ZyXEL VoIP Adapters Deliver High-Performance Broadband Communications for IP Telephony Service Providers and Their Customers

Business Wire, Oct 5, 2004

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Global Broadband Solutions Leader Reinforces Commitment to Emerging VoIP Technology with New Connectivity Product Innovations

ZyXEL Communications Inc., a leading provider of broadband access solutions, has announced the North American launch of its Prestige Series Voice over IP (VoIP) Analog Telephone Adapters (ATAs) for IP telephony service deployment, SOHO, SMB and home VoIP applications.

The ZyXEL P-2002 and P-2002L ATAs enable IP telephony service providers (ITSPs) to offer easy-to-use VoIP services directly to their current customers. Customers with an existing broadband connection can instantly turn their conventional telephones into IP phones. With minimal configuration, a traditional phone set connected to the POTS phone port of the P-2002 series ATA establishes an IP phone device, allowing users to place VoIP calls without the use of a PC. Based on industry-standard SIP (Session Initiation Protocol, RFC 3261) call control protocol and sophisticated voice compression technology, the P-2002 series offers smooth IP-based voice communication with superb sound quality.

"VoIP technology is maturing from a cutting-edge technology to a proven, cost-effective communications solution, and we're happy to be able to give providers the ability to pass these value-added benefits to their customers," said Munira Brooks, senior vice president of sales, marketing and business development, ZyXEL.

"The Prestige 2002 line is another example of ZyXEL's great tradition of developing dependable, robust solutions that deliver on the promise of such technology innovations," she added.

The highly interoperable and flexible VoIP technology platform, combined with ZyXEL's versatile VoIP product lines and unparalleled global deployment expertise, empowers ITSPs to generate more revenue and at the same time ensure future service extensions and upgrades.

Deploying the ZyXEL P-2002/2002L does not affect the existing broadband Internet infrastructure, and in addition to offering an affordable replacement to long-distance calls, ITSPs can provide added-value services to customers for better competitive advantage. Based on the highly flexible VoIP technology platform, the ZyXEL P-2002 Series offers versatile multiple SIP and voice channels for ITSPs to design and deploy unlimited IP phone services.

The ZyXEL P-2002 and P-2002L both feature two 10M/100M Ethernet interfaces and two POTS phone ports for converting two traditional analog phone sets into IP phones. The P-2002L, which also includes one Line Port, maintains both PSTN and IP phone services at the same time; users can place conventional calls by dialing prefix numbers, and it is capable of rerouting calls to PSTN lines in case of power outage or network disconnection.

ZyXEL's P-2002 series supports open standard SIP which is suitable for IP telephony service deployment and addresses the needs of users who are connecting to emerging SIP-based communication networks. Easy to deploy, ZyXEL's P-2002 series supports multiple methods of configuration including Web-based configuration, Telnet management, and TFTP Auto-Provisioning. It eliminates the time and effort associated with complicated installation procedures.

Based on ZyXEL's flexible VoIP technology platform, one or more SIP phone number may be configured with the P-2002 ATA. Each SIP phone number can be freely assigned to either phone port individually, or to both ports at the same time. By using the P-2002 ATA to deploy VoIP service, service providers need only provide a minimum of one SIP number to each subscriber, where the one SIP number operates on both POTS ports. Billing and service deployment are simplified by allowing subscribers to use two phones with the same SIP number. If one telephone is in use, users may use a secondary telephone to place a call while using the same SIP number. Additionally, users may also receive incoming calls even when the SIP number is in use.

ZyXEL's P-2002L allows users to maintain PSTN phone service and VoIP service at the same time. When ATA power down occurs or VoIP service is not available, outgoing phone calls will be relayed to PSTN automatically. When VoIP service is active, users can place calls to a PSTN phone by dialing prefix numbers. Emergency calls or important calls can be relayed to PSTN automatically.

Pricing and Availability

Pricing for ZyXEL's Prestige Series VoIP ATAs is $149 for the P-2002 and $169 for the P-2002L. They are currently available through ZyXEL's national network of authorized distributors.

About ZyXEL Communications

ZyXEL Communications Inc., with U.S. headquarters in Anaheim, is one of the world's foremost suppliers of broadband networking and Internet connectivity/routing products. ZyXEL is focused on developing xDSL, cable access, broadband-sharing, wireless and security solutions for a large target audience including telcos, cable operators, ISPs, small- to medium-sized businesses, SOHO and institutional MxU (multi-tenant unit/multi-dwelling unit) markets. Some of ZyXEL's largest customers include: Sprint, Time Warner, Charter, Earthlink, Chunghwa Telecom, Deutsche Telekom, France Telecom, Telefonica Brazil, Telia, Verizon and many others. For more information on ZyXEL Communications and its broadband solutions, visit the company's Web site at http://www.us.zyxel.com.