IMS Forum: The Voice of IP Convergence

The IMS Forum's Fifth Plugfest marks a major milestone in IMS certification

DENVER, CO, USA - May 07, 2008 - The IMS/NGN Forum^TM, the only industry association dedicated to interoperability and certification of IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) and Next Generation Networks (NGN) applications and services, announced today its fifth IMS Plugfest^TM.  The IMS Plugfests are the industry's only comprehensive interoperability events covering NGN services over wireless, wireline and cable broadband. 

The IMS/NGN Forum plugfest will be held June 2^nd to 6^th, 2008 at the University of New Hampshire, InterOperability Lab (UNH IOL) in Durham. Plugfest 5 will address for the first time the certification of the User-to network ‘Gm interface,' the vital link between end-users and service providers. In addition, Plugfest 5 will expand the success from previous interoperability events to include policy control, CSCF load balancing and load sharing, charging and billing, test and integration tools, user profiles including authorization credentials, service profiles and fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) femtocell integration.

The IMS/NGN Forum will be hosting an open house and press conference on the Thursday, June 5 to allow IMS and NGN service providers, analysts, equipment vendors and system integrators to witness IMS/NGN Plugfest 5 live and discuss the IMS Certified^TM and M-Play (mobility, multimedia and NGN services) testing programs.  For an invitation, email info@imsforum.org.  

Plugfest 5 results will be announced on Wednesday, June 18 at the NXTComm 2008 conference in the Las Vegas convention center.

"The UNH-IOL looks forward to another strong showing of IMS advancement and multi-vendor interoperability testing," said Lincoln Lavoie, manager of the UNH-IOL and vice chair of IMS/NGN Forum interoperability and test group.

The following IMS and NGN leading companies are announcing today their participation in Plugfest 5: Tekelec, Intel, Ixia, HP, ZTE, Sonus Networks, Aricent, RADVISION, Radware, Mavenir Systems, NE Technologies/Marben, Starent Networks, Acision, and Wipro. 

Event sponsors include Intel, Ixia, Informa, NXTComm 2008, and IMS Magazine.

"The IMS/NGN Forum Plugfests provide great insight into the progress of NGN deployment," said Anupam Sahai, vice president of Marketing for Ixia. "Ixia understands that the service delivery platforms of the future will be IMS-based, and that interoperability will be a primary concern. Ixia test tool's ability to generate real-world triple-play traffic at the Plugfest will help this effort."  

"Our M-Play interoperability strategy delivers the next-generation mobile multi-media Internet by enabling personalized services over mobile and fixed Internet access," said Michael Khalilian, chairman and president of IMS/NGN Forum. "With the introduction of the M-Play strategy, the IMS/NGN Forum is looking beyond the infrastructure and into next-generation services for the ‘new' Internet."

The IMS/NGN Forum has launched two professional telecom networks moderated by Manuel Vexler, Chair of the IMS/NGN Forum Technical Working Groups. The groups, open to the industry-at-large, have more than 1,200 members and are expanding rapidly to include leading service providers, network architects, developers, application and services innovation experts, system engineers, marketing, business development executives, standards and government organizations.

For online registration and info contact the forum at: info@imsforum.org or www.IMSForum.org.

About the IMS and NGN Forums^TM

The IMS/NGN Forum is a global telecommunications industry association devoted to M-Play the interoperable IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) and Next Generation Network (NGN) service delivery architecture and solutions. The Forum's mission is to accelerate the interoperability of IMS and NGN services and to enable enterprise and residential consumers to benefit fully from the delivery of multimedia mobile and fixed services over broadband cable, wireless, wireline, and fiber networks. The Forum is the creator and organizer of the IMS Plugfest^TM and NGN Plugfest^TM, the industry's only events focused on verification and certification of IMS and NGN service interoperability through the IMS Certified^TM and NGN Certified^TM programs.

Through organized plugfests, technical working groups, and other activities, forum members are able to develop cost-effective technical frameworks for converged IP services over wireline, cable, 3G, 4G, Wi-Fi, WiMAX, femtocell and LTE broadband networks. For additional information or to join the IMS Forum, NGN Forum, the IMS Plugfest, and/or the NGN Plugfest, please visit www.IMSForum.org or www.NGNForum.org.

For additional information, contact:

IMS and NGN Forums

Tel: +1 970-262-6100  Email: PR@IMSForum.org      

IMS Forum Completes Plugfest 4, Gears up for NGN Plugfest 5

Plugfest 4 Achieves OSS and BSS Interoperability Milestones; Results to be Presented March 18 at VON.x and VoiceCon

San Jose, CA - March 18, 2008 - The IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) and the NGN (Next Generation Networks) Forums announced today the successful completion of interoperability testing at the IMS Forum Plugfest 4 and plans for the NGN Plugfest 5. Plugfest 5, scheduled for June 2008 at the University of New Hampshire InterOperability Lab (UNH-IOL), will test consumer and enterprise M-play Interoperability.

The IMS and NGN Forums are dedicated to interoperability and certification of M-play, mobile multimedia services, and applications for wireless, wireline, and cable broadband over IP networks.

