IPCC Initiates New Working Groups Focusing on Top Priority Issues Facing the Industry Today.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

Spring VON 2004

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 29, 2004

IPCC Service Provide Board, Executive Board and Working Group Members

Convene at the Spring VON Show to Begin Work

In response to service provider members and industry needs, the International Packet Communications Consortium (IPCC) announced its new Working Group initiatives for 2004-2005 today at the Spring VON show. The Working Group members will convene in Santa Clara to begin their work. In addition to the technical documents to be produced by these groups, service provider (SP) interoperability demos are planned on SP Packet Interconnection and SP Application and Services Interoperability.

"We are very pleased to announce our new working groups that have been formed to shape our activities into 2005," said Michael Khalilian, Chairman and President, International Packet Communications Consortium. "These Working Groups are focused on the issues that our service provider members have told us are most important to them."

The IPCC announced the following Working Groups:

-- The Service Provider Packet Interconnection Group: captures

interconnection rules and procedures for public VoIP networks.

This group will focus on the challenges of interconnecting

VoIP islands nationally and globally.

-- The Service Provider Application and Services Interoperability

Group: liaises between service providers and other industry

forums to accelerate the interoperability and conformance 

testing of multi-vendor VoIP and packet solutions.

-- The Session Boarder Controllers Group: works with vendors and

service providers to define security and interconnectivity

requirements for VoIP networks.

-- The Government and Regulatory Issues/Opinions Group: works

with government organizations such as, the FCC, the FBI, the

European Union (EU), and the ANSI T1S1 to represent our

members needs. The group also provides education and opinions

on behalf of our members to governmental bodies such as FCC

and FBI/CALEA.

-- The Enterprise and Customer Premise Group: works with access

providers and vendors to define and establish

interconnectivity between the access layer and the core packet

transport layers.

-- The Industry Resources and Education for VoIP and Packet

Solutions Initiative: ensures communications between industry

organizations and individual companies in order to foster a

better and faster diffusion of services and technology.

The Working Group topics were mapped out by members of the IPCC's Service Provider and Executive Boards over the last few months and represent the most challenging issue areas facing the industry today as it evolves the definition to the implementation stage.

The IPCC encourages service providers, vendors and enterprises interested in becoming involved in the association and assisting with the work of these working groups to contact Michael Khalilian, President, at: [e-mail]. The IPCC will provide updates on the progress of these groups on a regular basis via their web site, www.packetcomm.org, and press releases.

About the IPCC

The International Packet Communications Consortium (IPCC) is the only industry association dedicated to the rapid adoption of packet communications of all types for next generation networks. The IPCC hosts educational and marketing activities, and produces technical documentation and research to simplify, streamline and accelerate the deployment of VoIP and packet communications. The IPCC membership is comprised of a diverse group of the leading domestic and international wireline and wireless service providers, governmental agencies, standards bodies, solutions providers and enterprises, representing all network elements involved in the next generation network. The IPCC evolved from the International Softswitch Consortium (ISC), the industry's most longstanding advocate, advancing the maturation of packet-based network technologies and markets, and builds on the groundbreaking work of the ISC. Additional information about the IPCC can be found at www.packetcomm.org.