MetaSwitch Offers Rescue Package for Stranded Service Providers

Timely Initiative Contrasts Company's Track Record With Market Turmoil of Product Withdrawals and Start-Up Failures

ALAMEDA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 31, 2001--In response to recent turmoil in the telecommunications equipment market, MetaSwitch today announced that it is offering a rescue package for service providers offering broadband voice services who find themselves left without a viable future-proof platform.

 The move comes after Lucent and Tellabs' decisions to discontinue their PathStar and Salix product lines, and the disappearance of a number of smaller start-up vendors.

 The cost-effective upgrade program to the MetaSwitch VP3000, which combines broadband voice gateway and Class 5 Softswitch function in a single carrier class system, is backed up by a long-term support and maintenance commitment from a stable, professional organization.

 "The current economic situation is clearly affecting equipment manufacturers, both large and small, and creating yet another headache for service providers seeking to invest in the future," commented John Lazar, MetaSwitch's Vice President of Sales and Marketing. "Now, in addition to evaluating the technology, they must also carefully consider their supplier's stability, and ask some probing questions. In today's harsh environment there is no guarantee that cash-strapped start-up equipment vendors will still be around in a few months' time -- while even the larger vendors are liable to withdraw key product lines, leaving their customers just as stranded."

 In contrast, MetaSwitch is a division of Data Connection, an established communications technology provider with a 20-year track record working with and supporting major OEMs (such as Cisco, Nortel and Sun) and Service Providers including BT, Verizon and SBC.

 As part of a privately-held company with no external venture capital or share ownership, MetaSwitch has an unusual structure that enables it to invest for steady long-term growth, unaffected by the short-term fluctuations of the market.

 This is dramatically illustrated by the company's enviable commercial performance, with both revenues and profits increasing relentlessly every year since its foundation in 1981, through several major economic downturns.

 "MetaSwitch and Data Connection have been consistently successful, precisely because we have consistently delivered excellent technology, first-class support and long-term stability to our customers," noted Ian Ferguson, Chairman of both MetaSwitch and Data Connection.

MetaSwitch also has the technology to address service providers' requirement for equipment that will allow them to generate short-term revenues while migrating towards a next-generation infrastructure, including advanced integrated voice and data services.

 As demonstrated by current trials, the award-winning VP3000 offers a superbly focused Voice over Broadband solution, without requiring a legacy Class 5 switch. In addition, with its open service creation environment, and planned support for emerging protocols for packet backbone signalling and Voice over IP / MPLS, it also offers a clear upgrade path to the distributed Softswitch network of tomorrow.

 Service providers interested in finding out more should contact Tony Downes on 510 748 8230, email td@metaswitch.com -- or visit MetaSwitch at Booth No. 8725 at SuperComm in Atlanta, June 3-7.

 About MetaSwitch

MetaSwitch was formed by Data Connection (DCL) to build best-of-breed broadband voice solutions, based on the unrivaled software and hardware experience, expertise and technology that Data Connection has built up over nearly twenty profitable years supplying the most demanding Service Provider and equipment vendor customers.

MetaSwitch builds on the powerful foundation created by Data Connection, pulling together its massive ongoing investment in the technology required to build converged network solutions (ATM, SS7, MPLS, MGCP/H.248, SIP...), and new revenue-generating services (directory, unified messaging, data/audio/video conferencing).

 The MetaSwitch support and customer management infrastructure taps right into the deep reservoir of professionalism and experience Data Connection has developed by helping its large strategic customers deliver successful products and services.

MetaSwitch and Data Connection have offices in Alameda (California), Reston (Virginia), and Enfield (North London), Chester and Edinburgh in the UK. For information, email contact@metaswitch.com or visit www.\b metaswitch\b0 .com.

MetaSwitch is a trademark of Data Connection. Data Connection is a trademark of Data Connection Limited and Data Connection Corporation. Brands and products referenced herein are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.