The IMS Forum's Plugfest 4, held at the UNH-IOL Feb 25 - 29, 2008, was the latest in a series of events designed to deliver IMS and NGN interoperability and certification. Participating companies tested a number of leading technologies and services for interoperability, including triple play, VoIP (voice over IP), fixed mobile convergence (FMC) from multiple vendors, test and measurement equipments, SIP (session initiation protocol), class-5 features (voicemail, etc), Diameter IMS stacks, and instant messaging with presence support.  Plugfest 4 was the first successful IMS call between mobile UE (user equipment) devices and core network elements P-CSCF servers, S-CSCF, and HSS, all from separate vendors.

Plugfest 4 was expanded to include billing interfaces for charging for IMS services. Tests included an IMS-compliant charging/billing system working with multiple network configurations, as well as interoperability of operational support systems and business support systems (OSS/BSS).  This is a major milestone since the charging/billing systems are a major component for network operators to deploy IMS.

More than 15 companies participated in IMS Plugfest 4, including Intel as a platinum sponsor, HP, Amdocs, Acision, Alpha Networks, Aricent, Data Connection Ltd., Empirix, Mavenir Systems, Mu Security, NextPoint Networks, Radvision, Shenick Network Systems, Sonus Networks, Starent Networks, Tekelec, and UNH-IOL. PulverMedia and IMS Magazine served as media sponsors.

 "While a number operators continue to assess the network cost saving and efficiencies IMS delivers and the services it enables, poor interoperability across equipment from different vendors has been slowing down wide adoption of IMS services," said Malik Kamal-Saadi, principal analyst, Informa Telecoms & Media, and author of an IMS services report. "This plugfest was yet another step forward in the development of truly interoperable IMS networks and was particularly significant because of its focus on consumers' value and the systems necessary for managing, charging, and billing for services delivered in an IMS network. The completion of this plugfest could be seen as a significant development and is likely to lead to more open IMS ecosystems." 

"Each IMS Plugfest advances the industry's knowledge about the IMS architecture, in terms of what works and exactly how various implementations of the multimedia systems behave together," said Lincoln Lavoie, Senior Engineer in VoIP and IMS at the UNH-IOL. "The plugfests are the critical first steps in moving IMS networks into reality,  providing early opportunities to work through potential issues before the networks are rolled out, saving time and money in the long run."

Michael Khalilian, chairman and president of the IMS Forum, added, "IMS is the industry standard for cost-effective delivery of new and existing multimedia IP services. Many telecom service providers are finding it difficult, if not impossible, to deliver the multimedia services their customers want-without open, standards-compliant, interoperable solutions, which they are demanding now from their vendors."

About the IMS and NGN Forums^TM

The IMS Forum is a global telecommunications industry association devoted to interoperable IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) and Next Generation Network (NGN) service delivery architecture and solutions. IMS Forum's mission is to accelerate the interoperability of IMS and NGN services and to enable enterprise and residential consumers to benefit fully from the delivery of multimedia mobile and fixed services over broadband cable, wireless, wireline, and fiber networks. The IMS Forum is the creator and organizer of the IMS Plugfest^TM and NGN Plugfest^TM, the industry's only events focused on verification and certification of IMS and NGN service interoperability through the IMS Certified^TM and NGN Certified^TM programs.

Through organized plugfests, technical working groups, and other activities, forum members are able to develop cost-effective technical frameworks for converged IP services over wireline, cable, 3G, 4G, Wi-Fi, WiMAX, and femtocell broadband networks. For additional information or to join the IMS Forum, NGN Forum, the IMS Plugfest, and/or the NGN Plugfest, please visit http://www.imsforum.org/.

About the UNH-IOL

The UNH-IOL is one of the networking industry's premier independent proving grounds for developing technologies. More than 150 companies use the UNH-IOL's 32,000+ sq. foot facility to extend their development and quality assurance efforts by testing and fine-tuning technologies, protocols and products for multi-vendor interoperability and conformance to data communications networking standards. For more information, visit http://www.iol.unh.edu/.

###

For additional information, contact:

IMS and NGN Forums

Tel: +1 970-262-6100

Email: PR@IMSForum.org

Test Event to Take Place at University of New Hampshire's
InterOp Lab February 25^th - 29^th, 2008

PLANO, Texas - February 25, 2008 - Acision, the messaging and charging company of choice for over 300 network operators and service providers worldwide, announced today that it will participate in the IMS Forum's IMS Plugfest^TM IV interoperability test event to be held February 25^th to 29^th, 2008, at the UNH InterOp Lab (IOL) in New Hampshire. More than a dozen companies have announced their participation in Plugfest IV to-date, and Intel has signed on as a Platinum Sponsor of the Event. IMS Magazine and the Pulvermedia Inc. are media sponsors of the event. Plugfest IV Results will be announced on March 18^th at Spring VON.x 2008 in San Jose, CA.

The IMS Forum's IMS Plugfest IV is the fourth in a series of open testing events that are designed to foster interoperability by creating industry-recognized interoperability test plans for IMS applications and services, enabling service providers of all types to expedite IMS service rollout.

Acision will test its Message Application Server (MAS) which provides a centralized architecture for message delivery, store and forward, and store and retrieve functions. It enables the delivery and receipt of messages of any type through any preferred delivery channel, including SMS, MMS, email, voice/videomail, and IM-and is an important component in Acision's messaging portfolio.

