Illuminet Hosts ENUM Forum.

Business Editors

OVERLAND PARK, Kansas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 22, 2001

Illuminet Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq:ILUM), the nation's largest independent provider of SS7 network and database services to telecommunications carriers, is hosting the ENUM forum for four-days this week at the company's Overland Park, Kansas facility.

The ENUM Forum was originally part of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and is now an industry forum devoted to implementation of an Internet telephone number mapping protocol, otherwise known as ENUM.

ENUM services propose to make available seamless access among communication devices that use different types of networks (circuit-switched and packet-switched, including IP) and different numbers and addresses by mapping a single number to these addresses through the Internet Domain Name System (DNS), according to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The ENUM forum is organized into five task groups: provisioning, architecture, security, interoperability and applications. Participants in this week's meetings at Illuminet include the United States Telecommunications Association (USTA), as well as representatives from more than a dozen U.S. carriers, service providers and Internet services companies.

"The immediate goal of the ENUM Forum is to develop a design and specifications that will allow ENUM to interconnect with all competitors and to reach all global areas," said Kevin McCandless, Senior Network Planner, Illuminet. McCandless participates in the architecture task group and co-authored a recent report by the U.S. International Telecommunication Advisory Committee (ITAC) Study Group A to the United States Department of State on proposed ENUM standards and regulatory issues. Driven in part by direction coming out of that report, the ENUM Forum currently convenes bi-monthly in order to meet an aggressive timeline for determining the principles and procedures for administering ENUM, McCandless said. More information on their work can be accessed at (www.enum-forum.org).

Illuminet has nearly 20 years experience in providing advanced database services to the telecommunications marketplace, and is considered a leading industry expert. The company's offerings include number portability; calling name database storage, access and transport; toll-free and Line Information Database (LIDB) services.

ABOUT ILLUMINET

Founded in 1981, Illuminet (Nasdaq:ILUM) is the largest independent outsource provider of advanced nationwide signaling and intelligent network services that are essential to the communications industry. Connection to the Illuminet network gives carriers access to virtually the entire U.S. public-switched telecommunications infrastructure through a single source. The Illuminet service bureau specializes in cost-effective outsourcing of highly complex SS7 network and telecom database services including calling name delivery, calling card validation, wireless roaming throughout North and South America, number portability, network usage measurement, network management, Operations Support System (OSS) interconnection services, clearinghouse services, toll-free database and other core functions for traditional, wireless and IP-based carriers. The company also provides prepaid wireless services, including real-time account management, through its subsidiary National Telemanagement Corporation (NTC), based in Dallas, TX. Illuminet's headquarters are at 4501 Intelco Loop, SE, Lacey, WA 98503; 360/493-6000; www.illuminet.com.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

Illuminet is a registered service mark of Illuminet Holdings,

Inc.