OPTUS AHEAD IN BUSINESS CONVERGENCE

Optus today launched Australia's most advanced Voice over IP (VoIP) solution, Optus IP Centrex, to corporate, government and small to medium enterprises.

IP Centrex is an advanced alternative to other VoIP solutions. It permits companies to merge their voice and data communications onto a single network, which is centrally managed from the Optus exchange.

Customer organisations will no longer need to buy and maintain costly PBX equipment - they can focus on their core business and leave it to Optus to manage their desktop telephony.

Peter Kaliaropoulos, Managing Director of Optus Business, said Optus is committed to delivering the benefits of convergence to its customers through its IP Centrex solution.

"Through the use of Internet Protocol (IP) technology, Optus IP Centrex gives customers greater functionality, control, flexibility and savings over their telephony services. It includes features such as routing of incoming calls, which can now be managed in real-time with simplicity from the customer's desktop.

"Users will also be able to log on from any location, giving organisations more flexibility with staff locations and remote network access, removing most of the cost associated with transferring telephone lines.

"Optus IP Centrex customers can expect significant cost savings by maximising access capacity. Other service providers don't allow desktops to be re-allocated if the primary owner is working remotely, effectively meaning users are occupying two locations," he said.

Optus has worked extensively with Nortel Networks to address technology convergence and deliver another innovative solution. IP Centrex will also deliver multimedia services, such as video conferencing and 'click to call' from an email, offering customers a highly differentiated service.

Steve Wood of Nortel Networks said many organisations today are not able to take full advantage of current telephony features, so Optus and Nortel are working together to give these organisations more control over their communications.

"Based on Nortel Networks' VoIP and multimedia solutions, Optus' IP Centrex solution will allow organisations to customise their telephony and call routing features through a web browser, without the frustration of relying on a carrier for service changes.

"This will be the most advanced deployment of Nortel Networks carrier IP Telephony technology in Australia and New Zealand and one of the most advanced throughout Asia Pacific," Mr Wood said.

Optus IP Centrex adds to the suite of IP solutions Optus has been offering since 1998 and will be available for service from April 2004, approximately eight months ahead of other solutions.

Key Features of Optus IP Centrex:

• Optus IP Centrex provides advanced call management control capabilities not supplied by any other Centrex service providers in Australia. A web-based administration tool allows end users to self-cater for their needs by activating or de-activating a variety of telephony features. They can personally control the routing of incoming calls, which allows them to achieve maximum control and customisation of their communication channels. This tool addresses current Centrex users' frustration about reliance on the carrier for service changes.
• Optus offers more than a basic IP Centrex system - the latest in multimedia technology is available with IP Centrex as a value-added component. Multimedia features include video conferencing, document sharing and unified messages. Users can also have the same number and address for phone, fax, data, desktop, video, email and web; program the web portal to receive calls simultaneously or sequentially ('follow me, find me' service); or click to call from email, contact, calendar or web portal.
• Optus gives high-quality support services to customers and has enhanced its current call centre to provide for IP Centrex users. Optus IP Centrex will cause minimal disruption to business during the transitional phase and customers will not experience negative changes during migration.
• Optus IP Centrex runs over Optus' Multiprotocol Layer Switching (MPLS) Optus Private Internet (OPI) network and provides an integrated IP, voice and data, platform.

Note to editor:
The recent Optus Index 2003 found 30 per cent of IP networks are currently used for both voice and data services - up from 18 per cent in 2002. Optus expects this trend to continue, with 56 per cent of respondents expected to run VoIP networks in 2004.

For further information please contact:
Luisa Ford
Optus Corporate Affairs
Phone: +61 2 9342 5045
Mob: 0411 024 104