Sonus to Resell Riverstone’s RS Family of Switch Routers to Carrier Customers

SANTA CLARA, Calif., November 15, 2000 – Riverstone Networks, a leader in service creation infrastructure for metropolitan network service providers, and Sonus Networks (Nasdaq: SONS), a leading provider of voice infrastructure solutions for the new public network, today announced they are teaming to provide carriers with a comprehensive, central-office packet telephony solution. Through this arrangement, Sonus will resell the Riverstone RS series of switch routers to carrier customers, providing a reliable and cost-effective platform to aggregate and deliver packetized voice traffic to the network core. 
“With its comprehensive Packet Telephony suite, Sonus has become a key architect of voice infrastructure for the new public network,” said Romulus Pereira, president and CEO of Riverstone Networks. “The combination of our RS switch router products and the Sonus solutions provides the levels of performance and reliability carriers require to deliver the full range of voice applications, such as trunking, access, and Internet offload. We look forward to working closely with Sonus to help carriers recognize the benefits of packet telephony.” 

The Riverstone/Sonus arrangement offers carriers the following elements to provide a seamless, central-office VoIP solution:

• Riverstone RS 8000 and 8600 Switch Routers: Designed and tested for NEBS Level 3 and ILEC approved, the RS 8000 and 8600 Switch Routers combine wire-speed multi-layer switching and routing with pinpoint control of bandwidth and application flows, and hardware-based prioritization, filtering, and Quality of Service (QoS) features—all available over WAN technology—TDM, ATM and Packet over SONET.
• Sonus GSX9000 Open Services Switch: The first carrier-class Open Services Switch with the capacity, reliability, and sophistication to enable the new, converged Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN)/packet-based infrastructure. It is the central component of the Sonus Networks Open Services Architecture™ (OSA), a unique, open approach through which new services can be created easily and implemented quickly.
• Sonus PSX6000 SoftSwitch: A call management server that supports the full range of carrier switching requirements (including service, features, call routing, and QoS requirements) and communicates with other network elements to provide consistent application of configurable network policies. 
• The Sonus SGX2000 SS7 Signaling Gateway: A comprehensive and cost-effective SS7 signaling solution that supports ANSI and ITU versions of ISDN User Part (ISUP) protocols to provide a seamless interconnection between the standard PSTN and elements of the Sonus OSA.

“Deploying highly scalable switch sites demands an interconnect solution that is designed to carriers’ stringent requirements,” said Hassan Ahmed, president and CEO, Sonus Networks. “We’re very pleased to offer service providers the Riverstone family of routing switches, providing a complete central-office solution that meets carrier standards for reliability and performance.”

Sonus intends to offer the full Riverstone RS series of switch routers.  Additionally, the two companies will participate in joint sales and marketing activities designed to further Riverstone’s penetration into the carrier market. Riverstone will also coordinate with Sonus to provide 7X24 service and support to carrier customers deploying the Sonus/Riverstone solution. 

About Sonus Networks

Sonus Networks, Inc., is a leading provider of voice infrastructure products for the new public network. Sonus’ solutions enable service providers to deploy an integrated network capable of carrying both voice and data traffic, and to deliver a range of innovative new services. The Sonus Open Services Architecture™ (OSA) and award-winning Packet Telephony suite cut the time-to-market for competitive new service products, allowing carriers and third-party developers to expand market share and build important new revenue streams. Its highly scalable products fully interoperate with and extend the life and utility of today’s public network. Sonus embodies in its management and staff decades of experience in developing carrier-class voice, data and multimedia solutions for implementation in the world’s largest networks. Sonus, founded in 1997, is headquartered in Westford, Mass. Additional information on Sonus is available at http://www.sonusnet.com.

About Riverstone Networks 

Riverstone Networks is a leading developer of routers and switches that enable metropolitan service providers, Internet service providers, and content and application providers to turn raw bandwidth into profitable services. Leveraging third-generation custom silicon and Internet-hardened routing software, Riverstone products deliver line-rate accountability and control, enabling the metro network to become the New Business Internet. Riverstone solutions are deployed in more than 40 countries and in some of the world's largest networks—including British Telecom, Genuity, MCI WorldCom, MAE West Ames, EarthLink, and Telefonica. Please visit the company at www.riverstonenet.com.

GSX9000, PSX6000, SGX2000 and Open Services Architecture is a trademark of Sonus Networks. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.