Investor Relations

The New Voice of IP Convergence; IMS Forum Responds to Industry Demand For Network Convergence, Bundled IP Services and Applications

The mission of the IMS Forum will be to accelerate the adoption of IP
Multimedia Subsystems (IMS) by providing an environment for discussion and
resolution of real-world implementation issues, such as interoperability and
standards-based architectures in the application layer. The Forum will also
provide consultancy and expertise to the industry on best practices and
approaches for IMS rollouts, interconnectivity and convergence.

'With VoIP proliferation continuing at a very aggressive rate, it has
become quite clear that we are going through a major transition toward IP
multimedia convergence and are witnessing the dawn of a new era of
communications driven by bundled services, applications, multimedia content
delivery, and telecommunications convergence,' said Michael Khalilian,
chairman and president, IMS Forum.

'We are witnessing an industry in motion and transition in regard to IMS
applications, interconnection with service delivery and security,' said Ahmed
Bencheikh, Director Devices and Services Technology Architecture, Office of
CTO, Sprint Nextel Corporation. 'Against that backdrop, the IMS Forum will
serve as the industry resource for widespread education. IMS allows for a
converged services delivery and signaling and control platform. It is billed
as the next-generation solution eliminating the barriers between wireline and
wireless networks, allowing for the realization of true fixed-wireless
convergence and the associated efficiencies and capabilities.'

'IMS adoption is still in its early days, and these new integrated service
platforms must be positioned realistically in the evolving telecom ecosystem
to facilitate fixed/mobile convergence (FMC), said Yankee Group Chief Strategy
Officer Berge Ayvazian. 'As voice over IP (VoIP), digital media content and
push to talk (PTT) become features on a common IMS platform with access via
multiple wireline and wireless broadband networks, it is critical that the
industry has a forum to share best practices and service integration
strategies.'

'IMS certainly represents one of the most ambitious and comprehensive
standardization efforts to date specifically addressing the evolution to
next-gen packet-based infrastructures by fixed, mobile and cable service
providers,' said Frost and Sullivan Emerging Communications Program Leader
Ronald Gruia. 'The IMS Forum can play a key role in bringing together carriers
and vendors to tackle issues such as interoperability, business cases and
deployment strategies, as well as in educating the people at large about IMS.'

The IMS Forum is comprised of service providers, solutions providers,
system integrators and government agencies translating industry standards into
revenue generating services. Our members develop cost-effective technical
frameworks for converged IP services over wireline, cable, 3G, WiFi and WiMAX
networks.

The IMS Forum will leverage its heritage and build upon the existing
foundation created by its predecessors: the IPCC, the International Softswitch
Consortium (ISC) and the IP Multimedia Carrier Coalition.

    IMS FORUM FOUNDING MEMBERS:
    * Alcatel (NYSE: ALA)
    * Aramco Services Company
    * Brooktrout Technology/Excel Switching
    * Cisco Systems, Inc., (Nasdaq: CSCO)
    * Convedia
    * CopperCom
    * Cordia Corporation (OTC Bulletin Board: CORG)
    * eLEC Communications / VoX Communications (OTC Bulletin Board: eLEC)
    * Kancharla
    * Lignup Corporation
    * Newport Networks (LSE: NNG)
    * NewStep Networks, Inc.
    * PBX.NET
    * Sonus Networks, Inc. (Nasdaq: SONS)
    * Spirent Communications (NYSE: SPM; LSE: SPT)
    * Sprint Nextel Corporation  (NYSE: S)
    * Sylantro Systems Corp.
    * TelKom RisTI, (NYSE: TKG)
    * Tekelec, (Nasdaq: TKLC)
    * TMC
    * Trendium
    * Ubiquity Software (LSE: UBQ.L)
    * UTStarcom, Inc. (Nasdaq: UTSI)
    * VoIP, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: VOII)
    * XConnect

    ABOUT THE IMS FORUM

The IMS FORUM is a global, non-profit industry association devoted to
interoperable IMS services and solutions. The mission of the Forum is to
accelerate the adoption of IP Multimedia Subsystems (IMS) by providing an
environment for discussion and resolution of real-world implementation issues
relating to interoperability, best practices, and standards-based
architectures in the application layer. In addition, the Forum will provide
consultancy to the industry, service providers, and vendors on best practices
and approaches for IMS rollouts and interconnectivity. For additional
information or to join the IMS Forum, please visit http://www.IMSForum.org.

SOURCE The IMS Forum