Telecom Italia Sparkle Deploys Veraz's Media Gateways for International Traffic

Business Wire, Dec 12, 2005

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Veraz Networks, Inc. announced today that Telecom Italia Sparkle ("TI Sparkle") has deployed Veraz's I-Gate 4000 media gateways to carry TI Sparkle's international traffic. Veraz's media gateways were deployed in Milan and successfully linked locations in Italy to multiple destinations in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The deployment of Veraz products provides TI Sparkle and its customers with carrier-grade, toll-quality voice support for TDM and IP traffic over existing networks and the opportunity to expand TI Sparkle's deployment to include additional global locations as required.

Veraz's I-Gate 4000 media gateways have enabled TI Sparkle to easily expand its rapidly growing international wholesale network without compromising voice quality or service reliability. Veraz's media gateways offer industry-leading 12:1 toll quality IP voice compression rates permitting TI Sparkle to maximize the traffic capacity of diverse international destinations for voice, fax, modem and signaling support.

"Our media gateways are the ideal choice for carriers that want to expand or update their present networks while protecting their investments," said Doug Sabella, President and CEO of Veraz Networks. "We are very pleased to have been selected by one of Europe's leading service providers for their network expansion."

The I-Gate 4000 family of media gateways accept a wide range of global PSTN and IP interfaces and signaling protocols to facilitate global deployments. Telecom carriers looking to migrate to next generation IMS networks are able to leverage the I-Gate 4000 infrastructure for a VoIP switching network by adding a programmable softswitch and service delivery platform.

About Telecom Italia Sparkle

Telecom Italia Sparkle, a wholly owned subsidiary of Telecom Italia SpA, was established in 2003 with the objective of developing and consolidating the Italian Group's international wholesale and retail business.

Telecom Italia Sparkle is a full service provider, offering a complete range of solutions spanning voice services, IP, bandwidth and managed data services for fixed-line and mobile operators, ISPs and, in synergy with Telecom Italia, for multinational corporations.

Telecom Italia Sparkle means global networks, technological platforms and a worldwide commercial presence, in order to provide the best cost, top performance services to the main players of the international telecommunications market.

About Veraz Networks, Inc.

Veraz (www.veraznetworks.com) is the leading global provider of softswitch-based, toll-quality packet telephony solutions for traditional and next-generation communications networks. Built on a rich heritage of delivering carrier-grade products to over 700 customers in 140 countries, Veraz offers complete solutions to both established and greenfield carriers worldwide through its softswitch, media gateway, and digital compression products. Leveraging open, best-of-breed components and a global support and service infrastructure, Veraz partners with carriers to design and deploy carrier-grade next-generation networks tailored to meet their business objectives. By combining industry-leading, standards-based softswitch and media gateway platforms with robust management systems, Veraz offers unmatched flexibility to carriers -- a best-in-class integrated packet telephony solution as well as the freedom to choose best-of-breed individual products to match their unique network needs. Veraz solutions address a wide range of carrier applications such as tandem switching, domestic and international long distance, IP trunking, IP Centrex, as well as new voice-data services.

Veraz is privately funded by Norwest Venture Partners, ECI Telecom, Argonaut Private Equity, Battery Ventures, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, and Levensohn Venture Partners. The company is headquartered in San Jose, CA, with offices throughout the world.