GENEVA (ots-PRNewswire) - Telecom '99 -- AUCS Communications Services, the international network services provider, announced today their deployment of Open Port's fax-over-IP solution, IP LaunchPad. AUCS will be using IP LaunchPad to enhance its IP fax service, which is targeted at large multi-national corporations and resellers. The AUCS IP fax service includes email-to-fax, fax-to-fax, and fax-to-email (faxes received in an email program). In addition, AUCS provides value-added reporting as part of billing the IP fax service. AUCS has deployed the IP fax service at several points of presence (POPs) serving all of Europe. The company has announced Norway's EDB MaXware as a new reseller last month. "We're very excited about the new service," said AUCS IP Fax product manager, Eric Schneider. "The AUCS IP Fax Service has been designed to offer companies a cost-effective, easy-to-use alternative to faxing, using our IP network instead of costly PSTN connections, and it has been well received." Industry analysts estimate that consumers and corporations can save from 30 to 70 percent in long distance charges by deploying fax-over-IP. Since its inception of just a few years ago, fax- over-IP has gained momentum. Industry analysts predict that the market for fax over IP will grow from $80 million in 1999 to $4 billion in 2002. Fax-over-IP is the first PSTN application that has migrated to the Internet. Many others, such as voice-over-IP and universal messaging, are expected to grow even faster. In fact, voice-over-IP is expected to grow from $60 million in 1999 to nearly $5 billion in 2003. "Our technology is becoming pervasive throughout the world," said Randy Storch, chairman and CEO of Open Port. "IP LaunchPad has been deployed with service providers throughout the Far East, the Americas, and, now with AUCS, Europe. IP LaunchPad is the ideal platform for large carriers because it can grow and support additional IP applications as they choose to roll them out. We are pleased to be supporting AUCS' efforts and we hope to work with them to add additional applications in the future." IP LaunchPad is Open Port's Internet services creation platform, and is dubbed the operating system for IP applications. The IP LaunchPad platform is designed for network service providers, ISPs, resellers and local exchange carriers to deploy new IP services by easily snapping in applications. With the new carrier-class messaging platform, Open Port is able to offer IP services solutions beyond fax -- helping service providers to easily broaden their revenue base by rolling out new services. The first application suite available for the platform is IP LaunchPad Fax Suite, which lets service providers offer productivity-enhancing applications, such as PC faxing, web-based faxing, email-to-fax, and fax broadcasting. AUCS With headquarters in Hoofddorp, the Netherlands, AUCS has a staff of over 800 people serving 1500 multinational customers. The company operates in 17 countries across Europe and provides a suite of state-of-the-art voice, data and Internet services. AUCS is the European market leader in Frame Relay and International Call Centre Services (ICCS) in addition to being a leading provider in Europe of Internet Business services. On September 30, 1999, Infonet Services Corporation reached an agreement with AUCS and its shareholders whereby Infonet will manage the business of AUCS Communications Services and will resell the AUCS services. Infonet is a world leader in providing global communications services to multinational enterprises. AUCS can be reached at http://www.aucs-europe.com . Open Port Technology, Inc. Open Port Technology, Inc., founded in 1993, is a pioneer in the Internet messaging industry, and is one of the top 10 IP telephony vendors (Piper Jaffray, February 1999). Open Port has deployed global IP messaging services for leading Internet and telecommunications companies, including Guangdong PTA (China Telecom), Net2Phone and MCI WorldCom Inc. Open Port's technology is at the core of the UUfax service from UUNET, one of the world's first global, carrier-class Internet fax solutions. In addition, Microsoft Corp. holds a minority investment in and is partnering with Open Port to add IP-faxing capabilities to Microsoft(R) Windows(R) NT Server-based products. Open Port's headquarters are located at 676 North St. Clair Street, Chicago, Ill. 60611. Additional information can by obtained by contacting Open Port by telephone (312-867-5000), email (info@openport.com), or via the Internet ( www.openport.com ). Open Port, Open Port Technology, Open Port IP LaunchPad, Open Port IP LaunchPad Fax Suite, Open Port IP LaunchPad Voice Suite, Open Port IP LaunchPad Fax Client, and Open Port Technology and IP LaunchPad logos are registered trademarks of Open Port Technology, Inc. All other marks are trademarks of their respective organizations. Open Port products mentioned in this release may be subject to Open Port Patents no. 5712907 for least cost routing, Patent no. 5369686 for enhanced service message handlers and other patents that are pending. ots Original Text Service: Open Port Technology, Inc. Internet: http://www.newsaktuell.de Contact: Lisa Donovan of Open Port Technology, Inc., 312-867-5022, or ldonovan@openport.com Web site: http://www.aucs-europe.com Web site: http://www.openport.com