- More Information about Cisco's Unified Communications Strategy
- See Related Release: Cisco Unified Communications
- Open Port Technology Inc.'s Website
CHICAGO, IL. and SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Tuesday, April 27, 1999 -- Open Port Technology Inc. and Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) announced today they will work together to help carriers and network service providers (NSPs) deploy revenue-generating fax services on Cisco's AS5x00 dial infrastructure using Open Port's new IP LaunchPad (IPLP) Internet services creation platform and IP LaunchPad Fax Suite.
This new alliance supports Cisco's new Unified Communications strategy, which was unveiled earlier in the month, (see related Cisco Unified Communications press release dated April 5, 1999). Cisco Unified Communications delivers new revenue opportunities to service providers by consolidating voice, e-mail and fax communications within an IP infrastructure independent of location, time or device.
Under the terms of the agreement, the two companies will bring to market blended real-time and store-and-forward fax solutions for the Cisco AS5x00 Remote Access product family. Fax-over-IP is the first PSTN application that has migrated to the Internet. Industry analysts predict that the market for fax-over-IP will grow from $80 million in 1999 to as much as $4 billion in 2002. IP telephony services offer significant new revenue streams for service providers while providing significant cost savings to their customers.
The two companies have successfully completed interoperability and beta testing of Open Port's IP LaunchPad Fax Suite with Cisco's AS5x00 platform using the IETF/T.37 standard for store-and-forward fax developed by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and the International Telecommunications Union.
ATT Unisource, Europe's largest Internet service consortium, has been the first major breakthrough for Cisco and Open Port4s business relationship in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. "We're very pleased with our in-market email-to-fax experience delivered through the Open Port and Cisco solution," said Michel Ferreboeuf, vice president, Internet Business Services for AT&T Unisource. "We look forward to offering this as a production service in the coming weeks and to rolling out additional applications on the IP LaunchPad platform throughout the year."
Open Port's patented least cost routing, customer provisioning, and application transport management technology, will be key components of Cisco's overall Unified Communications strategy. The Cisco/Open Port interoperable products leverage the strengths of both companies to provide a complete communications solution. Cisco provides the key access gateway functionality that is its core strength, while Open Port provides the scaleable communication platform and application software that is its core strength.
"Cisco's standards-based IETF/T.37 implementation, combined with Open Port's IP LaunchPad Internet Services Creation Platform and Fax Suite offers our service provider customers a high quality, reliable, revenue-generating dial infrastructure. By using the same equipment for data, fax and voice communications, the service provider can realize a higher return on their Cisco assets," said Roland Acra, general manager, Remote Access Business Unit at Cisco. "Open Port is an experienced leader in the industry, with a scaleable, fully distributed, field-proven solution. We are very excited that beta testing has been successfully completed and that we are ready to deliver the joint solution to our worldwide carrier customers for market trial and full production roll-out. This combination is clearly a win-win for Cisco, Open Port and our customers."
Additional projects currently underway include blending Open Port's enhanced store-and-forward fax and voice applications with Cisco's real-time fax and voice solutions to allow for unprecedented levels of service. The companies will jointly market these standards-based Unified Communications solutions to service providers worldwide.
"Cisco and Open Port have a common goal of helping carriers, backbone network providers and ISPs grow revenue-generating services," said Randy Storch, chairman and CEO of Open Port. "We understand the fundamental business needs of service providers because we've both been there. Cisco is leading the charge when it comes to building out the core infrastructure of some of the world's most prominent networks and Open Port is building world-class IP messaging solutions that are in use today. That's a combination that service providers can rely on and trust."
Open Port Technology Inc.
Open Port Technology, Inc., founded in 1993, is a pioneer in the Internet telephony industry and was named by investment banker Piper Jaffray in its February 1999 report on the industry as one of the top 10 IP telephony vendors. Open Port has helped some of the world's leading Internet and telecommunications companies deploy IP messaging services, including Concord Technologies Inc., GRIC. Communications Inc., the MCI Worldcom Companies, Motorola and Southwestern Bell Corp. Open Port's technology is at the core of the Uufax(SM) service from UUNET, one of the world's first global, carrier-class Internet fax solutions. Open Port's headquarters are at 676 N. St. Clair St., Chicago, Ill. 60611.Cisco Systems
Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) is the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet.For more information visit Cisco PR Contacts
Open Port, Open Port Technology, Open Port Harmony and Open Port Technology 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.
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