Bangkok--Mar 18--124 Communications A global leader in Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) technology, continues to accelerate mass deployment of voice over IP (VoIP) and multimedia services through new strategic relationships with industry leaders in SIP-based access devices, data networking products and wireless clients. Arcturus Networks, Inc., D-Link Corporation, Inc., Grandstream Networks, Inc., NETGEAR, SIPquest, Sipura Technology, Inc., and TABLETmedia will join previously announced Texas Instruments, i3 Micro, Polycom and Uniden as participants of Nortel’s collaborative open client initiative to promote industry wide SIP adoption. As part of Nortel’s open client strategy, these companies will focus on bringing to market Nortel-interoperable SIP products to expand the availability of voice over broadband consumer applications and devices. The new consumer products will include analog terminal adapters and routers for home-based broadband voice services and software applications that extend multimedia services to wireless devices. “Nortel is enabling communication services that profoundly enhance the human experience by giving people more choice and control in the ways they communicate,” said Jim Dondero, marketing vice president, Carrier Packet Networks, Nortel. “When giants in the consumer networking space team with Nortel to deliver open, standards-based solutions, it creates a powerful catalyst for mass deployment of new SIP-based multimedia services and consumer adoption.” D-Link and NETGEAR, industry-leading providers of consumer networking products, will integrate Nortel’s SIP specification into devices that provide voice and data services over wired and wireless broadband connections for homes and small offices. D-Link has implemented this capability into its DVG-G1402S Broadband Phone Service VoIP Router and is currently engaging in interoperability testing in Nortel’s labs. NETGEAR also intends to make its TA612V product interoperate with Nortel solutions. These solutions from D-Link and NETGEAR enable standard phones to be used for voice over broadband and are readily available from major electronic retailers, making consumer access simple and easy. Sipura Technology and Grandstream, leaders in SIP-based access devices, have already implemented Nortel’s MCS SIP specification into products that connect phones and other analog devices to VoIP networks. Sipura’s SPA-2000 Analog Terminal Adaptor, which is in deployment with OneConnect, has received a Nortel certificate of compatibility for achieving interoperability with Nortel’s voice over IP and multimedia communications solutions. Grandstream has also successfully tested its Handytone 486 Analog Terminal Adaptor with Nortel’s MCS 5200. AOL Canada, which recently announced deployment of its new AOL TotalTalk VoIP service, is using Nortel SIP technology and the Grandstream Handytone 486.“One of the key requirements for our new VoIP service was for it to be based on an open platform using industry standards,” said Steve Koles, GM, AOL Enhanced Services for AOL Canada Inc. “It is important that we provide our members with an enhanced online experience and a wide variety of choices.” Arcturus Networks Inc., a leading provider of embedded Residential Gateway firmware, will offer Nortel-interoperable software combined with semiconductor reference designs for a wide range of VoIP enabled products. This initiative will make it easier for manufacturers to build SIP-based devices that interoperate with Nortel’s VoIP and multimedia communications portfolio.The expansion of the open client strategy program also includes wireless application pioneer TABLETmedia. TABLETmedia’s iFon? software application, which can transform a wireless LAN (WLAN)-capable PDA or smartphone into a powerful converged voice, video conferencing and messaging tool, will also be compatible with Nortel specifications. Nortel is also working with SIPquest, a leading developer of SIP-based IP Telephony software applications and technology, to enable service providers to deliver advanced SIP-based multimedia services to residential and corporate customers over wireless handheld devices. In addition, Nortel is announcing availability of a new tool to accelerate multimedia services deployment to personal computers. The Nortel Theme Developer Kit (TDK) provides an easy way for service providers to customize the Nortel multimedia PC client interface. TDK has been licensed and is being used by multiple services providers to deploy exciting new voice and video messaging services to customers. Vendors wanting to participate in Nortel’s industry-wide SIP initiative can request access to and licensing of the MCS documentation suite by completing an application available on the Nortel Developer Program Web site. Nortel ranked #1 in the global markets for both service provider softswitches and gateway ports for the third quarter of 2004, according to Synergy Research Group, In-Stat/MDR and the Dell'Oro Group. Nortel is a worldwide leader in delivering SIP innovation with customers and allies like Bell Canada, Charter Communications, Dacom, Erlanger Health System, the FedEx Institute of Technology at the University of Memphis, the University of Michigan, Monster, OneConnect, SBC, SaskTel, Sungard, TeliaSonera, Texas A&M University and Verizon Communications. Nortel’s Multimedia Communications Portfolio, including both MCS 5100 and MCS 5200, delivers advanced multimedia and collaborative applications through the same commercially available hardware and open-standards software. This portfolio delivers the scale and functionality necessary for both enterprises and service providers to address their target markets. It transforms the way users communicate by enabling next generation tools that improve productivity and facilitate ubiquitous access to communications services. Nortel will be demonstrating its Carrier VoIP and Multimedia Service solutions at the VON (Voice on the Net) 2005 Conference & Expo at the San Jose (Calif.) Convention Center (booth #809) March 7-10. About Nortel Nortel is a recognized leader in delivering communications capabilities that enhance the human experience, ignite and power global commerce, and secure and protect the world’s most critical information. Serving both service provider and enterprise customers, Nortel delivers innovative technology solutions encompassing end-to-end broadband, Voice over IP, multimedia services and applications, and wireless broadband designed to help people solve the world’s greatest challenges. Nortel does business in more than 150 countries. For more information, visit Nortel on the Web at www.nortel.com. For the latest Nortel news, visit www.nortel.com/news. *Nortel, the Nortel logo and the Globemark are trademarks of Nortel Networks. For more information:Isabel Lee Chaiwat Simawattana/ Patcharavadee JulotaiCorporate Mktg & Comms, 124 Communications Co.,LtdASEAN/PAK Nortel Tel: 66-2 662 2266Tel: 65-6380 8828 (ESN 623) Fax: 66-2 204-2661Fax: 65-6380 8668 End.