Acme Packet Accelerates Delivery of Rich Communication Suite Services

November 4, 2009 8:30 AM EST

New Features, Solution Partners and Trial Activity Showcases Acme Packet Leadership in Enabling Trusted, First-Class RCS Services for 3G IP Radio Access Networks

PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Acme Packet(R), Inc. (NASDAQ: APKT), the leader in session border control solutions, today announced a series of new capabilities for its Net-Net(R) Session Director (SD) session border controller (SBC) in support of the GSMA Rich Communication Suite (RCS) and SIP-based interactive communication services for 3G mobile access networks. In addition, Acme Packet has proven interoperability with five RCS client and server solution partners, helping ensure rapid deployment of RCS services. Acme Packet SBCs will be used in seven RCS or related SIP messaging and presence service trials by tier 1 mobile service providers in multiple countries in Europe and Africa during the fourth quarter of 2009.

The RCS initiative is a GSMA-led program driven by service providers and communications equipment vendors that is defining the basis for an interoperable, rich communication experience. RCS services are a new set of SIP interactive services that can be offered over 3G radio access networks and across mobile service provider IP network borders. RCS aims to seamlessly unify the communications experience by integrating traditional mobile circuit-switched telephony with new interactive services such as presence, instant messaging and content sharing enabled by an enhanced address book of the mobile phone. RCS leverages the 3GPP IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) architecture and uses SIP signaling to establish sessions and exchange instant messages, presence information, files and video. Acme Packet is an Associate member of the GSMA and joined the RCS initiative in December 2008.

"Rich Communication Suite is an important foundation for mobile service providers to deliver differentiated services," commented Diane Myers, directing analyst, with Infonetics Research. "Acme Packet's newly introduced features illustrate the company's commitment to making RCS successful by enabling the delivery of SIP-based interactive communication services and the interconnection of mobile networks."

SIP session control leadership strengthened with new RCS features and functions

Acme Packet's RCS solution features its Net-Net SD deployed at the access and interconnect borders of the SIP or IMS service network. Acme Packet SBCs provide critical control functions to deliver high-quality interactive communications--voice, video and multimedia sessions--over the 3G IP RAN. For RCS 2.0 services extended to Internet-connected laptops and PCs, the Net-Net Security Gateway provides authentication and IPsec encryption termination to connect these devices to the service core. Acme Packet's control functions satisfy requirements in five major areas--security, service reach maximization, service level agreement (SLA) assurance, revenue and cost optimization, and regulatory compliance. In IMS networks, Acme Packet SBCs perform the role of the P-CSCF and IMS-AGW for signaling and media control at the access border and the I-BCF and TrGW at the interconnect border.

As a result of the growing interest in RCS--including completed and pending lab and service trials in 2009--Acme Packet is enhancing its Net-Net Operating System (OS) with additional capabilities. Acme Packet Net-Net SBCs will be used at the access or interconnect border of seven RCS or RCS-like trials by tier 1 mobile service providers in Europe and Africa during the fourth quarter of 2009.

The new features significantly enhance the security and control functions for RCS service delivery and increase the capacity of both RCS application servers and Acme Packet SBCs. The specific enhancements to the Net-Net OS include:

    --  Message Session Relay Protocol (MSRP) support
        Acme Packet SBCs support MSRP for instant messaging and file sharing
        services as defined by the latest Open Mobile Alliance (OMA)
        specifications. This includes media support for MSRP server-based and
        MSRP peer-to-peer deployment models. The peer-to-peer model off-loads
        application servers, increasing their capacity.
    --  Denial-of-service attack protection and overload control for IM and
        presence
        Acme Packet SBCs protect RCS and IMS server infrastructure from
        denial-of-service (DoS) attacks, misconfigured or misbehaving clients,
        and non-malicious overloads. This control includes per-SIP method
        throttling, SIP Method whitelists and signaling screening. This granular
        security capability ensures that both the SBC and RCS servers can
        continue to support legitimate subscribers in the presence of attack or
        overload.
    --  Differentiated, service-based routing policies for presence, IM, video
        and voice
        Acme Packet SBCs enable service providers to route traffic differently
        for each RCS service--presence, IM, video and voice--to reduce capital
        and operational costs for deploying RCS services. This capability
        includes fine-grained control over the routing of each SIP method type
        including INVITE, REGISTER, PRACK, OPTIONS, INFO, SUBSCRIBE, NOTIFY,
        REFER, UPDATE, MESSAGE and PUBLISH.
    --  Session replication for lawful intercept of multimedia communication
        Acme Packet SBCs will enable lawful intercept (LI) for all RCS services,
        helping service providers comply with relevant government regulations
        for these communication services. This support will include SIP-based
        presence information and video, and MSRP-based instant messaging using
        TCP transport. Acme Packet Net-Net SDs act as an intercept access point,
        replicating the session data and content for specific target
        subscribers. Acme Packet has proven interoperability with many leading
        LI Mediation Function vendors for provisioning and forwarding of
        relevant session data.
    --  Support for millions of subscribers and IM sessions
        Acme Packet SBC solutions will scale to support millions of subscribers
        and their IM sessions. As each entry in a subscriber's "buddy list"
        creates a SIP SUBSCRIBE-NOTIFY dialog, presence information can create
        significant SIP messaging traffic. Acme Packet has uniquely optimized
        the ability of its SBC to process these messages efficiently to
        cost-effectively scale the access and interconnect border for sharing
        presence information between RCS subscribers.

