-tone and speech-enabled applications on a broad scale.

The joint solution provides direct integration between the Excel AnyGen Converged Services Platform (CSP) and VocalOS(TM) from Vocalocity. VocalOS provides pre-integration with the Vocalocity VoiceXML interpreter, several leading speech recognition and text-to-speech engines, and the Vocalocity App Center GUI-based VoiceXML development environment. This initiative will enable application developers to seamlessly combine Excel's superior call control and media processing capabilities with VoiceXML dialogs and speech recognition, making it easier for developers to offer advanced interactive voice services on a single proven platform. The VocalOS will also be backward compatible with existing Excel SwitchKit applications.

"Excel and Vocalocity have introduced a new category of converged media application platforms," observed Dan Miller, Senior Analyst at Zelos Group. "A low-cost, tight integration of the VoiceXML framework with a telephony interface creates fertile ground for innovation as enterprises and service providers migrate from proprietary systems to open standards and IP-based transport."

"The teaming of Vocalocity and Excel provides the carrier-grade, integrated media solution that application developers and service providers have been demanding," stated Mike Twomey, vice president, product planning for Excel. "Excel continues to deliver the highest levels of network reliability and performance on the industry's smallest footprint. Vocalocity's platforms eliminate the need for our customers to dedicate resources to VoiceXML and speech engine integration, which accelerates their time-to-market and lets them focus on core application development efforts."

"Excel and Vocalocity share the vision of developing and delivering products that are carefully tailored to meet the unique needs of our Service Provider, OEM and VAR Partners," said John Hibel, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development for Vocalocity. "This offering eliminates barriers to VoiceXML adoption for large-scale deployments and enables a new class of advanced voice applications."

Benefits of the Combined Excel and Vocalocity Platform:

Speeds Time-to-Market - The tightly integrated offering enables developers to leverage Vocalocity's intuitive, standards-based application development environment to quickly build rich speech-enabled and touch-tone applications that take advantage of Excel's integrated media processing.

Enables a Broader Range of Services - Excel provides powerful call control capabilities that are not available using VoiceXML alone. Applications such as inbound and outbound call centers' conferencing and unified communications can be deployed faster and more cost effectively with the integrated Excel and Vocalocity platform.

Offers Greater Flexibility - Excel supports integrated IP (SIP and H.323) and TDM (SS7, PRI, and R2) signaling protocols, as well as mobility and IN protocols to provide Carrier and OEM Partners with complete flexibility in addressing current and future needs. The solution can be deployed in both central office and customer premises environments.

Lowers Initial and Ongoing Costs - Excel provides a highly scalable Converged Services Platform. Vocalocity enables its customers to buy core voice platform software at a lower cost than they can build it internally, without minimizing their control over the delivery of differentiated services. Together, the solutions provide an ideal platform for Carrier and OEM deployments.

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 fixed, mobile 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.

About Vocalocity

Vocalocity provides the only VoiceXML and SALT platform software designed exclusively to enable OEM and VAR partners to deliver unique, open telephony solutions -- faster and with an unprecedented level of control. Vocalocity core platform components provide essential functionality that is easily integrated, customized, and extended, empowering partners to concentrate development resources at points of competitive differentiation.

Vocalocity's core platform component suite includes a voice gateway, centralized management and control, reporting and analysis, and an integrated development environment. Partners may choose to implement the entire suite, or select individual components as required. All Vocalocity products are powered by VocalOS(TM), the core communications framework that provides the platform's extreme architectural flexibility.

Based in Atlanta, GA, the company is privately held with funding from Sutter Hill Ventures, Five Paces Ventures, Imlay Investments, Georgia Tech's ATDC Seed Capital Fund and Atlanta Technology Angels.