Sonus Networks Unveils NBS-5200 Network Border Switch - Industry Leading Session Border Control Solution - On Its Next-Generation ConnexIP Platform

WESTFORD, Mass., May 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Sonus Networks, Inc. (Nasdaq: SONS), a market leader in next generation IP-based network solutions, today announced general availability of the NBS-5200 Network Border Switch as the first product on its next generation ConnexIP™ platform.  The NBS-5200 is the highest density, highest scalability Session Border Control (SBC) solution in its class with integrated transcoding and media interworking, with native support for IPv6 and IPSec encryption.  It combines full SBC functionality including media interworking, advanced routing and policy engine, and multi-access security gateway functionality all in one single second generation SBC product without compromising scale or density.  

"Today marks an important milestone for Sonus as we deliver ConnexIP – a platform for creating new products and solutions that lead the industry in scale, performance and reliability for IP to IP session management," said Rich Nottenburg, president and chief executive officer of Sonus Networks. "By applying our decade long experience, IP networking know-how and unique IPR to the new platform, we plan to extend the market leadership we enjoy in the VoIP market into new growth areas of border control, mobility and packet policy."

The ConnexIP platform from Sonus is an innovative platform optimized for connecting, managing, and securing IP session based communications and represents a key element in Sonus' strategy to bring industry leading performance and carrier grade reliability to the session management market. Powered by best-in-class network processors, multi-core computing devices, solid-state storage, high density media processing cards, and layered with Sonus' proven middleware and protocol stacks, ConnexIP represents a new foundation for the next generation of IP based products from Sonus.

"The ConnexIP platform positions Sonus well to take on the rapidly growing area of IP to IP session management," said Elisabeth Rainge, Program Director at IDC.  "The concept of a platform is becoming increasingly important to communications service providers.  By leveraging a single platform across a series of products, Sonus shifts the innovation to the service layer.  It can benefit from the efficiencies of re-use and stands to increase its competitiveness in the market."

The NBS-5200 is the first product from Sonus on the ConnexIP platform, and complements the already successful NBS-9000 as part of Sonus' session border control solutions portfolio.  It will enable Sonus to address the broadest set of SBC deployments for service providers and enterprises.

"First generation SBC products on the market have forced inevitable trade-offs between features and performance upon customers," commented Guru Pai, chief operating officer at Sonus Networks.  "By combining related functions that are often deployed as two or three separate products today into a single, scalable and easy to manage network element, we've defined the next frontier in session border control and created opportunities for significant operational savings for our customers."

"Sonus has proven traction with customers in the SBC segment with its NBS-9000 product line," said Diane Myers, directing analyst with Infonetics Research.  "Introduction of the NBS-5200 on the new ConnexIP platform will increase Sonus' competitiveness in the high-growth access and peering SBC segments for the service providers, as well as in the enterprise SBC space, which Infonetics believes to be collectively over a 1.9 billion dollar market over the next four years."

Early customer interest has been strong and the NBS-5200 is being shipped to customers for trials and evaluation starting this month.

The NBS-5200 combines the following best in class attributes:

• Highest Scale and Session and Transcoding Density in 2U Form Factor – Dedicated hardware for packet inspection/manipulation ensures that the application logic scales independently of media.  Integrated Transcoding on the box simplifies deployments and operational aspects without compromising scale.

• IPv6 and IPv6-IPv4 Interworking support – With explosive global demand for IP addresses fueled by 3G/4G and WiMAX deployment, the need for native IPv6 support is critical.  NBS-5200 supports native IPv6 and IPv6-IPv4 interworking, which allows heterogeneous IPv6 and IPv4 networks, SIP Servers and IP endpoints to co-exist.

• Security and Encryption – Signaling and media encryption are mandatory requirements in environments such as wireless and femtocell access, and for a significant portion of enterprise and government deployments.  The NBS-5200 supports features like IPSec encryption, and TLS (transport layer security) natively without degrading performance or requiring additional hardware.

• Embedded and Centralized Routing Support – The NBS-5200 embeds Sonus' field-hardened advanced PSX™ policy and routing engine, effectively creating a turn-key session border control solution in a box.  The product can also be deployed in a network where a centralized policy and routing engine already exist.  

• Signaling Interworking – The NBS-5200 has been tested to successfully interoperate with a comprehensive list of PBXs, various SIP devices and other ecosystem equipment in both access and peering SBC configurations.  

For further information on the NBS-5200, visit www.sonusnet.com.

About Sonus Networks

Sonus Networks, Inc. is a leader in IP networking with proven expertise in delivering secure, reliable and scalable next generation infrastructure and subscriber solutions.  With customers in over 50 countries across the globe and over a decade of experience in transforming networks to IP, Sonus has enabled service providers and enterprises to capture and retain users and generate significant ROI.  Sonus products include media and signaling gateways, policy/routing servers, session border controllers and subscriber feature servers.  Sonus products are supported by a global services team with experience in design, deployment and maintenance of some of the world's largest and most complex IP networks.  For more information visit www.sonusnet.com.

This release may contain forward-looking statements regarding future events that involve risks and uncertainties. Readers are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are only predictions and may differ materially from actual future events or results.  Readers are referred to Item 1A "Risk Factors" of Sonus' Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009 and all subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, which identify important risk factors that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements.  Any forward-looking statements represent Sonus' views only as of today and should not be relied upon as representing Sonus' views as of any subsequent date.  While Sonus may elect to update forward-looking statements at some point, Sonus specifically disclaims any obligation to do so, except as required by law.

Sonus is a registered trademark of Sonus Networks, Inc.  All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.

SOURCE Sonus Networks, Inc.