PodTech and MetaSwitch Launch Podcast Series Focused on Carrier Network Transformation

Alameda, CA: July 24, 2006. Today MetaSwitch, a leading vendor in next-generation carrier switching and application solutions, announced that it has partnered with PodTech, the first media company dedicated to the emerging podcast phenomenon, to launch an informative new series of podcasts, called “Zen and the Art of Network Transformation”. Bringing together industry analysts, technology experts, and service providers, the new series makes it debut today, and will be an in-depth look at the issues carriers are facing today, ranging from market drivers of network transformation to who owns the customer in an all-IP network.

"Carriers are facing numerous issues as they continue to evolve their networks to IMS-based architectures and new IP-based services, and MetaSwitch has been a leader in addressing many of these issues with expertise and solutions to fit a range of needs," said Andy Randall, MetaSwitch vice president of marketing. "We have taken the knowledge we’ve gained and, together with PodTech, are making it available to anyone with a PC or iPod and an interest in the fundamental shifts taking place in telecom."

Presented by Michael Johnson, a well-known figure from public radio and an innovator in digital broadcasting, "Zen and the Art of Network Transformation" features thought leaders from companies, such as British Telecom and Cisco Systems, at the cutting edge of the telecommunications revolution. To kick off the series, Johnson talks with Joe McGarvey, Principal Analyst for Carrier IP Telephony at Current Analysis, and John Lazar, MetaSwitch CEO, about the technological, social and market drivers behind the move to IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS).

"There is a fundamental transformation taking place in telecommunications. Not just networks, but entire business models are in the early stages of revolutionary change," said Joe McGarvey. "MetaSwitch, which is an energetic enabler of this transformation, should be commended for coming up with a new approach to communicating the key concepts and initiating a discussion forum for the industry."

"MetaSwitch is taking a leadership approach by using next generation media to communicate a message about next generation technology," said John Furrier, CEO and Founder of PodTech.net. "Podcasting is the right solution for MetaSwitch to reach out to their target audience and establish their position as opinion shapers in the rapidly evolving space of network evolution and IP-enabled services."

The new Podcast Series "Zen and the Art of Network Transformation" debuts online today, July 24 2006, at www.MetaSwitch.com/podcasts.

About PodTech.net

PodTech is a media company dedicated to podcasting and delivering Fresh Voices™ worldwide. It is a producer, aggregator, and distributor of professional podcast content for more than 106 countries. Its media channels include PodTech News, PodTech infoTalk™ Network, and PodTech Sponsorship Network. PodTech has more than 21 corporate clients including Intel, Juniper, Symantec, Barracuda Networks, and NVIDIA. The company was founded in 2005 and is based in Menlo Park, California. It is funded by US Venture Partners and Venrock Associates. For more information go to www.podtech.net.

About MetaSwitch

MetaSwitch is an industry-leading vendor of IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) switching and applications solutions for both packet and circuit-switched networks. Its widely deployed call agent, media/signaling gateway and application server platform supports a full range of legacy Class 4/5 capabilities and hosted unified communications services, and scales from a few hundred to millions of subscribers in both integrated and distributed configurations. Customers include incumbent and competitive local exchange carriers, as well as operators of broadband wireless, cable and fiber networks. MetaSwitch is a division of established telecom technology provider Data Connection. The company is consistently profitable and privately held, with main US offices in California and Virginia, and European headquarters in London, UK. For more information: www.MetaSwitch.com.