Broadmedia Announces Availability of the freeTone Solution for the HP Business Communications Server Platform

Business Wire, Dec 16, 1999

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 15, 1999--

Alliance with HP Provides VoIP Capability for HP BCS Platform

Broadmedia Inc. (www.broadmedia.com) today announced availability of the freeTone solution for Hewlett-Packard Company's Business Communications Server (BCS) platform.

The HP BCS is a complete converged computer telephony solution for small- to medium-size businesses and remote offices of larger organizations. The HP BCS uses HP's highly reliable NT server, making it the perfect platform for deployment of customer management, telephony and data applications.

The freeTone solution enables business users to apply their PBX system and the Internet to dramatically reduce the cost of long distance dialing. It includes Broadmedia's exclusive G-Phone gateway, along with valuable services covering installation, maintenance, Quality of Service (QoS) monitoring, upgrading and call detail record reporting. freeTone also encompasses services for site-to-site dialing over the Internet as well as services for single-site global dialing over the Internet for one low monthly rate.

The HP Business Communications Server is an integrated voice and data communications platform combining telephony and voicemail capabilities with a fully functional server. The Voice-over-IP (VoIP) option makes it an ideal solution for remote or satellite offices of larger organizations.

An employee placing a VoIP call can simply push a button on his office telephone to engage freeTone. The HP BCS automatically routes the call to an integrated G-Phone, which converts the voice signal to IP packets and sends them over the Internet. A G-Phone at the receiving site reconverts the voice from IP back into an analog signal, which the local HP BCS or other system automatically routes to the destination telephone.

The Internet replaces the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) as a private, long-distance telephone line, which allows companies to make unlimited site-to-site long-distance calls essentially toll-free. A company without branch sites can also enjoy extremely low rates and global access by calling through the HP BCS and an integrated G-Phone connected to a Broadmedia Network Operations Center (NOC), or other G-Phone hosted site. At the NOC, a G-Phone receives the Internet call and routes it over the PSTN to the destination telephone.

The G-Phone uses ITU G.723 voice compression to conserve bandwidth and employs sophisticated technology for mitigating the effects of echo, dropped packets, and other Internet quirks. To ensure the best possible freeTone transmission quality during periods of heavy Internet noise and activity, the G-Phone routes the packetized voice over Broadmedia's Quality of Service overlay network.

The G-Phone is qualified for integration with the HP BCS, which allows placing a VoIP call as easy as placing a standard phone call. Moreover, voice mail, call holding, and other PBX functions available on the HP BCS are available for freeTone calls.

"The reliability and features of HP's BCS make it an excellent platform for integration with Broadmedia's G-Phone gateways," said Ting Herh, Broadmedia chairman, CEO and president. "Its switching capability, VoIP support and T1 access suit the HP Business Communications Server platform for freeTone service. It also serves the same target market--the small- to medium-size business or large business branch office seeking a technological solution to the problem 7of high operating costs."

"HP and its partners help companies reach their business objectives and effectively handle company operations by planning and implementing intelligent solutions," said Dan Abouav, general manager of HP's Business Communications Solutions Operation.. "HP is committed to working with partners such as Broadmedia, enabling our customers to excel in today's Internet economy."

About Broadmedia

Broadmedia Inc. is a privately held corporation offering network services that allow businesses to use the Internet for simple and inexpensive telecommunications. The company's freeTone solution is available in an expanding number of countries throughout the world.

The company also supplies OEM partners with technology to address consumer Internet telephony as well as other Internet markets. Broadmedia has headquarters in Sunnyvale, California, and offices in Hsin-Chu Science Park in Taiwan.