"IMS is widely recognized as a technological advance, but advanced IMS based subscriber services are the key to operator adoption," said Wayne Irwin, President, the Americas, Acision. "Consumers expect total interoperability from mass communication services, and any operator able to provide a uniform messaging experience-regardless of the underlying  messaging or network  technology being used-will have a distinct advantage going forward. By working with the IMS Forum through events like Plugfest, we hope to accelerate IMS services and deliver end-to-end messaging solutions for wireless, wire line and cable and broadband operators."

IMS Forum Plugfests deliver interoperability for revenue generating applications and services. The complete portfolio of services to be tested is being defined by the IMS Forum Interoperability and Testing Working Group. It will include VoIP services for consumer and enterprise users, various types of video services, Fixed-Mobile Converged services, including support of Femtocell, unified communications (UC) and interworking with IMS and operations and business support systems (OSS/BSS).

"Ensuring the seamless integration of IMS and mass messaging services like SMS is critical as operators look to implement successful IMS deployments," said Michael Khalilian, IMS Forum Chairman & President. "IMS messaging applications must be as effective as SMS in accommodating dramatic increases in messaging volume, and leading messaging companies like Acision are key to ensuring this."

MAS complements and monetizes network vendors' core IMS offerings by providing any-to-any messaging and delivery based the on end-user's presence and preferences, and provides separate input and output connectors that function as protocol converters across various messaging technologies, As this technology is hidden to end-users, MAS enables an intuitive user experience across multiple messaging technologies, enabling users to focus on communication rather than technology.

About Acision

Acision is the messaging and charging partner of choice for more than 300 network operators and service providers, supporting over one and a half billion customers worldwide. With over 50 percent of global text and multimedia messaging traffic generated through its platforms, Acision's mobile data services expertise includes text messaging, multimedia messaging, IP messaging, mobile internet, mobile advertising, IP voicemail and IP videomail. Acision's payment systems have processed more than US $100 billion, providing sophisticated real-time charging and removing the boundaries between prepaid and postpaid subscriptions. All of Acision's solutions are backed up by a robust, global service organization, offering 24/7 support provided through 24 local service centers and three state of the art global support centers. With global market experience, Acision has a detailed understanding of what it takes to bring innovative services to full mass market adoption.

Privately owned by an equity consortium led by Atlantic Bridge Ventures and Access Industries, Acision is a half billion dollar company, working with customers in 135 countries across six continents. More information is available at http://www.acision.com/. 

About the IMS Forum^®
The IMS Forum is a global, non-profit industry association devoted to interoperable IP Multimedia Subsystem services delivery architecture and solutions. IMS Forum's mission is to accelerate the interoperability of IMS revenue-generating services and enabling enterprise and residential consumers to fully benefit from the delivery of multimedia mobile and fixed services over broadband cable, wireless, wireline and fiber networks. The IMS Forum is the creator and organizer of the IMS Plugfest^TM, the industry's only event focused on IMS service interoperability verification and certification through the IMS Certified^TM program.

Through its organized Plugfests, working group interactions and other activities, forum members are able to develop cost-effective technical frameworks for converged IP services over wireline, cable, 3G, WiFi and WiMAX networks. For additional information or to join the IMS Forum and the IMS Plugfest, please visit  www.IMSForum.org.

Press contacts

For Acision:
Kevin Walters
Marketing Executive, North America
Tel: +1 972 246 5404
Email: kevin.walters@acision.com

Todd Van Hoosear
Topaz Partners
Tel: + 1 781-404-2409
Email: acision@topazpartners.com

For IMS Forum Communications
Tel: +1 970-262-6100
Email: PR@imsforum.org

On Feb. 25 the IMS Forum's Fourth Plugfest Adds Billing to Real-World IMS Triple and Quadruple Play

IMS Forum members focus on IMS Interoperability and deployment readiness

DENVER, Colo., USA - February 21, 2008-The IMS Forum^®, the industry's only association dedicated to interoperability and certification of IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) applications and services, announced today that its fourth IMS Plugfest^TM will expand to include billing and OSS/BSS support for IMS.

The plugfest will be held Feb. 25 to 29, 2008 at the University of New Hampshire, InterOperability Lab (UNH IOL) in Durham.

In addition, on Feb. 28 the IMS Forum and the UNH IOL will hold an open house and round-table conference to allow IMS service providers, analysts, equipment vendors and system integrators to witness IMS Plugfest IV live. The open house will also include a live demonstration of IMS benchmarking.  The Round Table will be moderated by Ronald Gruia, Principal Analyst, Emerging Telecoms at Frost and Sullivan. For an invitation email info@imsforum.org.  

Committed to deliver to service providers robust, interoperable IMS services, participants in Plugfest IV are working on interoperability for voice, video and multimedia applications, fixed-mobile convergence (FMC), voice call continuity (VCC), femtocells, and on providing proper IMS test equipment, network robustness and protocol support for SIP and DIAMETER. Central to Plugfest IV is proving interoperability of IMS services for both the consumer and the enterprise unified-communication (UC) markets.

