Personalized VoIP Applications to Be Demonstrated by Versatel Networks at Fall VON

GATINEAU, QU -- -- 10/15/2004 -- Versatel Networks, the leading provider of intelligent media gateways, today announced that it will be demonstrating two unique VoIP applications at Fall VON -- “CallPods,” the evolution of conferencing, and “Wi-Fi Leap,” a way for service providers to capitalize on the enormous growth of Wi-Fi hotspots.

“VoIP is no longer about infrastructure,” said Robert Mimeault, CEO of Versatel Networks. “VoIP is about delivering the services that benefit the individual subscriber -- the personalized services that give people control over their voice communications.”

CallPods is a phone or web activated conferencing element Service Providers can use to enable instant voice communities termed “Pods” made of, for example, small groups of friends, families, or teams. Wi-Fi Leap allows any service provider, regardless of their network infrastructure, to support next generation Wi-Fi handsets.

“Versatel Networks is making VoIP personal, and CallPods is a perfect example,” said Robert Mimeault, CEO of Versatel Networks. “With a single Push to Talk action, an entire family can instantly connect with each other on any phone (cellular, Wi-Fi, PC based softphone, or POTS), and make dinner plans. With a single mouse click a design team spread around the country can conference instantaneously to resolve a critical issue. CallPods instantly connect teams, families and groups to discuss what’s important to them. Today’s service expectations are higher than ever -- Versatel Networks is the company raising the bar.”

“The opportunities for Voice over Wi-Fi are tremendous,” said Ray Vilis, VP Business Development of Versatel Networks. “223 million wireless subscribers currently pay a premium for Cellular/PCS services. These are the same people who have wireless LANs in their homes and workplaces, and who frequent public wireless Hot Spots. Wi-Fi Leap gives the subscriber dynamic personal control over which telephony device and service he/she wants to use, be it Wi-Fi or Cellular/PCS. When dual-mode Wi-Fi/PCS phones hit the market, subscribers will be able to flip between services using the same device.”


The new breed of entrepreneurial Service Providers can leverage Wi-Fi Leap to offer VoIP over Wi-Fi as a primary mobile voice service. More traditional service providers -- including Cellular/PCS providers -- can also use Wi-Fi leap to retain market share by extending their service coverage to Wi-Fi hotspots. Regardless of infrastructure, all Service Providers’ profitability can be improved with Wi-Fi Leap by routing more voice traffic over IP.

“We’ve got a real head start in this market,” continued Ray Vilis, “and our customers do too.”

The winning service providers are those who will cater to the personal needs of their subscribers by giving them more control over how they communicate, where they communicate from, and which device they choose to communicate with. CallPods and Wi-Fi Leap are two elements that can be used by service providers to generate new revenue over any network infrastructure -- VoIP, POTS, Cellular/PCS, or Wi-Fi.

CallPods and Wi-Fi Leap can be seen, in action, at Versatel’s Booth (#812) at the Fall 2004 VON Conference & Expo taking place October 18-21 in Boston Massachusetts. Details about Fall VON can be found at http://www.pulver.com/von/

About Versatel Networks

Versatel Networks, a spin-off of CML Technologies, has decades of experience building voice centric mission critical platforms and applications.

Versatel Networks builds Intelligent Media Gateways that drive service provider growth and wow end-use customers. Versatel platforms integrate seamlessly with existing network investments and scale effortlessly. Versatel quality means rock solid carrier-class reliability, and the industry’s lowest operating costs.

Versatel solutions help service providers achieve sustainable growth in VoIP by seizing new markets through unique features and service offerings.

Service providers achieve a return on investment in months, not years. In fact, our world-leading VoIP engineers pioneered the ingenious service architecture that situates Versatel applications at the network’s edge, minimizing bandwidth use, and assuring reliability. “Zero-fault” carrier grade quality is at the core of Versatel’s mission.

Versatel Networks’ headquarters is located in Canada’s National Capital Region, the “telecommunications corridor” (Ottawa/Hull). The company is led by a seasoned and experienced management team from such industry leaders as Nortel Networks, Mitel and Newbridge Networks.

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Kristine Sorochinsky

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