Press Release

Pittsburgh, PA - January 20, 2003 — Laurel Networks, Inc., the first provider of high-performance service edge routers, today introduced FirstSTEP, the industry's first Strategic Technology Evolution Program with the financial analysis, OSS integration and device and network-level technology validation tools required to guide carriers through the most suitable migration path to a multi-service edge.

FirstSTEP includes a Multi-service Edge (MSE) Financial Modeler for custom business case analysis, PerfectStorm Portable Testbed to rigorously test ST200™ Service Edge Routers with multiple services enabled under intense load, a multi-million dollar BigBang Integration Lab used to validate operation of the ST200 in a replication of the carrier's infrastructure and Laurel Provisioning System (LPS) AnyOSS Integration Toolkit to enable rapid integration with the existing network management infrastructure.

"Many carriers have publicly announced plans to modernize their networks with a multi-service edge," noted Steve Vogelsang, vice president of marketing and co-founder of Laurel Networks. "While their high level visions may be similar, each carrier must select a technically feasible starting point backed by a strong ROI. FirstSTEP accelerates multi-service edge execution by proving the technology and business case without financial risk. With FirstSTEP, Laurel can quickly demonstrate how the flexible ST200 architecture maps into each carrier's network."

"Gone are the days when vendors can offer carrier solutions that show promise, but no business justification," said Claudia Bacco, president of TeleChoice. "Every carrier network is unique, and vendors must have the ability to match specific carrier requirements. With FirstSTEP, Laurel is showing carriers precisely how a multi-service edge can be implemented in their environment with a complete, customizable program that gives carriers an actionable starting point for network modernization."

Laurel FirstSTEP contains the following components:

MSE Financial Modeler: Developed with TeleChoice, Laurel's interactive MSE Financial Modeler quantifies the financial impact of multi-service edge deployment by calculating the revenue, capital investment, operations expenses, service margins and ROI that can be achieved with the ST200 versus a traditional multi-device edge solution. The model can represent a wide variety of business, implementation and networking options to mirror each carrier's distinct environment. For example, carriers can model cap-and-grow, greenfield or transition-over-three-years scenarios for a mix of new and existing services with different growth rates.

PerfectStorm Portable Testbed: With PerfectStorm, carriers can perform rigorous multi-service edge proof-of-concept test cases on Laurel's ST200 Service Edge Routers. Carriers can validate the scalability and performance of new and existing services including Internet, ATM and Frame Relay, QoS-enabled Ethernet, IP VPNs, Layer 2 VPNs and any-to-any interworking between ATM, Frame Relay and Ethernet. Other tests include "any service on any port at any speed" to validate the ST200's ability to combine and dynamically reconfigure multiple services on a per-channel basis, resiliency/recovery to meet carrier uptime requirements and flexible QoS capabilities to precisely match existing service products and SLAs while enabling new service delivery models.

BigBang Integration Lab: Laurel's multi-million dollar BigBang Integration Lab simulates a large-scale, multi-vendor service provider network, and is available as a service to carriers to validate services across a replica of their infrastructure. The BigBang Integration Lab tests multi-service edge interoperability with existing core and access networks by simulating a Tier One carrier network using extensive test gear and widely installed vendor equipment.

LPS AnyOSS Integration Toolkit: The multi-service edge is a critical service creation point, and the ability to integrate with existing management tools and devices is crucial for any multi-service edge device. Unlike vendors who leave the complex task of sorting through third-party service management options to carriers, Laurel takes a hands-on approach with its LPS AnyOSS Integration Toolkit. The Toolkit uses the Laurel Provisioning System™ (LPS), a powerful integrated service provisioning and management system developed specifically for the multi-service edge, and custom Java, CORBA and XML APIs to seamlessly tie into the carrier's existing OSS environment.

About Laurel Networks
Laurel Networks is leading the creation of The New Service Delivery Architecture to enable profitable delivery of data and IP services at the edge of carrier IP/MPLS networks. Laurel's service edge routers and service management software are evolving carrier architectures from multiple data networks to a single packet-switched architecture with minimal capital investment. Combining carrier-class routing, data switching, advanced QoS and high availability, Laurel service edge routers support both routed and switched services. This unmatched service agility allows carriers to evolve their service portfolio to meet changing market requirements. Laurel Networks was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. For more information, visit www.laurelnetworks.com.