Results of Plugfest IV will be revealed on March 18 at Spring VON.X 2008 in San Jose, Calif.

The forum also announces that HP and Amdocs are participating for the first time in an IMS Forum plugfest. Many participants in preceding plugfest events also are part of Plugfest IV, such as Acision, Alpha Networks, Aricent, Data Connection, Empirix, Mavenir Systems, Mu Security, NextPoint Networks, Radvision, Shenick Network Systems, Sonus Networks, Starent Networks, Tekelec and UNH-IOL.

Intel is a Platinum sponsor of the event.  Media sponsors include IMS Magazine and Pulvermedia.

An important aspect of this testing is to define so-called "charging components," in other words, systems for rating and billing for service. "Seamless deployment of IMS applications with the charging components are critical to the commercial success of IMS architecture," said Ajay Gupta, Aricent vice president of the Wireless, Convergence and Datacom business unit. "Our Plugfest IV participation with other members from the IMS industry would be a significant step in meeting the needs of equipment manufacturers and service providers for bringing in well-tested, seamlessly integrated, feature-rich IMS applications to market quickly."

"The level of IMS interoperability is growing rapidly, and, as a result, for Plugfest IV we are working with five test plans covering the IMS core network, core-class applications, messaging, fixed-mobile convergence, multimedia applications and charging," stated Michael Khalilian, Chairman and President of IMS Forum.

About the IMS Forum

The IMS Forum is a global, non-profit industry association devoted to interoperable IP Multimedia Subsystem services, delivery, architecture and solutions. IMS Forum's mission is to accelerate the interoperability of IMS revenue-generating services, and enabling enterprise and residential consumers to benefit fully from the delivery of multimedia mobile and fixed services over broadband cable, wireless, wireline and fiber networks. The IMS Forum is the creator and organizer of the IMS Plugfest the industry's only event focused on IMS service interoperability verification and certification through the IMS Certified program.

Through the forum's organized plugfests, working group interactions and other activities, forum members are able to develop cost-effective technical frameworks for converged IP services over wireline, cable, 3G, Wi-Fi and WiMAX networks.

The IMS Forum is open to all companies developing solutions for IMS. For online registration and info contact the forum at: info@imsforum.org or www.IMSForum.org.

IMS Forum Communications

PR@IMSForum.org  
+1-970-262-6100

New Mu Security and IMS Forum^® Whitepaper Discusses Need for Reliability and Availability for Enhanced SIP, DoS, and RTP

SUNNYVALE, CA - February 14, 2008 - Mu Security, a pioneer in the new security analyzer market, announced today its participation in the IMS Forum's IMS Plugfest IV interoperability test event to be held February 25-29, 2008, at the UNH InterOp Lab (IOL) in Durham, NH.  The Plugfest IV participation follows at the recent participation of Mu Security in CableLabs IMS project speeding up deployment for advanced IP services for cable companies. 

More than a dozen companies have announced their participation in IMS Forum Plugfest IV to date and Intel has signed on as a Platinum Sponsor of the Event. IMS Magazine and Pulvermedia, Inc. are media sponsors of the event.  Plugfest IV results will be announced on March 18 at Spring VON.x 2008 in San Jose, CA.

Mu has actively engaged with all four IMS Forum IMS Plugfests, focusing on the importance of IMS availability and resiliency testing prior to product deployment including the proactive elimination of product weaknesses and 0-day issues.   The IMS Forum and Mu Security also just published a new technical paper describing the need and processes involved in IMS Service Assurance.  The IMS Plugfest IV will further help foster interoperability by creating industry-recognized interoperability test plans for IMS applications and services, billing and OSS/BSS enabling service providers of all types to expedite IMS service rollout.

IMS Services Increasingly Deployed by Carriers

For the last few years, the IP Multimedia Subsystems (IMS) architecture has been heavily explored by leading service providers and their suppliers but not rapidly implemented due to fragile interoperability and untested specifications.  Both barriers, expected during initial development, appear to be quickly falling as the technology with more production deployments. 

The focus of the IMS Forum Plugfests mirrors carriers' needs by moving beyond interoperability and into ensuring maximum uptime and assurance for all revenue generating applications and services.  A complete portfolio of services to be tested is being defined by the IMS Forum Interoperability and Testing Working Group. It will include VoIP services for consumer and enterprise users, various types of video services, Fixed-Mobile Converged services including support of Femtocell, unified communications (UC) and interworking with IMS and operations and business support systems (OSS/BSS).

"For VoIP and IMS, SIP is increasingly commonly deployed and its complexity means that it must be thoroughly analyzed and tested before providers depend on it for high-growth revenue generating service offerings.  Interoperability is the IMS Forum's starting point but always-available IMS-based services certified by the IMS Forum are essential to both carrier profitability and vendor success," said Michael Khalilian, IMS Forum chairman and president.

About Mu Security
Mu Security offers a new class of security analysis system, delivering a rigorous and streamlined methodology for verifying the robustness and security readiness of any IP-based product or application.  Since Mu's debut of its flagship Mu-4000 Security Analyzer appliance in early 2005, the company has achieved significant customer traction.  One-third of the world's 15 largest service provider and cable operators now use Mu; Mu's customers represent one-half of the revenue in the global network, application and security infrastructure market; and Mu's customers represent one-third of the revenue in the global industrial control manufacturer market.  Headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif., Mu is backed by preeminent venture capital firms that include Accel Partners, Benchmark Capital and DAG Ventures.  More information is available at http://www.musecurity.com/.

