SBC Announces Roadmap For IP Telephony Business Solutions to Help Customers Realize Benefits of Unified Networks.

Business Editors/Technology Writers

SAN ANTONIO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 24, 2000

Best-in-Class Offerings From Cisco, Lucent, Nortel Networks 

Will Enable Businesses to Implement Pure IP PBX or Centrex,

or Transition with Enabling Solutions

SBC Communications Inc. (NYSE:SBC), a leading provider of data transport, networking and e-business services, today announced a roadmap for its introduction of a range of business telephony offerings that will enable its customers to realize the benefits of unified communications networks based on Internet Protocol (IP).

IP telephony is widely recognized as the future of business communications. But up to now, adoption of IP telephony solutions has been limited, largely due to a lack of widespread offerings from major carriers.

SBC's IP telephony offerings will include a full range of solutions. They will provide both for businesses planning to implement next-generation distributed IP Private Branch Exchange (PBX) and central office (Centrex) telephone systems and services, and for those that want to transition to IP with systems that link existing switched voice networks to IP-based data networks.

The company will provide its customers with best-in-class IP telephony solutions from Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO), Lucent Technologies (NYSE:LU) and Nortel Networks (NYSE/TSE:NT). SBC will make these solutions available to its customers following successful completion of extensive qualification testing at its SBC Technology Resources, Inc. applied research labs and successful customer beta testing. SBC DataComm, one of the nation's largest network integration organizations, will provide customers with design and implementation support.

"SBC will provide a full range of reliable IP telephony solutions for businesses that want to realize the efficiencies and cost savings that integrating voice and data business communications networks can provide," said Mark Keiffer, senior vice president - SBC Business Marketing. "We will have solutions both for businesses seeking an all- IP solution for their organizations, and for those who want to begin a gradual transition to unified networks while protecting their investment in existing telephony equipment. We also can provide design and integration support to help enterprises successfully implement the solution that is right for them."

The IP telephony solutions roadmap announced today builds on SBC's commitment to help its customers succeed in the broadband-powered "always on" world. Integrated voice, video and data networks enabled by IP telephony solutions can help businesses meet their business goals by enabling a new breed of productivity-enhancing collaboration tools like unified messaging, increasing network manageability and lowering support costs.

Enterprises Seeking Premise-Based Unified Networks

For businesses seeking a pure, distributed IP PBX solution that seamlessly integrates into the corporate data network, eliminating the need for a standalone PBX, SBC today announced availability of a solution set based on the Cisco Architecture for Voice, Video and Integrated Data (AVVID) to selected customers. SBC plans to begin making AVVID more widely available beginning in the first quarter 2001.

AVVID supports a range of IP-enabled solutions, including voice over IP routing, personal productivity tools, Web interface attendant functions and IP soft phones. The inherently flexible, scalable and distributed nature of data networks simplifies deployment and management of AVVID IP telephones, which are automatically recognized by the system when they are plugged into corporate LAN jacks.

SBC and Cisco are nearing completion of work at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff on an advanced Cisco AVVID deployment. This converged system, which supports more than 1,800 IP phones, includes video conferencing, campus-wide wireless connectivity, distance learning applications and network data communications. Users access leading-edge telephone, data and video capabilities, while the university recognizes significant cost savings from the integration of its data and telecommunication networks.

Enterprises Seeking Premise-Based Transition Solutions

For businesses that want to begin a transition to IP telephony while preserving their investment in existing telephone systems, SBC today announced the planned year-end availability of the Nortel Networks Meridian Internet Telephony Gateway (ITG). The ITG enables enterprises to link their Nortel Networks Meridian(TM) business telephone systems using their IP data networks. The gateway leverages the integration of voice and data networks by translating calls into IP packets, compressing the packets, and routing them over available bandwidth in corporate wide area networks. It helps reduce transport costs for inter-office calls while supporting enhanced applications such as calling number and name display, and maintaining a high level of voice quality. Beginning early next year, SBC expects to make the gateway available to support IP telephones on the Meridian platform, enabling LAN access and simplifying moves, adds and changes. IP-enabling the Meridian 1 with these gateways allows SBC customers to realize the benefits of IP telephony while maintaining the full feature functionality, advanced application support and reliability of the Meridian 1.

SBC also expects to make Nortel Networks' Business Communications Manager (BCM) available in the first quarter of next year, providing an IP-enabled communications solution for branch offices and small business customers. Nortel Networks BCM enables voice over IP connectivity between BCM systems and with the Meridian 1, enabling an enterprise-wide IP network. BCM incorporates powerful applications including unified messaging, call center services and PC attendant for on-line directories and dial-by-name capabilities. The system enhances quality of service by routing calls to traditional voice networks if data networks are congested. The BCM solution is planned to include support of IP telephones and growth from 80 to 130 stations, with targeted availability early next year.

Enterprises Seeking Central Office-Based IP Solutions

SBC is one of the nation's largest providers of Centrex services, and is leading the transition to central office-based IP solutions. SBC is working with Lucent and Nortel Networks on trials of these systems in Illinois and Texas, respectively. The goal of these early deployments is to qualify the systems for controlled market availability in the first half of 2001. The first systems to become available will IP-enable existing Centrex switches, with all-IP Centrex solutions coming to market later next year.

SBC and Lucent will conduct a live IP Centrex technical trial beginning in April 2001 at Lucent's new facility in Lisle, Ill. SBC will use Lucent's 7R/E(TM) Packet Solutions to provide IP Centrex service to approximately 2,500 product marketing, product development and research employees at the new facility. Using IP phones, employees will have access to advanced Centrex services, such as multi-location Centrex, virtual office features for road warriors, seamless work environments for teleworkers and virtual call centers. Lucent's iMerge(TM) Centrex Feature Gateway will be used to provide the IP Centrex functionality in the new facility. The project, which is expected to be one of the world's largest IP-Centrex deployments, will integrate with ISDN Centrex service provided to thousands of employees in the existing Lucent buildings in the Lisle area.

Nortel Networks Centrex IP provides access to Centrex services over an IP network, thus offering an evolution path from today's circuit- switched Centrex world to converged voice and data networks. When deployed, it will enable better bandwidth management for multimedia services; any time anywhere network flexibility to deliver services to organizations with multiple locations; and the ability to integrate new IP terminal equipment with today's Centrex phones.

SBC's Data Business

SBC's leadership in the introduction of a broad portfolio of business IP telephony solutions to its customers builds on the company's data growth strategy. SBC's total data revenues increased 46.1 percent in the third quarter over the same period last year to $2.0 billion, driven by businesses' increasing need for speed, bandwidth, network management and e-business solutions.

SBC Communications Inc. (www.sbc.com) is a global communications leader. Through its subsidiaries' trusted brands - Southwestern Bell, Ameritech, Pacific Bell, SBC Telecom, Nevada Bell, SNET and Cellular One - and world-class network, SBC and its affiliated companies provide local and long-distance phone service; wireless and paging services; e-business and data communications services; high-speed Internet access; messaging; cable and satellite television; security services; telecommunications equipment; and directory advertising and publishing. In the United States, the company currently has 61.3 million access lines and is undertaking a national expansion program that will bring SBC service to an additional 30 markets. SBC has a 60 percent interest in Cingular Wireless, its joint venture with BellSouth, which serves more than 19 million wireless customers. Internationally, SBC has telecommunications investments in more than 20 countries and has annual revenues that rank it among the largest Fortune 500 companies.

SOURCE: SBC Communications, Inc.