3com Corporation Teams with Arbinet-thexchange to Expand Interconnection Opportunities for Growing Voice-over-IP Customer Base
SANTA CLARA, Calif. – June 20, 2000 – 3Com Corporation (Nasdaq: COMS), a leading
provider of carrier-class systems for delivering Internet Protocol (IP)-based enhanced
services, today announced that Arbinet-thexchange, the leading online telecommunications
exchange, is now terminating and settling voice traffic carried through the 3Com
CommWorks IP telephony platform. Service providers using the CommWorks IP telephony
platform now can use Arbinet-thexchange to bridge the connectivity gap that exists
between the world’ s IP and circuit switched networks, gaining access to a competitive
marketplace for the termination and settlement of voice-over-IP (VoIP) traffic. 3Com and
thexchange also will engage in joint development and testing efforts aimed at developing
new solutions for enhanced call routing and billing, according to the agreement announced
today.
For service providers, partnering with Arbinet-thexchange is critical as they look to expand
their operations to gain market share in evolving markets. Thexchange’s dynamic online
marketplace is the crossroads where the world’ s leading VoIP and public switched telephone
network (PSTN) carriers meet to exchange traffic. Membership in thexchange expands a
service provider’ s coverage area, providing opportunities to generate incremental revenue
from lucrative international opportunities for VoIP. A service provider trading on Arbinet-thexchange
needs just one interconnection to the company’ s central automated system to
access a full service, on-demand trading solution that reduces a carrier’ s cost, transaction
time and risk to terminate and settle traffic with other service providers around the world.
This new way of doing business is more efficient than the traditional system of multiple
individual bilateral agreements.
“With the CommWorks solution and the interconnection opportunities provided by Arbinet-thexchange,
virtually any local service provider can establish a global presence for IP voice
and fax services,” said Irfan Ali, senior vice president and general manager, 3Com Carrier
Networks Business. “Service providers can generate more revenue, expand into new
businesses, attract new customers, and retain existing customers.”
“The addition of the CommWorks IP telephony platform to Arbinet-thexchange’ s full service
solution for the purchase, sale, delivery and settlement of network capacity provides new
partnership opportunities for both our existing members and 3Com Carrier Networks’
growing customer base,” stated Anthony L. Craig, Arbinet-thexchange Chairman and CEO.
“Our commitment to support both PSTN and VoIP technologies, now including the
CommWorks carrier-grade solution for IP telephony, not only provides new interconnection
opportunities but further simplifies the trading process for buyers and sellers of network
capacity.”
About the CommWorks Architecture
The CommWorks architecture encompasses all areas of 3Com’ s Carrier Networks Business’
portfolio, reflecting the multiservice nature of the company’ s offerings in enhanced data
services, IP telephony, wireless data access, and broadband access. The CommWorks
architecture gives service providers a cohesive, methodical migration path as they shift from
circuit-based networks to feature-rich and efficient packet-based IP networks. The
architecture includes a full line of products and services to support complete IP-based
infrastructures. With open interfaces throughout, the CommWorks architecture allows
service providers worldwide to quickly develop differentiated enhanced services and stake
out leadership positions in their markets. 3Com developed the CommWorks architecture in a
standards-based environment designed to drive the evolution of IP-offerings through
partnerships that will provide the building blocks for the next-generation of
telecommunication service providers.
About Arbinet-thexchange
Arbinet-thexchange has created a full service online trading exchange through which the
telecommunications industry can buy, sell and physically deliver network capacity on
demand. Thexchange is neutral, favoring neither buyers nor sellers, and allows participants
to trade minutes of telephony bandwidth anonymously. Automated delivery is accomplished
by employing advanced trading software and a set of patented processes to link the web-based
trading platform with a carrier-grade telecommunications switch. Arbinet-thexchange
handles all invoicing, collection and payment for trades effected on its exchange and
provides continuous monitoring and online rating of the service quality of each seller’ s
network. For more information, visit Arbinet-thexchange at www.thexchange.com.
120 Albany St. Tower II, Suite 450, New Brunswick, NJ
08901
phone: 732-509-9100, fax: 732-509-9101, website: www.arbinet.com
