MILAN, Italy - March 10, 2004 - Tiscali International Network, the carrier arm of Tiscali Spa, the European Internet Communication Company, today announced that it has activated its converged voice over IP (VoIP) international network based on Cisco PGW 2000 and AS5400 voice gateway platforms. Voice interconnect capabilities have been deployed over the existing international network footprint in the UK, France, Italy, Czech Republic, Greece, Switzerland, Spain and the United States. These eight countries represent phase one of a convergence project that will include six additional countries (Austria, Belgium, China, The Netherlands, Germany, Ireland) by the end of Q2 2004.
With the deployment of a global class-4 VoIP network, Tiscali International Network has been able to successfully launch an International wholesale voice service, complementing its wholesale service portfolio which already includes Clear Channel, IP Transit, Remote Peering, and wholesale European ADSL access products.
The economics of its converged network are enabling Tiscali International Network to build a competitive edge by leveraging the existing IP/MPLS infrastructure to optimise investments and operational costs. Tiscali International Network's voice network is available to main European and USA carrier-neutral facilities and it can handle up to 200 millions minutes per month over different interconnection systems including classical TDM, H323 and SIP interconnection.
As a complement to the aforementioned convergence project, Tiscali has also deployed a corporate voice platform for its headquarters in Cagliari, Italy, based on Cisco 7900 series wireline and Cisco 7920 series wireless IP phones.
"Our reduced operational expenditure translates into more competitive prices for our customers who also enjoy the high standard of quality ensured by Cisco platform and by our international IP/MPLS backbone," said Tiscali International Network's CEO, Paolo Susnik.
"This is one of the biggest VoIP convergence projects in Europe and Cisco is proud to have been involved in its delivery. The company is now providing a more efficient voice platform to its customers and the use of VoIP and IP Telephony in-house will not only save costs, but enable Tiscali to sell converged services based on personal experience. This gives Tiscali the edge on many operators who have yet to converge their own networks," said Enrico Deluchi, Managing Director for Service Provider, Cisco Systems, EMEA.
About Tiscali International Network
Tiscali International Network is a subsidiary of Tiscali S.p.A. (Nuovo Mercato, Milan: TIS, Nouveau Marchi, Paris: 005773), focused on delivering leading edge clear channel, IP Transit, Remote Peering, Wholesale ADSL and Wholesale Voice services to Carriers, xSPs and large corporations in Europe and the USA. Tiscali International Network state-of-the-art backbone is based on 15.000 km of long distance fibre and covers 15 countries in Europe plus the USA. Tiscali tier-1 IP/MPLS network, running over our 10 Gbps DWDM network in Europe, is one of the most extended networks (from Czech Republic to the West Coast of the United States, from Norway to Spain and Greece). Tiscali International Network employs 95 people and has been consistently achieving its financial objectives for the last three year, demonstrating the value of its unique business model in a troubled industry like the wholesale carriers arena.
News and information are available at www.tiscali.net
