eircom announces new partnerships with industry leaders to deliver Voice over Internet Protocol services

PARIS (France) Jan 11 (PROTEXT/PRNewswire)

- eircom teams with Cisco and NetCentrex in EUR 10 million, 3year deal to deploy Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) servicesin Ireland

- eircom will trial the service with customers over thecoming months, with a full launch in the first half of 2005

- Corporate and government customers will be the first totake advantage of eircom VoIP, followed by business andresidential customers

eircom today announced it has chosen Cisco, the world-wideleader in networking and NetCentrex, the leading enabler ofconverged voice-video-data networks and next-generation servicesto deploy Voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) services in Irelandas part of a development programme worth EUR 10 million over 5years.

The chosen solutions will see Cisco's network technologyfacilitate the integration of voice calls into the existingPublic Telephony Network. NetCentrex will supply the applicationssoftware and hardware, which together will provide the coreintelligence for eircom's VoIP Platform.

The launch of next generation telephony services deliveredover VoIP follows more than four years of sustained investment byeircom in Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) and broadband IPnetworks. Since 2001, eircom customers have realised the benefitsof IP data communications over this network, which wasconstructed from the start to carry both voice anddata packets.

"Our initial Voice over IP service will target corporate andgovernment customers and will be launched in the first half of2005. This will allow our corporate customers to take advantageof the flexibility and productivity gains that Voice over IPdelivers," said Cathal Magee, Managing Director eircom Retail."The opportunity of exciting new IP services will then beextended to business customers in the form of a hosted VoIPsolution. This will be followed by a residential service, whichwill give eircom broadband customers the opportunity to takeadvantage of innovative VoIP services."About NetCentrex (http://www.netcentrex.net)

NetCentrex(TM) develops unique next generation network (NGN)voice and video solutions that optimize network infrastructureand enable telecom operators and service providers to delivervoice-video-data and fixed-mobile converged services for both theresidential and enterprise markets.

Solutions include IP telephony, Videotelephony, Triple Play,IP Centrex, voice/video VPN, contact center and Voice and videoIVR services. All solutions are built on the NetCentrexSoftswitch, Media Server and System Management platforms thatprovide core infrastructure, network connectivity, class IVservices and single point of provisioning.

Founded in 1998, NetCentrex has over 40 operator and serviceprovider customers in more than 25 countries.Web site: http://www.eircom.comWeb site: http://www.netcentrex.netSource: NetCentrexPress Contacts: Eircom, Paul Bradley, Tel: +353-01-701-5483,Email: Paul_Bradley@eircom.ie . NetCentrex EMEA & Asia, MadeleineJeavons/Laurence Niola, Tel: +33-1-58-71-33-28, +33-1-58-71-33-05, Email: pr@netcentrex.net

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