The Tolly Group to Certify Verso's NetSpective Filtering Solution; NetSpective First to Market with Skype-blocking Capabilities

Business Wire, Dec 1, 2005

ATLANTA -- Verso Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: VRSO), a leading provider of packet-based solutions, announced today it has retained The Tolly Group to test and certify its suite of NetSpective(R) Internet content filtering solutions for both the carrier and enterprise markets.

The Tolly Group, an industry-leading source for IT certification, research and testing, will offer independent, third-party validation of NetSpective's ability to block Skype(TM).

NetSpective C-Class and M-Class carrier grade application filters offer a bandwidth optimization and content management tool specifically for the carrier market. The applications provide the most comprehensive array of optimization and content management options currently available for cable operators, Internet protocol service providers and mobile carriers. The NetSpective product for the enterprise sector provides network administrators with control over Internet traffic volume resulting in improved quality of service. It also offers enterprise organizations a practical way to monitor and regulate traffic on their networks, blocking unregulated traffic that could potentially result in violations of federal communications regulations and copyright laws.

The three NetSpective products target and block peer to peer applications such as Skype which enable users to utilize the Internet to place un-detected and un-monitored voice calls. These peer to peer applications present several critical and well documented problems for carriers, including:

--Increased congestion on networks

--Interrupted or degraded service for mission critical applications

--Violation of legal intercept requirements

--Security vulnerabilities, including the distribution of viruses

--Vulnerability to distributed denial of service attacks

--Vulnerability to remote access control

According to other independent sources, Skype causes several critical security issues for networks. Info-Tech Research Group (www.infotech.com), a technology industry analyst firm, suggested that enterprises ban Skype for security reasons in a November 10 announcement.

"Certification from The Tolly Group will give us independent certification on our claims that the product can block Skype and other P2P traffic in a carrier environment," said Monty Bannerman, chief executive officer, Verso Technologies. "Carriers and enterprises in the United States and worldwide have valid concerns regarding Skype and other P2P applications, and we have a global market looking forward to the successful completion of our testing efforts for this product," he said.

"In this age of converged network services, it is paramount for service providers to understand the impact that voice applications like Skype have on the performance of their networks and to understand how best to exhibit some level of control over such traffic," said Kevin Tolly, president/CEO/founder of The Tolly Group.

About Verso Technologies

Verso is a leading provider of next generation communication applications for carriers, service providers and enterprises that need to lower their communication infrastructure costs while enhancing service capabilities to remain competitive. With an extensive portfolio that extends from the "core-to-the-edge" of a network, Verso solutions and applications enable its customers to leverage legacy technology investments while migrating to converged voice and data networks. For more information, contact Verso at www.verso.com or call 678.589.3500.

About The Tolly Group

The Tolly Group, an independent testing and strategic consulting organization based in Boca Raton, FL., offers a full range of services designed to furnish both the vendor and end-user communities with authoritative and unbiased information. Additionally, The Tolly Group is recognized worldwide for its expertise in assessing leading-edge technologies. For more information on The Tolly Group's services, visit its Web site at http://www.tolly.com, E-mail info@tolly.com, call 561.391.5610, or fax 561.391.5810.