Verilink Announces Successful SIP-Based VoIP Interoperability Testing With Acme Packet

Verilink Announces Successful SIP-Based VoIP Interoperability
Testing With Acme Packet
8000 Series IAD and Net-Net Session Border Controller Create a Powerful
Solution for Secure VoIP Deployments With Guaranteed Service Quality


SAN JOSE, Calif., VON Spring 2005 Conference and Exhibition, March 8
 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Verilink Corporation (NASDAQ:VRLK), a leading
provider of broadband access solutions, today announced the successful
completion of advanced SIP-based VoIP interoperability testing of the
Verilink(R) 8000 Series integrated access device (IAD) with the Acme Packet(R)
Net-Net(R) session border controller.

Over the past several decades, voice communications have evolved to the point
that today's users expect high-reliability from their telephony services,
five-nines or 99.999% service availability.  As communications networks become
VoIP enabled, voice traffic traversing the IP network and merging with data
traffic will inevitably become commonplace, adding a new level of network
management complexity in determining the type and authentication of this
converged traffic.  In an age of heightened security concerns that have
resulted from viruses, worms, hackers and other network intrusion threats,
security and service quality are critical factors for the successful deployment
of VoIP services.  For carriers, addressing these issues is essential in order
to meet the high demands of enterprises and small -- mid-sized business (SMB)
customers while ensuring the security of their networks.

Session border controllers (SBC), such as the Net-Net Session Director (SD)
from Acme Packet, have emerged as a solution to address these security and
service level agreements (SLA) assurance challenges, providing security
checkpoints for VoIP traffic as it navigates through an extensive maze of
network elements in the VoIP infrastructure.  Together, the Verilink 8000
Series VoIP IAD and the Acme Packet Net-Net SD SBC provide a solution for
service providers to deliver business-class VoIP services backed by strong
SLAs.  "Assuring network security without compromising service quality will be
a growing challenge with the wide-scale deployment of VoIP services," stated
Michael Kennedy, Managing Partner at Network Strategy Partners.  "Session
border controllers combined with protocol-intelligent integrated access devices
like Verilink's 8000 Series IAD are critical to the successful roll-out of
business-class VoIP services."

To validate VoIP interoperability with the Net-Net SD, the 8000 Series IAD was
tested to carrier-grade VoIP standards using both MGCP and SIP protocols to
provide advanced features and functionality, including CLASS-5 call features,
and Net-Net-specific application support.

"Ensuring VoIP interoperability across all elements in the VoIP infrastructure
is essential to Verilink's holistic interoperability approach and strategy for
becoming the partner of choice for next-generation converged access solutions,"
said Pat Moran, Vice President of Partner Technologies and Systems Engineering
for Verilink. "As service providers plan their VoIP deployments to address the
needs of business-class customers, session border controllers  such as Acme
Packet's  Net-Net SD will play an important role in assuring security and high
service quality. Together, the Verilink IAD and AcmePacket SBC solution allows
service providers to guarantee security and service quality in order to meet
the high demands of business customers."

"We are pleased with the successful results of our testing of Verilink's 8000
Series IAD with the Acme Packet Net-Net Session Director," said Seamus
Hourihan, VP of Marketing & Product Management for Acme Packet.  "Verilink's
market leadership in voice over packet and VoIP integrated access solutions
combined with our high-performance, feature-rich Net-Net session border
controllers, gives service providers a powerful solution for delivering secure,
high-quality VoIP and other real-time multimedia services to their business
subscribers."

Verilink's 8000 Series IADs provide all of the advanced features and functions
that carriers need to deliver toll-quality voice and business-class data
services.  Operating as intelligent customer-located equipment, the 8000 Series
supports Session Initiated Protocol (SIP) and Media Gateway Control Protocol
(MGCP) and provides a built-in migration path from traditional telephony, Time
Division Multiplexing (TDM) and Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), to Internet
Protocol (IP).  This migration path allows carriers and enterprises to maximize
their existing network investments while having an on-ramp to more
cost-efficient, scalable packet networks.

The 8000 Series is a flexible product set based on a true plug-and-play
architecture, plugging directly into existing analog phones, PBX and Key
Systems, and supporting a wide range of Wide Area Network (WAN) interfaces,
including T1, E1, ADSL, SDSL, and SHDSL.  The remote management functionality
allows services to be configured, provisioned and managed without truck rolls,
saving up to five times the operational cost of traditional operations.

About Acme Packet

Acme Packet, the leader in session border control, enables service providers to
deliver premium, interactive communications -- voice, video and multimedia
sessions -- across IP network borders. Our Net-Net family has been selected by
9 of the top 10, and 15 of the top 25 service providers in the world to satisfy
critical security, service assurance and law enforcement requirements in
wireline, cable and wireless networks. These deployments support all
applications -- from trunking to hosted enterprise and residential services;
all protocols -- SIP, H.323, MGCP/NCS and H.248; and all border points --
peering, access network and data center.  For more information, contact Acme
Packet at 781-328-4400, or visit http://www.acmepacket.com/.

About Verilink Corporation

Verilink Corporation is a leading provider of next-generation broadband access
solutions for today's and tomorrow's networks. The company develops,
manufactures and markets a broad suite of products that enable carriers (ILECs,
CLECs, IXCs, and IOCs) and enterprises to build converged access networks to
cost-effectively deliver next-generation communications services to their end
customers. The company's products include a complete line of VoIP, VoATM, VoDSL
and TDM-based integrated access devices (IADs), optical access products,
wire-speed routers, and bandwidth aggregation solutions including CSU/DSUs,
multiplexers and DACS. The company also provides turnkey professional services
to help carriers plan, manage and accelerate the deployment of new services.
Verilink is headquartered in Centennial, CO (metro Denver area) with operations
in Madison, AL and Newark, CA and sales offices in the U.S., Europe and Asia.
To learn more about Verilink, visit the company's website at
http://www.verilink.com/ .

NOTE:  Verilink and the Verilink logo are registered trademarks of Verilink
Corporation. 

DATASOURCE: Verilink Corporation



CONTACT:  Gary W. Gray of Verilink Corporation, [phone], or





Web site:  http://www.verilink.com/

Web site:  http://www.acmepacket.com/

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