About the IMS Forum^®
The IMS Forum is a global, non-profit industry association devoted to interoperable IP Multimedia Subsystem services delivery architecture and solutions. IMS Forum's mission is to accelerate the interoperability of IMS revenue-generating services and enabling enterprise and residential consumers to fully benefit from the delivery of multimedia mobile and fixed services over broadband cable, wireless, wireline and fiber networks. The IMS Forum is the creator and organizer of the IMS Plugfest^TM, the industry's only event focused on IMS service interoperability verification and certification through the IMS Certified^TM program.

Through its organized Plugfests, working group interactions and other activities, forum members are able to develop cost-effective technical frameworks for converged IP services over wireline, cable, 3G, WiFi and WiMAX networks. For additional information or to join the IMS Forum and the IMS Plugfest, please visit www.IMSForum.org.

For Further Information contact:

Kevin Gallagher
Gallagher Group Communications
925-831-1041
kevin@gg-comm.com

IMS Forum Marketing / Communications
PR@IMSForum.org
+1 (970) 262-6100

For more information, please contact:

Forum to Focus on Triple Play, OSS/BSS and Billing Applications

WESTFORD, Mass., February 5, 2008 - Sonus Networks, Inc. (Nasdaq: SONS), a leading supplier of service provider Voice over IP (VoIP) infrastructure solutions, announced today that the Company is continuing its efforts in driving the adoption of applications and services in an IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) environment through its participation in the IMS Forum's "IMS Plugfest^TM IV", an industry-wide forum designed to foster the interoperability of IMS applications and services for wireless, wireline and cable broadband networks. The IMS Plugfest is sponsored by the IMS Forum (http://www.imsforum.org/), of which Sonus Networks is a founding member. The next event will be held February 25-29, 2008 at the University of New Hampshire InterOp Lab (IOL).

IMS Forum Plugfest IV will focus on IMS Triple Play, Operational Support systems (OSS), Business Support Systems (BSS), and Billing Applications. Forum members have the opportunity to test the interoperability of IMS applications and operational systems over a unified IMS network. Sonus will participate at the event testing several elements of its award-winning IMS-ready architecture. This year at Plugfest IV, Sonus is broadening its 2.0 SIP Core offering to include its Subscriber Location Function (SLF). Additionally, Sonus will have an expanded applications portfolio presence to include new multi-media applications featuring voice and video on its industry leading IMX 2.0 Multimedia Applications Platform.

"Sonus has been involved with the IMS Forum's Plugfest since its inauguration. The IMS Forum's Plugfest has grown immensely since it started last year and is certain to continue gaining participants and momentum," said Vikram Saksena, chief technology officer, Sonus Networks. "At Plugfest IV, we're focusing on the interoperability of IMS with business operations and support systems. By emphasizing these functions we hope to help our customers more effectively and efficiently navigate the path to IMS."

"Sonus has performed exceptionally well in past Plugfest tests. At Plugfest III, Sonus completed a battery of tests with a focus on IMS-powered applications and security solutions," said Michael Khalilian, IMS Forum Chairman & President. "We look forward to another successful event, and to providing an environment where industry pioneers can come together to advance interoperability of IMS solutions."

Results of IMS Plugfest IV will be announced at the Spring VON.X show, March 17 to 20, 2008, in San Jose. Spring VON.X is one of the most respected IP communications events in the industry. Pulvermedia, host of Spring VON.X, is also an IMS forum Plugfest IV event media sponsor.

About the IMS Forum^®

The IMS Forum is a global, non-profit industry association devoted to interoperable IP Multimedia Subsystem services delivery architecture and solutions. IMS Forum's mission is to accelerate the interoperability of IMS revenue-generating services and enabling enterprise and residential consumers to fully benefit from the delivery of multimedia mobile and fixed services over broadband cable, wireless, wireline and fiber networks. The IMS Forum is the creator and organizer of the IMS Plugfest^TM, the industry's only event focused on IMS service interoperability verification and certification through the IMS Certified^TM program.

Through its organized Plugfests, working group interactions and other activities, forum members are able to develop cost-effective technical frameworks for converged IP services over wireline, cable, 3G, WiFi and WiMAX networks. Plugfest IV will be held February 25-29, 2008 at the UNH InterOp Lab in New Hampshire. Results of Plugfest IV will be revealed on March 18 at Spring VON.X 2008 in San Jose, CA. For additional information or to join the IMS Forum and the IMS Plugfests, please visit http://www.imsforum.org/.

About Sonus Networks

Sonus Networks, Inc. is a leading provider of voice over IP (VoIP) infrastructure solutions for wireline and wireless service providers. With its comprehensive IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) solution, Sonus addresses the full range of carrier applications, including residential and business voice services, wireless voice and multimedia, trunking and tandem switching, carrier interconnection and enhanced services. Sonus' voice infrastructure solutions are deployed in service provider networks worldwide. Founded in 1997, Sonus is headquartered in Westford, Massachusetts. Additional information on Sonus is available at http://www.sonusnet.com/.

