Priority Call Commits to Open Standards to Facilitate Service Growth for Service Providers.

WILMINGTON, Ma.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 7, 1999--

Open Architecture of ORYX Platform Will Allow Ubiquitous Services

Across Networks

Priority Call Management, Inc., one of the fastest-growing manufacturers of network-based systems for the telecommunications industry, announced today a new open architecture for their ORYX(R) platform which will support emerging open standards.

Open standards are gaining acceptance throughout the communications industry, and this new architecture will allow service providers to deploy the same revenue-generating services that they offer today in their next generation networks.

Priority Call will use the new architecture to design services with transparent synergy among legacy Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), Intelligent Network (IN) elements, and New World IP-centric carrier infrastructures.

"In the current market, carriers are faced with the dilemma that revenues are pressured as technologies are advancing," said Mary Stanhope, director of market development for Priority Call. "Because most carriers use more than one infrastructure provider, our open architecture will allow seamless integration of our technologies, with less overhead/operational expense."

There are a variety of management and control protocols including Media Gateway Control Protocol (MGCP), Internet Protocol Device Control (IPDC), Simple Gateway Control Protocol (SGCP), Session Initiation Protocol (SIP/SIP+), H.323, and SS7 that facilitate the exchange of information between originating and terminating points to complete a call successfully.

Priority Call's ORYX platform will communicate with Media Gateway Controllers, Proxy Servers, and Media Gateways to set up, tear down, and manage voice and data calls in the IP network. The same suite of services currently offered on the public voice network can now be offered on IP networks.

The collaboration of servers, gateways, and controllers on a call will allow services to be offered across multiple networks.

In assessing the future of wireline, wireless, and IP switching, leading vendors including Cisco Systems, Dialogic Corporation, Excel Switching Corporation, Natural MicroSystems, Nortel Networks, and Sonus Networks have announced plans to enhance compatibility.

Infrastructure vendors are also looking at adoption of these same standards to allow greater interoperability at the infrastructure level.

"By working closely with Cisco Voice Applications Partners such as Priority Call Management, Cisco is building the New World around an open telephony architecture," said Paul Sanchirico, director of marketing, Enhanced Services & Migration Business Unit at Cisco Systems.

"Priority Call's commitment to open standards will enable their services to span both old and new world infrastructures and to operate across a broad range of Cisco platforms."

"Priority Call Management is offering the public network service providers the tools to differentiate their applications for Internet telephony and the intelligent network, on standard based systems" said Tony Roug, director, Public Network Technology at Dialogic Corporation.

"The ability to differentiate solutions is a critical success factor in this highly competitive public network market segment. Dialogic is committed to working with strong partners like Priority Call Management, to provide them with the high performance computer telephony solutions they require to maintain this competitive edge."

"Next Generation Telcos have recognized the advantages of open platforms in addressing real world requirements for powerful, highly available and scalable systems for IP telephony applications," said Robert Madonna, president and CEO of Excel Switching Corporation.

"Excel's leadership in producing open programmable systems, when integrated with the resources Priority Call offers, will help meet the demands of the rapidly evolving Next Gen Telcos."

"Service providers demand extensibility and interoperability. Natural MicroSystems has long been a leading proponent of open standards precisely because they enable solutions providers like Priority Call Management to support emerging technologies and protocols quickly and efficiently," said Allen Carney, vice president of marketing and business development for Natural MicroSystems.

"We're thrilled to be providing the Open Telecommunications(tm)-based media processing capability that enables Priority Call Management to deliver its innovative enhanced services platform across multiple networks."

"We are pleased that Priority Call Management has joined the Open Service Partner Alliance. The powerful combination of the Sonus Open Services Architecture and Priority Call's ORYX platform will offer carriers flexible and reliable services solutions for deployment on existing and next generation networks," commented Gary Rogers, Sonus' vice president of sales and marketing.

"Moreover, the Sonus OSA and the OSPA will add a new dimension of profitability to the service provider--this represents a revolutionary step in converged networks applications, reshaping the utility and useability of currently offered carrier services."

Priority Call's ORYX platform allows communications companies to offer customers a comprehensive suite of enhanced services on a single platform.

Because Priority Call can offer services that are infrastructure independent, customers can enhance and expand capabilities, both in the context of today's traditional network and tomorrow's evolved IP market, without incurring huge network development costs.

This, according to many telecommunications industry experts, is a critically important factor in next generation telecommunications companies' efforts to retain profitability.

Several of Priority Call Management's partners including Cisco Systems, Excel Switching, and Sonus Networks are demonstrating their open standards-based solutions at SUPERCOMM '99 this week.

Priority Call will be participating in the Cisco System ECOmmunity, Booth No. 7467, and the Excel Switching Partner Pavilion, Booth No. 7419. Sonus Networks is located in Booth No. 2417.

About Priority Call Management

Priority Call is a leading global provider of open, distributed telecommunications solutions for next generation public networks. Through Priority Call's ORYX(R) platform, service providers gain the ability to market a wide range of enhanced services, including prepaid calling, enhanced messaging, and one-number.

Organizations throughout Africa, Asia, Europe, Australia, and North and South America have chosen Priority Call to deliver applications and services that meet the growing demand for sophisticated communications in new and evolving telecommunications networks.

For more information, please visit the company's website at www.prioritycall.com. ORYX is a registered trademark of Priority Call Management, Inc. All other trademarks are the properties of their respective companies.