Mediatrix Announces Breakthrough Technology With the Release of the Mediatrix 2102 Residential VoIP Access Device.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

Spring VON 2004

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

New access device features Mediatrix' Transparent Address Sharing (TAS) technology, which networks home phones, faxes and a PC or router

for high-quality residential IP telephony over broadband.

Mediatrix Telecom, Inc., a leader in Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) access technology, today announced the release of the Mediatrix 2102, a two-port SIP-based VoIP access device that simplifies residential IP telephony for service providers and their customers.

The Mediatrix 2102 features breakthrough technology, Transparent Address Sharing, or TAS, (Mediatrix patent pending), for sharing an IP address between multiple devices. This enables a home PC or router, telephone and fax machine to have access to the Internet simultaneously, using a single broadband connection and without the need for a router or a Network Address Translator (NAT) device.

Current technology requires tremendous effort on the part of service providers for configuring, supporting and updating VoIP access devices once deployed in the field. The Mediatrix 2102 eliminates much of that effort as the unit comes standard with a host of features that allows service providers to remotely manage and configure the units via SNMP or HTTP, and provide automatic updates via HTTP and TFTP. Consequently, service providers can immediately roll out new revenue-generating services by bringing their residential subscriber base online to new high-value IP telephony services.

"The Mediatrix 2102 is a significant technology breakthrough for residential VoIP", stated Norman Rae, VP Research and Development, Mediatrix. "Bringing VoIP to the home today presents a number of challenges for service providers, not the least of which is the number of available IPv4 addresses. As a result, it proliferates the use of routers and NATs, which, consequently, do not always work well with SIP, the favored IP telephony protocol. NATs and firewalls may require reconfiguration when applications are added or modified on a PC. So it is easy to see how a typical residential customer would quickly become overwhelmed with the configuration and maintenance of such a setup, and how a service provider's help desk could be flooded with support calls. The Mediatrix 2102 circumvents these problems and makes IP telephony in the home practically as simple as plugging a telephone set into a jack."

The Mediatrix 2102 features two FXS ports and two 10/100 Base-T Ethernet ports. It can connect one or two analog phones or fax machines, and a PC or router to the Internet via a DSL or cable modem. The technology behind the Mediatrix 2102 is referred to as Transparent Address Sharing (TAS). One of the advantages of TAS includes networking two IP endpoints without the need for an external router or a NAT device - reducing equipment costs and system complexity. Other advantages include effortless setup, which reduces end-user frustration and expensive technical support time for service providers, and enhanced security for the IP telephony device as the IP device is not visible to the outside world.

The Mediatrix 2102 allows both Ethernet ports on the unit to be used with a single IP address from the service provider. In other words, the Mediatrix 2102 carries the same IP address as the PC or the router attached to it. Additionally, the Mediatrix 2102 has local QoS, which prioritizes voice traffic over data. The device intelligently directs VoIP packets to the telephone sets and routes all other traffic through to the PC. For homes with multiple PCs, the 2102 is inserted transparently and conveniently between the router and the broadband modem, to take full advantage of the voice prioritization over data. In addition, the complexities associated with having a double NAT are eliminated as the Mediatrix 2102 allows the use of a single IP address without address translation or private IP addresses.

"Service providers will find the business case for deploying the Mediatrix 2102 for their residential VoIP offerings very compelling indeed," stated Marc Shapiro, VP Marketing, Mediatrix. "The Mediatrix 2102 features built-in QoS, it is easy to install and easy to administer. This translates into increased revenue from VoIP services without an increase in technical support overhead costs for the equipment associated with those services. That's a real boon to their bottom line."

The Mediatrix 2102 is an evolution of Mediatrix' award-winning 1000 series VoIP access devices and gateways - a product line that has attracted much industry attention and has received numerous awards for high quality design, functionality, innovation and price/performance value. The SIP version of the Mediatrix 2102 is now available for select customer shipments. General availability is scheduled for late April 2004.

About Mediatrix Products

The Mediatrix product line is targeted at telecom equipment vendors developing next-generation VoIP network solutions as well as service providers (ILEC, CLEC, MSO, ASP, ISP) and enterprises deploying VoIP solutions. Mediatrix access devices and gateways are standards based and designed to meet carrier-grade requirements. The products are feature-rich with security and QoS capabilities and interoperate with H.323, SIP, MGCP and NCS protocols and also interface with proprietary features of its strategic partners' communication management systems including softswitches, gatekeepers, proxy servers and call agents.

About Mediatrix Telecom, Inc.

Mediatrix develops and markets advanced VoIP access devices, gateways, routers and value-added software enhancements for the enterprise, SOHO, and residential markets. Its products provide an ideal migration path for end users wishing to protect their current CPE investment (analog/digital phones, fax machines, PBX and Key Systems) while migrating to a converged IP network. Mediatrix products and solutions are widely interoperable and have received commercial endorsement from some of the world's leading manufacturers of telecommunications equipment. Mediatrix is a wholly owned entity of Media5 Corporation, a high technology holding company based in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. Media5 Corporation also owns M5T, a software provider focused on delivering the latest in SIP software technologies to companies developing applications for real-time multimedia communications over IP. Mediatrix has corporate offices in Montreal, Canada and regional offices located in the United States and Europe. For more information please visit www.mediatrix.com.

This press release may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, general business conditions in the industry, changes in demand for products, the timing and cancellation of orders and other risks.