Lucent Technologies Introduces 'iMerge Advantage' Custom-Calling Applications for Residential Customers of Multiple System Operators

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Lucent Technologies Introduces 'iMerge Advantage' Custom-Calling Applications for Residential Customers of Multiple System Operators

    CHICAGO, NCTA Cable 2001, Booth 2939, June 11 /PRNewswire/ -- Lucent
Technologies (NYSE: LU) announced today its "iMerge(TM) Advantage"
custom-calling applications, which it is introducing at Cable 2001, the
National Cable and Telecommunications Association's Convention and
International Exposition at Chicago's McCormick Place, now through June 13.
    iMerge Advantage makes it possible for multiple system operators (MSOs) --
cable TV service providers that provide other services such as data or voice
telephony -- to offer several new features for their residential customers,
including enhancements to caller ID and call waiting.  These new services and
applications enable residential users to better manage their incoming voice
calls using Lucent's iMerge Network-based Call Signaling Gateway (NCSG)
platform.
    The iMerge NCSG, part of Lucent's 7R/E(TM) Packet Solutions portfolio,
provides voice services over hybrid fiber-coax (HFC) networks using
PacketCable(TM) standards.  With iMerge Advantage, MSOs gain an additional
competitive advantage with call-management services currently unavailable from
most incumbent telephone companies.
    "iMerge Advantage represents profitable new revenue opportunities to
service providers by enabling them to provide advanced call-management
services to residential customers," said Ken Arndt, vice president of
marketing at Lucent subsidiary AG Communication Systems.  "Above all, this
solution is cost-effective, requires minimal hardware and software investment
and immediately offers MSOs an additional pull-through revenue stream from
existing custom-calling subscribers."

    Following are some of the applications iMerge Advantage offers:

    -- Who's Calling enables residential subscribers the option of taking
       calls only when they know who is calling.
    -- Talking Call Waiting is an enhancement to the call-waiting feature
       where the beep is followed by the name of the calling party.
    -- Talking Calling Name enables residential subscribers to know the
       identity of callers and determine the appropriate call treatment.
    -- Message Delivery enables a caller to leave a brief message in a busy or
       no-answer situation.
    -- Automatic Recall with Name provides the name of the last incoming
       caller when *69 is dialed.
    -- Call Forwarding with Audio Calling Name enables the user to direct
       calls to an alternate location.

    The iMerge NCSG gives MSOs the ability to deploy full-featured voice
services over a two-way HFC infrastructure.  The two-way infrastructure
consists of a multimedia terminal adapter (MTA) located at the customer
premises, a cable modem termination system (CMTS) located in the cable headend
communicating over an HFC network, as well as the iMerge NCSG and class 5
switch.  The iMerge NCSG and class 5 switch have the flexibility to be located
with the CMTS at the cable headend or the central office.

    Lucent Technologies, headquartered in Murray Hill, N.J., designs and
delivers the systems, software and services for next-generation communications
networks for service providers and enterprises.  Backed by the research and
development of Bell Labs, Lucent focuses on high-growth areas such as
broadband and mobile Internet infrastructure; communications software;
web-based enterprise solutions that link private and public networks; and
professional network design and consulting services.  For more information on
Lucent Technologies, visit its web site at http://www.lucent.com.

SOURCE Lucent Technologies

http://www.agcs.com

http://www.lucent.com
CONTACT:
Michael Mitchell of Lucent, 623-581-4198,
mm41@lucent.com