Centigram Unveils the Series 6.3 Unified Communications Platform; Focuses New Business Activities With ASP Strategy - Product Announcement

Cambridge Telcom Report, March 27, 2000

Centigram Communications Corporation (Nasdaq:CGRM), a leading global provider of unified communications solutions, Monday introduced the Series 6.3 unified communications platform.

A major advancement in IP-based communications technology, the Series 6.3 platform is a comprehensive unified communications solution that enables telecom carriers and service providers to provision cutting-edge voice/data telecommunications services over wireless and wireline, and Internet-based networks.

The Series 6.3 supports a wide range of software applications enabling advanced message management, administration and provisioning, call management and multimedia information management. Service providers deploying the Series 6.3 will be capable of delivering Internet-based voice, text and multimedia content to wireless and wireline phones, PCs and WAP-enabled devices.

Centigram also announced that it is broadening its new business efforts to focus on the burgeoning application service provider (ASP) market. Driven by two trends -- the increasing sophistication of new Internet-enabled unified communications systems, and surging demand among endusers for advanced messaging services -- telecommunications ASPs are assuming a central role in today's Internet-based communications environment.

ILECs and CLECs are finding that, in many cases, it is more cost effective to maintain unified communications offerings on an outsourced basis, and are looking to ASPs to provide the latest products and services. Centigram has close working relationships with many telecom service bureaus and ASPs, and the debut of the Series 6.3 platform enables the company to concentrate on expanding its business in this area.

"We are very excited to be launching the Series 6.3 unified communications platform ahead of the market," said Bob Puette, CEO and President of Centigram Communications. "Centigram has been an innovator in voice/data convergence for a long time, and the Series 6.3 keeps us at the forefront of the fast-moving unified communications market. We are also enthusiastic about broadening our relationships with telecom ASPs. As a provider of essential technology and applications for IP-based messaging, Centigram is ideally placed to play a central role in the growing B2B telecommunications market."

David Berndt, a Director at the Yankee Group, commented: "Service bureaus and ASPs have been part of the telecommunications landscape for many years, but they're taking on increased importance in the new IP-based environment. Much as Web portals and e-commerce companies rely on Internet ASPs to provide network data support and overall e-business knowledge, CLECs and ILECs are coming to rely on telecom ASPs for the infrastructure and expertise to support unified communications. Wireless carriers are realizing that by outsourcing they can significantly reduce the procurement, maintenance and support costs associated with the new SMS and WAP products. Centigram has long-established partnerships with many telecom ASPs. With the debut of the Series 6.3 unified communications platform, Centigram is in a strong position to succeed in the new Web-based telecommunications environment."

The Centigram Series 6.3 Unified Communications Platform The Series 6.3 offers a complete unified communications solution on a single system and is fully scalable. With Centigram's MESA-Net TCP/IP architecture, service providers can link up to 1,500 platforms to create enormous virtual TCP/IP networks capable of supporting global corporations, or even small nations. Carriers can deploy cutting-edge products and services simply by integrating Centigram's modular software applications. The company's line of unified communications applications include:

MobileGram short message service center MobileGram allows carriers to deliver Internet and other real-time content to the mobile user's handset. Wireless carriers and service providers use short messaging to send email, stock updates, weather, sports scores, traffic reports and message/fax notification. Other features include subscriber-to-subscriber email, Internet-to-subscriber email, and email delivery to handheld devices.

Unified Inbox Centigram's Unified Inbox provides users with access to voicemail and fax mail messages from any standards-based email client application, such as Netscape Communicator. Voice and fax messages are automatically converted to digital files and forwarded to the user's email system, where they can be played/viewed, stored, forwarded, shared with groups and deleted using any PC or email device. With message synchronization technology based on IMAP, Unified Inbox allows users to access and manage their voicemail messages using either a telephone or an internet connection, without losing information or duplicating effort.

Internet Call Manager Centigram's Internet Call Manager (ICM) gives subscribers the freedom to surf the Web without having to worry about missing important phone calls. When a call comes in while the user is online, an "incoming call" window appears on the computer monitor. The window displays the caller's name and telephone number, letting subscribers decide whether to disconnect from the Internet and answer the call, have the call transferred to a cellular phone or to a different phone line, play a courtesy message, send the call to voicemail, or ignore the call completely. This service does not require Caller ID or Call Waiting, and can be provisioned at a fraction of the cost of a second telephone line.