Tekelec Announces Equipment Identity Register Solution; New Feature Provides Screening for Stolen Mobile Handsets.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

3GSM World Congress 2003

MORRISVILLE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 17, 2003

Tekelec (NASDAQ:TKLC) announced the availability of its EAGLE(R) 5 equipment identity register (EIR) feature for GSM networks.

The new feature blocks the use of handsets that are reported as stolen by screening the international mobile equipment identity (IMEI) number, which is unique to each GSM handset. The use of EIR is fast becoming a regulatory requirement in a number of European countries, including France, which has mandated a first quarter 2004 deadline for implementation.

"Handset theft presents a problem in many countries with GSM networks," commented Lori Craven, vice president and general manager, Tekelec Network Systems Division. "The stolen handset is reprogrammed with legitimate subscriber information, allowing the handset to continue to operate. Tekelec's EAGLE 5 EIR feature helps to deter mobile handset theft, enabling network operators to enter the IMEI of stolen handsets into a "blacklist" and thus prevent them from being registered on the network."

Craven added, "Mobile phone theft has become a key factor in rising street crime. An average 900,000 handsets are stolen each year in the United Kingdom alone, representing one in four robberies. The telecommunications industry is working hard to make this crime less attractive to thieves. Solutions such as IMEI screening, along with jointly shared databases of stolen handset numbers, will effectively render a stolen handset useless across all networks. Once the consumer reports the theft to the network operator, it can be cancelled much like a stolen credit card."

Tekelec will introduce EAGLE 5 EIR at the 3GSM World Congress in Cannes, France at stand B-38. The feature allows mobile operators to assign individual and/or ranges of IMEIs to white, gray, or black lists. This database is then queried using a standard mobile application part (MAP) message to determine whether a particular handset may be used in the network. The EIR feature operates from the EAGLE 5 SAS, the high-capacity, multi-protocol advanced signaling platform, which provides efficient signaling solutions in multi-vendor networks. EIR data can be provisioned in the same database as Tekelec's mobile number portability solutions, G-Port MNP and INP, or G-Flex C7 Relay, the company's HLR traffic management tool.

ABOUT TEKELEC

Tekelec is a leading developer of telecommunications signaling solutions, including packet-telephony, monitoring, and value-added applications. Tekelec's innovative solutions are widely deployed in traditional and next-generation wireline and wireless networks and contact centers worldwide. Corporate headquarters are located in Calabasas, Calif., with research and development facilities and sales offices throughout the world. For more information, please visit www.tekelec.com.

The Tekelec logo, EAGLE, G-Flex, G-Port, and IP7 are registered trademarks of Tekelec. ASi, SXi, Sentinel, TekWare, TekServer, and VXi are trademarks of Tekelec. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.