ATLANTA, GA, Sept. 11, 2000-iBasis, Inc. (Nasdaq: IBAS), the leader in advanced Internet-based communications, announced today at the Voice on the NetT (VON) conference, held here, that it is launching on its global network a test environment for Internet developers who want to trial new applications and services powered by SIP (Session Initiation Protocol). SIP is a cutting-edge Internet protocol that enables web developers to create advanced telephony and multimedia applications, using familiar Internet protocols and web tools. As part of today's announcement, SpeechWorks International (NASDAQ: SPWX), a leader in telephony-based speech technology and Pingtel, the developers of Pingtel xpressa, the world's first intelligent Java-based Voice-over-IP phone, have announced that they plan to trial their latest multimedia devices and technologies over the global iBasis Network.
Launching the iBasis SIP test network is an effort to accelerate the introduction of new, enhanced multimedia Internet applications that increase demand for IP-based communications. In a major step forward for the convergence of the Internet and telephony, SIP developers will, for the first time, be able to test new applications on The iBasis NetworkTM and connect their services to wireless and wireline phone networks around the world. In support of this test activity, the company has deployed SIP-ready access nodes on the global iBasis Network. Using these access nodes, Internet developers can now leverage the international iBasis Network to test new multimedia Internet devices, applications and services-routing voice, video, audio and other content to virtually any location in the world.
"The iBasis Network offers developers a uniquely powerful, scalable global platform for the testing and deployment of new multimedia solutions that unify voice and the Internet," said Ofer Gneezy, president and CEO, iBasis. "By providing access to an international delivery infrastructure backed by our carrier-class IP engineering and network management expertise, we can help developers reach global markets more quickly with next generation Internet solutions."
"SIP has quickly emerged as a key technology in enabling the rapid delivery of multimedia Internet services," said Jeff Pulver, CEO of Pulver.com. "With an increasing number of Internet developers SIP enabling their multimedia solutions, the opportunity to trial these new applications in a real world network environment, such as the iBasis SIP test network, will play an important role in moving new services more quickly from concept to market."
"With their new SIP-ready test network, iBasis is again a leader in bringing the new world of enhanced, voice-based Internet services to market," said Alistair Woodman, Director of Marketing, Packet Telephony Division, Cisco Systems. "Like Cisco, iBasis understands that SIP is one of the key technologies that will play a central role in powering the next wave of multimedia Internet solutions."
"We announced plans to develop a SIP-based, open source technology called Speech Links that will link speech recognition-based services together, much the way hyptertext links link various websites on the Web. Speech Links will allow consumers to 'speech-surf' through a variety of speech-activated content simply by using spoken commands and the nearest phone," said Steve Chambers, vice president, Worldwide Marketing, SpeechWorks. "We believe that the opportunity to test SIP ready versions of these compelling new speech technologies on The iBasis Network will offer us a solid, real world test lab and faster track to market."
"iBasis offers both Pingtel and developers building applications for Pingtel xpressa, our intelligent Java SIP phone, the opportunity to test our phones and applications on a proven, carrier-class global network ideally suited to the delivery of enhanced IP-based services," said Jim Hourihan, vice president of Marketing, Pingtel. "The insight we expect to gain from our test deployments with iBasis will play a significant role in our ability to more quickly bring new services and applications to market."
Testing Next Generation "SIP Ready" Internet Technologies on The iBasis Network
Developers interested in testing new SIP ready devices, applications or services on the iBasis Network can learn more about the iBasis SIP test environment and apply for trial eligibility at www.ibasis.net/technology/sip.htm . In addition, developers can connect their SIP ready solutions to the iBasis Network by participating in the VON Open Test Network sponsored by Pulver.com, which will be open for the duration of the VON conference (Sept. 11-14, 2000).
The iBasis Network
The iBasis Network is the world's largest international Cisco Powered Network (CPN) for Internet telephony. iBasis is the only provider that guarantees service quality by offering the industry's first Service Level Agreement (SLA) for VoIP (Voice-over-Internet-Protocol). The key to maintaining the high level of quality required by the world's largest carriers and other service providers is the company's proven, proprietary Assured Quality RoutingT (AQRT) technology. At the company's 24 x 7 Network Operations Center (NOC), the nerve center of The iBasis Network, located at iBasis' global headquarters in Burlington, Massachusetts, USA, engineers continuously monitor the global circuit-switched (PSTN) and packet-switched (IP) networks to ensure the highest quality of service to customers worldwide.