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.

IMS Forum's Fourth Plugfest^TM Focuses on Triple Play, OSS/BSS and Billing in "Real World" Scenarios on a Single End-to-End Network

Twelve companies announced their participation to-date. Intel to be a Platinum Sponsor of the Event

Denver, CO - December 12, 2007, the IMS Forum^®, the industry's only association dedicated to IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) application and service interoperability and certification, announced today that their fourth IMS Plugfest^TM to be held February 25 to 29, 2008, at the UNH InterOp Lab (IOL) in New Hampshire. Results of Plugfest IV will be revealed on March 18^th at Spring VON.X 2008 in San Jose, CA.

IMS Forum Plugfests deliver interoperability for revenue generating applications and services. The theme of Plugfest IV is "IMS Triple Play, OSS/BSS and Billing Applications." IMS Forum members will test the interoperability of IMS applications and operational systems over a unified IMS network. These applications and OSS/BSS and billing services are available to all types of service providers including wireless, wireline and cable companies. A complete portfolio of services to be tested is being defined by the IMS Forum Interoperability and Testing Working Group. It will include VoIP services for consumer and enterprise users, various types of video services, Fixed-Mobile Converged services including support of Femtocell, unified communications (UC) and interworking with IMS and operations and business support systems (OSS/BSS).

The IMS Forum also announces the sponsors and participants registered to-date. Registration for Plugfest IV continues to be available online on the IMS Forum website. Intel is first to announce their Platinum Sponsorship for Plugfest IV. IMS Magazine and the Pulvermedia Inc. are the first media sponsors of the event. The initial list of Plugfest IV participants includes:

Acision - Apha Networks - Data Connection - Empirix - HP - Mavenir Systems - Mu Security - NextPoint Networks - Radvision - Sonus Networks - Starent Networks - Tekelec

"We look forward to participating in Plugfest IV," said Nigel Upton, general manager, BSS Products, Communications, Media and Entertainment, HP. "With a broad portfolio of IMS-ready solutions, including real-time, IMS-compliant charging, HP sees the growing importance of interoperability, as well as governance, management and quality. As networks evolve toward IMS, these are critical to the success of real-time and Web 2.0 services."

"IMS Forum members and Plugfest participants have made a great deal of progress in moving the IMS industry forward in 2007," said Michael Khalilian, Chairman and President of the IMS Forum. "The level of interoperability between participating vendors has increased as previous Plugfests set up a fully interoperable networks running services and applications. We moved from testing IMS basic calls and IMS registration to full applications testing. The first three IMS Forum Plugfests successfully tested the interface for IMS applications servers and the Diameter protocol and demonstrated for the first time in the industry support of the AKA authentication mechanism in addition to SIP authentication. We look forward to adding billing and OSS/BSS to the mix of a rapidly increasing portfolio of triple play converged services over one single end-to-end network."

"Pulvermedia is excited that the IMS Forum will be announcing again the results of their Plugfests at our Spring VON.X show, March 17 to 20, 2008, in San Jose," said Scott Kargman, EVP and CFO of Pulvermedia, Inc. The IMS Forum's presentation on the results of Plugfest IV fits in nicely with several of the Spring VON.X conference themes of IMS Interoperability issues with regard to triple and quadruple play applications. We continue to see an increasing level of interest from vendors, enterprises and service providers in learning more about these issues.

The IMS Forum is open to all companies developing solutions for IMS. For online registration and info contact the forum at: info@imsforum.org or http://www.imsforum.org/

About the IMS Forum

The IMS Forum is a global, non-profit industry association devoted to interoperable IP Multimedia Subsystem services delivery architecture and solutions. IMS Forum's mission is to accelerate the interoperability of IMS revenue-generating services and enabling enterprise and residential consumers to fully benefit from the delivery of multimedia mobile and fixed services over broadband cable, wireless, wireline and fiber networks. The IMS Forum is the creator and organizer of the IMS Plugfest, the industry's only event focused on IMS service interoperability verification and certification through the IMS Certified^TMTM program.

Through its organized Plugfests, working group interactions and other activities, forum members are able to develop cost-effective technical frameworks for converged IP services over wireline, cable, 3G, WiFi and WiMAX networks.

For Further Information contact:

Cathy Clarke
IMS Forum PR
617-527-2089

pr@imsforum.org

Contact:

Mu Security                                                        IMS Forum PR
Kevin Gallagher                                                 Cathy Clarke
Gallagher Group Communications                      617-527-2089
925.831-1041                                                     PR@IMSForum.org
kevin@gg-comm.com                                       

        MU SECURITY TO ADVANCE IMS ROBUSTNESS BY PARTICIPATING IN IMS FORUM PLUGFEST III INTEROPERABILITY EVENT

Sunnyvale, CA - October 11, 2007 - Mu Security, a pioneer in the security analyzer market, today announced that it will participate in the IMS Forum's IMS Plugfest^TM III interoperability test event to be held October 15-19 at the IMS Interoperability Lab at the University of New Hampshire in Durham.  Mu Security will analyze SIP and IMS messages for protocol implementation flaws within all available products present at the event.

