Lucent Technologies Introduces Second-Generation Softswitch to Deliver Voice, Data and Multimedia Services On Global Packet Networks.

Business and Technology Editors

SUPERnet 2001

Booth #205

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 16, 2001

Carrier-grade softswitch represents strides in performance

and provides a programmable platform to create

new services for IP and ATM Networks

Lucent Technologies (NYSE: LU) today unveiled its second-generation softswitch, the "brains" of a new network architecture that enables communications service providers to quickly introduce new services and more efficiently manage the convergence of voice and data traffic on their networks.

Lucent's Softswitch is designed to meet the reliability, performance and scalability needs of even the largest global carriers, including mobile third generation (3G) network operators. It is highly programmable, allowing carriers to introduce new services quickly, and adapt to evolving industry standards and protocols. The Lucent Softswitch supports both Internet Protocol (IP) and Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM)-based networks.

"The Lucent Softswitch serves as the centerpiece of our 7R/E (tm) Networks architecture and demonstrates our commitment to developing open, programmable network solutions for our customers," said Frank D'Amelio, president of Lucent's Switching Solutions Group. "Lucent focuses on giving our customers a competitive edge by helping them bring unique service offerings to market quickly."

The announcement was made today at SUPERnet 2001, an industry conference and exhibition presented by the International Engineering Consortium (IEC). Lucent today also announced software enhancements for its industry-leading media gateways, which carry network traffic to its destination. The Lucent Softswitch controls and directs traffic through those gateways.

More than 10 service providers, including inter-exchange carriers, competitive local exchange carriers and mobile operators in North America, Europe and Asia, are conducting trials using the latest version of Lucent's Softswitch.

According to Probe Research, service providers need "an open, flexible architecture that will allow them to select best-in-breed components from a variety of vendors, reduce the costs of developing and delivering new services, and take advantage of the large pool of developers - both in-house and third party - to bring exciting new services to market quickly. Additionally, carriers are looking for networks that are inexpensive to operate, provision and maintain, and can be upgraded easily to meet evolving market needs."

The Lucent Softswitch, in combination with Lucent's industry-leading gateways, offers a series of end-to-end solutions designed to address a variety of key challenges facing service providers, including the critical need to manage the growing Internet traffic moving across their existing networks. These solutions include Toll/Tandem switch replacement, Internet data offload, including Internet Call Diversion and Internet PRI Offload for IP and ATM networks.

Lucent has extensive experience in the softswitch market. More than 30 carriers are using earlier versions of Lucent's Softswitch to provide capabilities such as Internet Call Diversion (ICD). Lucent's ICD solution allows carriers to cut operating costs by providing the capability to offload Internet traffic from their circuit network. Overall, Lucent has shipped more than 3.5 million ports of softswitch-enabled SS7 Remote Access Server (RAS) ports to deliver ICD capabilities to its customers.

The second-generation Lucent Softswitch is the product of a merger of technology developed by Bell Labs and the experience and capabilities from two acquired companies, Ascend Communications and Excel Switching Corp. It features two layers of programmability, allowing developers to create or customize services at the applications layer, and to modify the system to adapt to evolving standards at the call control layer.

At the applications layer, the Lucent Softswitch provides an open development environment for creating innovative new services using industry-standard development tools. Lucent's Full Circle Applications Programming Interface (API) is based on an open Java (r) Telephony-based Applications Programming Interface (JTAPI) that enables service providers and independent software developers to create applications and end-to-end business solutions that will operate on the Lucent Softswitch, and other compatible platforms.

Several service providers and independent software developers are beginning to use Lucent's service creation tools and the Full Circle API to build applications compatible with the Lucent Softswitch. The Full Circle API framework adheres to many of the most popular call processing, telephony and Internet standards used today.

At the protocol and call control layer, the Lucent Softswitch features a unique graphical programming language called PPL (Programmable Protocol Language) that enables Lucent to rapidly make changes and introduce new capabilities to keep pace with today's dynamic environment. As new protocols emerge, or as service providers expand into new markets, Lucent can rapidly add new capabilities or deliver expanded functionality, sometimes in a matter of days.

Over the next nine months Lucent plans to deliver a series of new softswitch releases through software upgrades. Forthcoming releases will include a standards-based interface designed to work with multiple vendor gateways, support for a wide range of media and application servers, and evolutionary Class 5 features.

Lucent Technologies, headquartered in Murray Hill, N.J., USA, designs and delivers the systems, software, silicon and services for next-generation communications networks for service providers and enterprises. Backed by the research and development of Bell Labs, Lucent focuses on high-growth areas such as broadband and mobile Internet infrastructure; communications software; communications semiconductors and optoelectronics; web-based enterprise solutions that link private and public networks; and professional network design and consulting services. For more information on Lucent Technologies, visit its web site at http://www.lucent.com.