ATLANTA, April 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Preferred Networks, Inc.
(OTC Bulletin Board: PFNT) (PNI), a leading provider of network services to
the wireless industry and a developer and supplier of advanced communications
networking products, today reported that its networking products will assist
wireless messaging carriers in complying with the Communications Assistance
for Law Enforcement Act ("CALEA") statutes that will soon be implemented by
the U.S. Department of Justice. CALEA statutes will require messaging
carriers to meet standards in providing law enforcement agencies with access
to subscriber information in connection with their surveillance efforts. PNI
is working closely with the Personal Communications Industry Association
("PCIA"), which is serving on a task force with law enforcement agencies to
plan for the implementation of CALEA.
Unlike the local exchange and cellular/broadband PCS industries, wireless
messaging does not have standard industry identification codes for its
switching equipment, which may cause CALEA implementation to be difficult and
costly to businesses. PNI's networking products provide a solution by
creating open environments that can "front-end" legacy equipment, thereby
enabling a common standard for capturing and delivering data from existing
switching equipment. PNI has designed its networking products to incorporate
software to comply with the proposed CALEA standards, including the
iTerminal(TM) desktop messaging terminal (shipments began in the first
quarter) and the Platform1(TM) switch (shipments of the first customer orders
will begin in the second quarter). These products are modular, enabling them
to be integrated within a carrier's existing facility with minimal additional
space and power requirements.
Mark Dunaway, CEO of PNI, said, "Because PNI has its own roots in the
network carrier business, we developed our networking products to solve the
same problems facing other businesses. We believe the messaging industry will
find our products to be an attractive and cost effective method of complying
with the CALEA statutes, enabling companies to avoid costly delays and
penalties. Further, by installing our products to comply with CALEA,
companies can add software enhancements to gain the other benefits associated
with our products, including Internet transport of messaging traffic, circuit
cost reduction and service expansion."
Implementation of CALEA statutes for traditional, one-way messaging
services is currently scheduled for June 30, 2000, although PCIA is requesting
an extension on behalf of certain companies. Standards for advanced messaging
and voicemail are currently scheduled to be implemented during 2001 and 2002.
PNI was founded in 1991 to provide unbranded, wholesale one-way wireless
messaging network services to companies for resale to their customers. In
pursuing this strategy, PNI developed a number of advanced networking
technologies aimed at increasing its efficiency as a network operator. During
1999, PNI completed development of its intelligent, high-speed switching
technology and began to commercialize related products for sale to other
companies. This technology creates networking solutions that provide
companies with greater processing efficiencies, cost savings, and an open
platform to bring them closer to their customers through unified service
offerings. In early 2000, PNI began to ship its first software enhanced
networking products and is developing a number of additional hardware,
software and service offerings to address each of the wireless, fixed network
and Internet marketplaces. With the introduction of its networking products,
PNI has augmented its one-way wireless network services and is evolving into a
developer and supplier of advanced communications hardware and software
products. PNI's address on the World Wide Web is: http://www.pniaccess.com
Safe Harbor Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995: The statements contained in this release which are not historical
facts, are forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and
uncertainties, including those identified in PNI's 1999 Annual Report on Form
10-K, and actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the
forwarding-looking statements. Certain information included in this release
contains statements that are or will be forward-looking. Such forward-looking
information involves important risks and uncertainties that could
significantly effect anticipated results in the future and, accordingly, such
results may differ from those expressed in any forward-looking statements made
by or on behalf of PNI. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not
limited to, risks related to technological change in the wireless industries;
risks associated with PNI's efforts to commercialize and market successfully
its networking products, such as the Platform1(TM) and iTerminal(TM) products;
the relatively unproven nature of PNI's networking products, which represent a
new product line for PNI; and challenges to PNI's technologies (such as
challenges to the validity of patents on PNI's switching technology). PNI
operates in a highly competitive marketplace and new product developments by
competitors can occur at any time, thereby diminishing the attractiveness of
PNI's products.
SOURCE Preferred Networks, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.pni.net
Company News On-Call:
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/109794.html or fax,
800-758-5804, ext. 109794
CONTACT:
Kathryn Loev Putnam, Senior Vice President
and Chief Financial Officer of Preferred Networks, Inc.,
770-582-3507
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