The IMS Forum Plugfests bring together a critical mass of IMS vendors to prove out end-to-end IMS solutions in a vendor-neutral lab environment. Vendors that participate in these Plugfests get to discover and validate implementation scenarios before their products are deployed in the field.

Mu Security's Mu-4000 platform incorporates a mature SIP negative testing or "stateful fuzzing" implementation with IMS extensions, and is able to statefully examine the complex interactions that are required to set up, maintain, and tear down a call. All devices and roles within an IMS network have to process certain types of SIP messages, and must be prepared to "expect the unexpected" due to the rapid evolution of these standards, and the wide variety of quality of implementations with which they must communicate. The Mu-4000 excels at generating unexpected traffic that is designed to statefully destabilize real implementations of these complex protocols, and integrates these test cases into a "lights-out" automation framework.

"The testing that Mu Security performs is specifically designed to expose IMS implementation weaknesses in ways that positive interoperability testing alone cannot, thereby strengthening IMS revenue generating services for carriers worldwide," said Kishore Seshadri, vice president of product management at Mu Security.  "The end result is vendors can confidently represent to service providers that the Plugfest-tested products are very robust."

The IMS Forum's IMS Plugfest^TM III fosters interoperability and certification for IMS services and applications.  IMS Plugfests allow service providers to quickly realize revenue from their IMS investments by significantly reducing the time to market for new services and applications.

Plugfest III, "A Network of Services," will be focusing on the realization of applications and services delivered over the IMS and NGN networks. Services to be tested include:

• Security, Reliability and Robustness Testing for IMS Services
• VoIP, Instant Messaging, and FMC
• Video and Multimedia
• Services for Businesses and Unified Communications
• User and Application Profile Handling

About the IMS Forum

The IMS Forum^® is a global, non-profit industry association devoted to interoperable IP Multimedia Subsystems services and solutions. IMS Forum's mission is to accelerate the interoperability of IMS applications and services, enabling enterprise and residential consumers to quickly benefit from the delivery of quadruple play voice, video, internet and mobile services over broadband via cable, wireless and fixed networks. The IMS Forum is the creator and organizer of the IMS Plugfest^TM, the industry's only event focused on IMS services interoperability verification and certification.

Through its organized Plugfests, working group interaction, and other activities, forum members are able to develop cost-effective technical frameworks for converged IP services over wireline, cable, 3G, WiFi and WiMAX networks. Plugfest III will be held October 15-19, 2007 by the IMS Forum at the UNH Interoperability Lab. An IMS Open House open to the public will be held on Oct 18 at 1pm. at the same location. For additional information or to join the IMS Forum and the IMS Plugfests, please visit http://www.imsforum.org/.

IMS FORUM SIGNS MOU WITH INTERNATIONAL MULTIMEDIA TELECOMMUNICATIONS CONSORTIUM (IMTC) TO JOINTLY COLLABORATE ON ADVANCING REAL LIFE IMS INTEROPERABILITY

DENVER, Co. and SAN RAMON, Ca - Sept 10, 2007- The IMS Forum, the industry's only

Forum delivering IMS services interoperability verification and certification, announced today that they have signed an MOU with the International Multimedia Telecommunications Consortium (IMTC), an international alliance of companies working together to improve the customer experience and accelerate market adoption of content delivery and unified communications solutions through interoperability of products and services based on open standards. The IMS Forum focuses on interoperability at the IMS Applications and Services Layer across mobile, fixed and cable broadband networks. The IMTC IMS Activity Group focuses on issues surrounding IMS Client interoperability, development and providing feedback to standards organizations.

"IMS paves the way for true multimedia applications to be used through multiple forms of access, such as wireless, DSL and Cable broadband, as well as through traditional Internet access methods including corporate LANs and broadband connections," said Michael Khalilian, Chairman and President, IMS Forum.  "The MOU between our two organizations is a clear example of the importance of interoperability between end user devices and IMS networks. The IMTC brings an invaluable partner to the IMS Forum in achieving our mutual goal of accelerating the interoperability of IMS applications and services, and enabling enterprise and residential consumers to quickly benefit from the delivery of quadruple play voice, video, internet and mobile services over broadband, cable, mobile and fixed networks..."

Under the terms of the agreement, the IMS Forum and the IMTC will establish both a technical liaison between their Technical Working Groups and a marketing liaison. Through these liaisons the two groups will exchange technical information on IMS specifications, testing and interoperability, share interoperability testing best practices, collaborate on technical documents, and organize and participate in future joint testing events. The marketing liaison between the Marketing Working Groups will allow the organizations to share the results of their joint activities with the industry as well as promote this technology's adoption.

"Our alliance with the IMS Forum, an industry association recognized as the Voice of IP Convergence, furthers our mission to promote and facilitate the development and use of interoperable, real-time, multimedia telecommunications products and services based on open international standards, " said Anatoli Levine, President of the IMTC. "Together we will provide an unbiased source of information to end users, press, industry analysts, legislators, regulators and the industry and we will identify obstacles to the growth and success of the industry and to implement or recommended solutions. IMTC and our member companies look forward to conducting joint interoperability testing events with IMS Forum members."