Solution partner interoperability expands

Acme Packet has expanded its Pinnacle Partner Program with tested solutions with five new RCS client and server partners. The Pinnacle Partner Program is an alliance program that formalizes Acme Packet's relationships with both complementary product partners and solution integration partners. It fosters technical and business collaboration to assure interoperability among best-of breed products and the delivery of seamless, best-of breed network solutions. Acme Packet has tested interoperability with these partners in vendor or customer labs in IMS and pre-IMS environments. The new RCS solution partner products include:

    --  Aylus Networks' MediaShare
        This platform provides real-time multimedia session management for video
        and content sharing to RCS-enabled phones and broadband endpoints. Live
        and recorded content can be shared to RCS clients as well as web portals
        and social media hubs such as Facebook using Aylus' RCS-compliant
        Application Server and Video MRF. Aylus' MediaShare and MediaCast
        solutions will be demonstrated at Acme Packet's Interconnect 2009
        customer conference taking place November 8-11.
    --  Colibria's SIP/SIMPLE portfolio of SIP IM server, SIP Presence server
        and supporting XDMS server
        These products are deployed in fixed, mobile and converged networks and
        can operate in pre-IMS and IMS environments to provide Rich
        Communication Suite, Enhanced Voice Solutions, and Push to Talk. Acme
        Packet SBCs and Colibria's SIP/SIMPLE serversare deployed or being
        trialed in multiple customer environments.
    --  eyeP Media eyeP Communicator
        eyeP Media SA, a leading provider of SIP-based Telecommunications over
        IP (ToIP) software clients, develops and markets the eyeP Communicator
        softphone for Windows PC and mobile devices. Acme Packet and the eyeP
        Communicator are already deployed in a tier 1 European mobile operator
        for ToIP services and the two companies have successfully tested RCS
        interoperability.
    --  Mavenir mOne IM/presence server
        The modular functional architecture of mOne provides presence, IM, media
        sharing and legacy messaging interworking services and core IMS
        components including I/S-CSCF functions. The joint Acme Packet-Mavenir
        solution is deployed in a tier 1 pan-European mobile service provider
        for a SIP messaging and presence application. Additionally, an Acme
        Packet SBC will provide access security and routing for Mavenir's RCS
        demonstration at Rich Communication 2009, November 4-5, in Paris.
    --  Movial Communicator
        Movial Communicator PC for RCS provides a compelling and fully
        integrated end-user experience enabled with presence technology,
        including 1-to-1 chat, group chat, video calling, instant sharing of
        images or video during a voice call, and file transfer. Movial
        Communicator PC embodies the first extension of a complete solution for
        synchronized rich multimedia communication across handsets and
        computers. Movial Communicator Mobile is an RCS-ready suite of mobile
        applications with the same power as its PC counterpart. Six leading
        European operators have selected Movial Communicator solutions for their
        RCS trials. Acme Packet has proven interoperability with Movial in
        multiple VoIP and IMS commercial deployments.

"RCS is critical to enabling new services in today's increasingly competitive 3G mobile communications environment," stated Seamus Hourihan, Acme Packet's vice president of marketing and product management. "Given our proven solutions for delivering secure, high-quality and seamlessly interoperable IP interactive voice and video services, Acme Packet is well-positioned to help mobile service providers transform their 3G broadband networks into versatile platforms for delivering even richer communication services in terms of both functional and monetary value."

About Acme Packet

Acme Packet, Inc. (NASDAQ: APKT), the leader in session border control solutions, enables the delivery of trusted, first-class interactive communications--voice, video and multimedia sessions--and data services across IP network borders. Our Net-Net family of session border controllers, multiservice security gateways and session routing proxies supports multiple applications in service provider, enterprise and contact center networks--from VoIP trunking to hosted enterprise and residential services to fixed-mobile convergence. They satisfy critical security, service assurance and regulatory requirements in wireline, cable and wireless networks; and support multiple protocols--SIP, H.323, MGCP/NCS, H.248 and RTSP--and multiple border points--service provider access and interconnect, and enterprise access and trunking. Our products have been selected by 910 customers in 100 countries. They include 48 of the top 50, and 90 of the top 100 service providers in the world; and 8 of the Fortune 25. For more information, contact us at +1 781.328.4400, or visit www.acmepacket.com.

Acme Packet, Inc. Safe Harbor Statement

Statements contained herein that are not historical fact may be forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such forward-looking statements may relate, among other things, the ability to facilitate service and support and to secure large enterprise networks, as well as Acme Packet's expected range and reach into new markets and its relationships with new customers, distributions channel and product partners. Such forward-looking statements do not constitute guarantees of future performance and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. These include, but are not limited to: difficulties expanding its customer base; difficulties leveraging market opportunities; difficulties providing solutions that meet the needs of customers; poor product sales; long sales cycles; difficulty developing new products; difficulty in relationships with vendors and partners; difficulties in integrating an acquired business; higher risk in international operations; difficulty managing rapid growth; difficulty managing its financial performance; its ability to hire and retain employees and appropriately staff its operations; the spending of the proceeds of its capital raising activities; its cash needs; and the impact of new accounting pronouncements and increased competition. Additional factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or suggested in any forward-looking statements are contained in the Company's recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including those factors discussed under the caption "Risk Factors" in such filings.

    Source: Acme Packet(R), Inc.

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