Network Equipment Technologies, Inc. : Net Announces General Availability of UX1000, Significantly Expanding the Market for the UX Series Product Line

New Session Mediation Platform Provides Solution for Small- to Mid-Size Branch Offices Adopting Microsoft Lync

FREMONT, CA, Dec 21, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) --Network Equipment Technologies, Inc. ("NET") (NASDAQ: NWK) announced today the general availability of the UX1000, a multi-function, single box appliance for branch office communications needs. The UX1000 is the latest product based on the company's Unified Exchange (UX) Series high performance mediation platform. With the addition of the UX1000, NET has significantly expanded the range of opportunities that can be addressed by the UX Series for Microsoft Lync(TM) applications, by providing a solution appropriate for small- to mid-size branch offices. The UX1000 gives mid-size businesses access to "enterprise grade" unified communications (UC) without taxing IT and financial resources.

"Extending unified communications systems to remote offices poses significant challenges for enterprises, including providing disaster recovery, navigating firewalls, ensuring security for UC traffic, and implementing tools for the real-time diagnosis of network issues," said Kevin Isacks, Acting Chief Development Officer at NET. "We are proud to introduce the UX1000, which solves these challenges."

NET's UX1000 Solution The UX1000 offers true "any-to-any" signaling translation, media interworking, and security between Microsoft Lync and SIP Trunks, TDM and IP PBX's, legacy analog endpoints, and the PSTN. The UX1000 also interconnects various IP-based endpoints. With NET's optional SmartSIP application, enterprises can also continue to use legacy non-Lync SIP clients in their Lync environment.

Other features include the following:

--  A range of I/O and call capacities (4 to 84 concurrent connections
    between VoIP and PSTN/analog endpoints) to optimize branch office
    costs.
--  Support for up to 45 IP to IP calls.
--  SRTP (secured VoIP media) and TLS (secured VoIP signaling) are fully
    supported with no impact on call capacity.
--  Enhanced voice media quality, due to the latest generation embedded IP
    switching fabric at the core of the UX1000 system.
--  Advanced call routing features such as Active Directory/LDAP server
    routing integration, on-board call forking (from any source to up to
    eight unique destinations), and other flexible routing options to help
    with Lync migration in branch offices.

Integrated Enterprise Session Border Controller With an integrated enterprise session border controller (E-SBC), the UX1000 enables Internet Telephony Service Providers (ITSPs) to offer SIP Trunking services to branch offices.

UX Series Product Family NET's UX Series is based on a modular 1U platform that has been purpose-built for unified communications and enterprise session border controller applications. As a session mediation platform, UX Series products reduce both capital and operational expenses by eliminating the need to purchase separate infrastructure components such as a PSTN gateway, session border controller, and application server. The UX Series is qualified as a Survivable Branch Appliance for Microsoft(R) Lync(TM) 2010.

Secure, Single Web Interface A web-based tool lets the network operator remotely configure any UX Series appliance in real time, lowering operational expenses. The operator can see the top-level view of the relationships between the Microsoft Lync Survivable Branch Appliance, chassis, telephony cards, DSP modules, channels, and ports. It also allows the user to configure IP interfaces, routing protocols, calling routes, digit manipulation, and the Survivable Branch Appliance. The web-based GUI interface can also be used for real-time monitoring of channels and alarm activity. The integrated web-based monitoring tool provides real-time monitoring of all channels and alarm activity in UX Series nodes and allows network operators to view real-time call data. The UX Series management tool interfaces with industry standard management systems like SCOM and HP Openview/NNMi.

Global Support To meet and manage the complex requirements of system implementations across multiple territories, NET utilizes a "Global Deployment" approach to provide a set methodology for the deployment of all its platforms. This global implementation methodology includes a central working group of global and local NET experts, ensuring that customers benefit from the valuable knowledge of local NET personnel and business partners, as well as the global UC expertise of NET's international team. A centralized global support hub is available on request 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through a web-based platform. By utilizing a global support hub, NET provides its consultants with a valuable overview of deployments across a number of countries and provides its customers with more coordinated processing of customer requests. NET also provides global support agreements and SLAs, streamlining, and further standardizing the support process.

Pricing, Availability Availability: The UX1000 is available today.

Price: Pricing starts at $1,700 list.

Supporting Quotes "It is impressive how NET packaged so much of its Microsoft Lync experience into a deceptively simple appliance. The UX1000 reduces risk, and optimizes the design, reliability, and operational capabilities of distributed Microsoft Lync deployments," said Dave Michels, President, Verge1 Consulting.

"The UX1000 is an innovative single point solution to the requirement for UC branch office infrastructure. It addresses all of the current challenges facing UC Architects and the modular design provides opportunities to address future scale and functional requirements," said Russell Bennett, Principal, UC Insights.

"The NET UX1000 is an elegant Small Branch Appliance package for enterprises deploying or preparing for Microsoft Lync 2010," said Marty Parker, independent consultant with UniComm Consulting and co-founder of UCStrategies.com. "The UX1000 inherits all of the performance and security features of the UX2000 as tested by Meircom in February 2011 and delivers this in a scaled-down, competitively-priced package. Also, the UX1000 architecture and administrative features simplify branch office solution design, implementation and operation. Since the UX1000 enables easy co-existence of Microsoft Lync with the existing branch PBX system, it is an ideal tool for both migration and ongoing operation."

About Network Equipment Technologies, Inc. Network Equipment Technologies, Inc. (NET) delivers high performance networking equipment optimized for real-time communications. For more than a quarter of a century, NET has delivered solutions for multi-service networks requiring high degrees of versatility, security and performance. Today, the company is focused on providing secure real-time communications for unified communications (UC), SIP trunking, enterprise mobility, and IP-based multi-service networking. NET is headquartered in Fremont, CA and has 14 offices worldwide including the U.S., the U.K., France, the Middle East, China, Japan, Australia, and Latin America. The company sells its solutions to enterprise and government customers through a direct sales force and an international network of resellers and distributors. For more information, please visit the company's website at www.net.com.

Additional Resources:

--  Find out more about NET Unified Communications
--  Visit NET's Partner website
--  Visit NET on Facebook and Twitter

Tags:

NET Unified Communications, Microsoft Lync, SMB, small businesses, mid-sized businesses, mid-market, unified communications, collaboration, partner enablement, partner solutions, Cisco Unified Communications, IP telephony, partner programs, channel partner

All product and company names herein are trademarks of their respective owners.

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SOURCE: Network Equipment Technologies

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