About the International Multimedia Telecommunications Consortium (IMTC)

The IMTC is an industry-leading, non-profit organization whose mission is to promote and facilitate the development and use of interoperable, real-time, multimedia telecommunication products and services based on open international standards. Hosting

interoperability testing events and demonstrations throughout the world, including SIP, SIP-IMS, 3G-324M, 3GPP-PSS, NAT/Firewall Traversal, H.323, and other Voice and Video over IP technologies, the San Ramon, California-based consortium offers membership to any interested party, including vendors of audio, document, and video conferencing hardware and software; academic institutions; government agencies; open-source and non-profit organizations. The IMTC is making Rich Media happen Anywhere, Anytime. Additional information is available at http://www.imtc.org

About the IMS Forum:

The IMS Forum^® is a global, non-profit industry association devoted to interoperable IP Multimedia Subsystems services and solutions. IMS Forum's mission is to accelerate the interoperability of IMS applications and services, enabling enterprise and residential consumers to quickly benefit from the delivery of quadruple play voice, video, internet and mobile services over broadband via cable, mobile and fixed networks. The IMS Forum is the creator and organizer of IMS Plugfest^TM, the industry's only event focused on IMS services interoperability verification and certification.

Through its organized Plugfests, working group interaction, and other activities, forum members are able to develop cost-effective technical frameworks for converged IP services over wireline, cable, 3G, WiFi and WiMAX networks. Plugfest III will be held October 15-19, 2007 by the IMS Forum at the UNH Interoperability Lab. For additional information or to join the IMS Forum and the IMS Plugfest, please visit  http://www.imsforum.org/.

For More Information Contact:
Jim Polizotto, IMTC Secretariat
Global Inventures, Inc.
+1.925.275.6600 

secretary@imtc.org

IMS Forum PR
Cathy Clarke

+1 508.833.8533

pr@imsforum.org

IMS Forum-OPASTCO Partnership Brings Unprecedented Focus to North American Telecommunications Providers and Ensuring Efficient Deployment of IMS Services

DENVER, CO, October 12, 2007 - The IMS Forum^®, the industry's only association dedicated to IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) application and service interoperability certification, announced today that it has partnered with the Organization for the Promotion and Advancement of Small Telecommunications Companies (OPASTCO). The IMS Forum and OPASTCO will collaborate to help ensure that customers served by small and rural telecommunications companies have access to converged IP services over wireline, 3G, Wi-Fi and WiMAX networks.

The IMS Forum's goal is to create a venue for resolution among industry leaders to enable the expedient deployment of IMS based VoIP, IPTV, Wireless Internet and Multimedia everywhere. OPASTCO's primary role in the IMS Forum will be to provide its technical working groups with data pertaining to small and rural telecommunications companies' challenges as they prepare to meet their customers' demands for converged services.

"The IMS Forum technical working groups welcome the partnership with OPASTCO," said Michael Khalilian, IMS Forum Chairman and President. "OPASTCO's participation in the development of next generation networks and IMS applications and services represents an important milestone for telecommunications providers and IMS industry."

"OPASTCO members are the best providers of broadband in their service areas. Many of these companies face economic challenges to deploy telecommunications services in their high-cost communities," OPASTCO President John Rose stated. "Developing solutions to rural digital convergence challenges is important to ensuring our members remain the best providers of broadband and broadband services in rural America. Our alliance with the IMS Forum will help expedite solutions for our members."

The IMS Forum is open to all organizations and companies developing solutions for IMS. For more information contact info@imsforum.org or visit http://www.imsforum.org/

About the IMS Forum

The IMS Forum® is a global, non-profit industry association devoted to interoperable IP

Multimedia Subsystems services and solutions. IMS Forum's mission is to accelerate the

interoperability of IMS applications and services, enabling enterprise and residential consumers to quickly benefit from the delivery of quadruple play voice, video, internet and mobile services over broadband via cable, mobile and fixed networks. The IMS Forum is the creator and organizer of IMS Plugfest^TM, the industry's only event focused on IMS services interoperability verification and certification. Through its organized Plugfests, working group interaction, and other activities, forum members are able to develop cost-effective technical frameworks for converged IP services over wireline,

cable, 3G, WiFi and WiMAX networks. Plugfest III will be held October 15-19, 2007 by the IMS Forum at the UNH Interoperability Lab. An IMS Open House open to the public will be held on Oct 18 at 1pm. at the same location. For additional information or to join the IMS Forum and the IMS Plugfest, please visit www.IMSForum.org

About OPASTCO

OPASTCO represents more than 525 small, independently owned, local telecommunications companies, serving primarily rural areas of the United States and Canada. OPASTCO membership includes both commercial companies and cooperatives, which range in size from fewer than 100 to 100,000 access lines and collectively serve more than 3.5 million customers. OPASTCO represents rural telecommunications interests before federal regulatory bodies and provides educational programs and publications. The association also has an affiliate non-profit, the Foundation for Rural Education and Development. Visit the OPASTCO Web site at http://www.opastco.org/.

For further information contact:

IMS Forum PR
Cathy Clarke
617-527-2089

pr@imsforum.org         

OPASTCO
Martha K. Silver
202-659-5990

mks@opastco.org