Natural MicroSystems' and Teltone Seamlessly Connect Enterprise Remote Users to Corporate Office

Business Wire, April 18, 2000

Business/Technology Editors

FRAMINGHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 18, 2000

As Telecommuting Market Explodes, Robust IP Telephony Platform is

Key for "New Network" Applications and Services

Natural MicroSystems (NASDAQ: NMSS), the technology leader enabling the world's top networking and communication equipment suppliers to build New Network infrastructure and services, today announced that its award-winning Fusion(TM) IP Telephony hardware and software has been selected by Teltone Corporation (OTC BB: TTNC) for use in OfficeLink 2000. OfficeLink 2000 is a cost-effective remote voice solution that seamlessly bridges the gap between remote locations and the corporate office.

Utilizing Natural MicroSystems' Alliance Generation(TM) (AG) technology, OfficeLink 2000 enables companies to extend the full range of corporate private branch exchange (PBX) and automatic call distributor (ACD) call-capabilities to remote workers via a Windows PC. Because incoming and outgoing calls are processed through existing central digital phone systems, call information and reporting procedures are the same for remote users. This ensures the highest levels of reliability, efficiency and seamless operation at remote locations while remaining undetectable to callers.

As the face of technology and corporate culture evolves, the growth rate of telecommuting employees is staggering. According to marketing research firm International Data Corporation (IDC), the U.S. remote and mobile population segment will grow to 47.1 million by 2003. To successfully accommodate this model, remote employees must have access to advanced and easy-to-use technology - resulting in explosive growth of next-generation communication solutions such as OfficeLink 2000.

Through the use of Natural MicroSystems' AG 2000 analog interface boards and AG 4000 digital T1 hardware running standards-based Fusion IP telephony software, OfficeLink 2000 provides a comprehensive range of voice and data services to any employee, from any location. It accomplishes this over a single digital data link (DDL) such as a conventional PSTN line with a data modem, or a high-speed DSL or cable modem link. Voice conversations are facilitated by a "soft phone" in the remote worker's PC, and toll-quality voice connectivity is guaranteed via a circuit-switched voice path to the remote agent's desktop. This unique design allows calls to be billed through the corporate office for simplified accounting procedures while the single-line of communications results in lower overall costs.

Enterprise Solutions with Carrier-grade Strength

The single-board AG solution provided by Natural MicroSystems enables one OfficeLink 2000 server to support as few as eight users or as many as ninety-six users per server. Additional servers can be added at any time to accommodate additional remote users as a remote work program expands - while continuing to leverage the communications systems already in place at the corporate office. Although its primary application is for remote Enterprise users, OfficeLink 2000 is also ideally suited for emerging "New Network" carriers as a value-added service for subscribers with VPN, Voice over DSL and cable telephony services. Considering Natural MicroSystems provides its Fusion development environment and comprehensive set of APIs, companies such as Teltone can rapidly deliver new applications and services to leverage packet-based networks, creating additional communications opportunities.

"Our objective is to provide the most complete, extensible communications solutions possible using the industry's top resources and technologies," said Mark Blazek, vice president, sales and marketing, Teltone Corporation. "By leveraging Natural MicroSystems' IP Telephony solutions in our OfficeLink 2000 server, we are able to quickly deliver a robust, highly scalable solution and take advantage of this unique opportunity that exists in today's marketplace."

"We are firmly committed to providing highly-robust solutions with carrier-grade scalability and reliability to support new communications applications such as packet-based voice services being deployed in `all IP' networks," said Jack Chase, director of the IP telephony market for Natural MicroSystems. "OfficeLink 2000 underscores Natural MicroSystems' standing as the partner of choice for providing critically important enabling technology in the rapidly growing area of next-generation voice communications."

About Teltone

Teltone Corporation (OTC BB: TTNC) designs, develops and markets industry award-winning remote voice solutions that extend enterprise communications infrastructure to branch offices and other remote locations. With the OfficeLink line of products, companies are afforded seamless remote access to the PBX/ACD as well as CTI and intelligent routing applications. Teltone also provides a line of industry award-winning, telecom test tools that meet the needs of sales and tradeshow demonstration, engineering test and production test applications. Customers for these products include any manufacturer or developer of telecom equipment, which provides connectivity to the global public telephone network. Teltone is headquartered in Bothell, WA. For additional information about OfficeLink and other Teltone products, visit the company's Web site at www.teltone.com.