3Com and Level 3 Test Next Generation of Telephone Systems and IP Networks to Speed the Deployment of New Business and Consumer Services - Company Business and Marketing

Cambridge Telcom Report, Jan 31, 2000

3Com Corporation Monday announced it has signed an agreement with Level 3 Communications to begin immediately conducting one of the first U.S.-based Internet Protocol (IP) telephony trials using session initiation protocol (SIP) technology. Under the agreement, 3Com and Level 3 will test interoperability between 3Com's SIP telephone and e-Networking equipment and Level 3's IP access and transport network. The successful completion of the high profile trial is expected to accelerate the widespread deployment of IP telephony services for businesses and consumers.

3Com and Level 3 are creating a foundation for the development of SIP-based products and services that will change the market landscape of the companies which can provide voice communications. SIP technology will enable the creation of an IP network that will allow new voice features and capabilities, such as call filtering, call forwarding and caller ID, to be coded and deployed more quickly than through the traditional public switched telephone network (PSTN). By using SIP-based technology to reduce the time associated with deploying new features from months to less than a week, businesses will lower the start-up and recurrent costs of telephone services. In addition, SIP technology will enable businesses to deliver future features without requiring major upgrades to existing networks.

SIP is an open, Internet-friendly protocol used to easily initiate, manage and terminate interactive sessions, including voice, across a wide area network (WAN). It enables Custom Local Area Signaling Service (CLASS) features, such as call blocking, caller ID and call forwarding, to be deployed over IP networks. Since becoming a proposed standard of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) in March 1999, SIP has gained significant support among telecom equipment vendors, carriers, competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs), cable operators and Web-based voice chat providers.

The trial is divided into two major phases. Beginning immediately, the first phase is designed to integrate and test the hardware and software components at an enterprise level and will be conducted independently by 3Com and Level 3 at their respective facilities. In phase two, the companies will enable calls over Level 3's voice nationwide test network using 3Com SIP telephones and proxy server. When the testing is successfully completed, the two companies expect to develop commercialized applications to bring to the U.S. market.

"3Com believes this protocol will have a profound effect on how people use the telephone, equivalent to what HTTP has done for the Web," said Andrew Bezaitis, director of business development, Personal Connectivity Business Unit, 3Com. "CLECs have the most to gain from the success of this trial because they have the potential to deploy new IP-based voice services that will allow them to acquire new customers and differentiate their customer value. Through this trial, 3Com will further the development and delivery of intelligent clients that communicate over the Internet."

"The critical ingredients are all in place for a new wave of Internet innovation, leveraging softswitch technology and building on the successful example of the World Wide Web," said Ike Elliott, vice president of softswitch services, Level 3. "In SIP, we have a completely open protocol that allows any software developer to create new services, in much the same way that any Web developer can create Web content today. Level 3 is committed to enabling IP voice services all over the globe, using SIP and other open Internet protocols. CLECs, ISPs, and application service providers are the ideal partners for us in these IP voice services."

Trial Expected to Facilitate the Adoption of SIP-based Products and Service 3Com will integrate its SIP-based products with Level 3's backbone voice network to test functionality and compatibility between 3Com's SIP products and Level 3's voice network. The trial components include 3Com's SIP telephones, proxy servers and 3Com CommWorks gateway equipment, which are in controlled release.

The SIP trial is another facet of 3Com's strategy to deliver e-Networking products and services for e-business. The company's voice strategy and supporting products give enterprises of all sizes dramatic new Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) functionality for e-businesses, through easy, convenient access to IP telephony networks, high availability to those networks and next-generation voice applications.

Level 3 is a communications and information services company offering a broad selection of IP-based services including transport, co-location services, submarine services, Internet access services, and the industry's first Softswitch based services. As a network and telecom enabler, Level 3 offers services primarily to Web-centric companies that add value and deliver their services to end users over the Level 3 Network.

With over 300 million customer connections worldwide, 3Com Corporation connects more people and organizations to information and each other in more innovative, simple and reliable ways than any other networking company. 3Com delivers e-Networking solutions through information access products and network systems to enterprises, small businesses, consumers, carriers and network service providers. For further information, visit 3Com's World Wide Web site at www.3com.com or the press site at www.3com.com.