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SIEMENS ANNOUNCES NEW RELEASE FOR EWSD© CENTRAL OFFICE SWITCH

Latest release of world's leading switch features improvements, including "Y2K" solution

BOCA RATON, Fla., June 4, 1998 - Release 16.0 of Siemens Telecom Networks' EWSD Switching System, available during the first quarter of 1999, will feature a variety of new features, operational efficiencies and cost savings for local and long distance carriers and advanced intelligent network (AIN) service providers.

The EWSD switch is the world market leader in digital switching systems, with more than 160 million ports installed. Release 16.0 was designed to strengthen the EWSD switch's market leadership and add value to customers who rely on the equipment for their networks. The latest release introduces new services and improves existing ones, enabling service providers to utilize a single advanced switching platform for local and long distance service and offer a wide range of tailored customer solutions for voice, video, data and wireless applications.

The EWSD Release 16.0 feature package includes:

Architecture Features - Software modifications have been made to adapt the EWSD switch to be millennium-ready for the Year 2000 and beyond.

Business Features - Electronic key telephone system (EKTS)/ analog interworking capabilities have been added, allowing analog users to take advantage of the call-handling flexibility and standardization of ISDN. Other features include custom calling service enhancements in the areas of call hold, call park and call waiting, and the ISDN smart attendant services to support reminder and recall, direct station select and busy lamp fields.

Call-Handling Features - To support Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN), an expanded feature set offers five new triggers: off-hook immediate, one plus, specified carrier, operator service and international. The collect information message feature will allow service providers to offer extended services using the existing switch-based features. To ensure efficient network traffic management, Release 16 supports enhanced route selection to local number portability (LNP) capable switches, even when the switches can only be identified in the network by a single location routing number. In addition, Government Emergency Telecommunication Services (GETS) is introduced and will be supported either in an end office or access tandem configuration.

ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) Enhancements - Already a leader in ISDN, Siemens has enhanced its position with the introduction of new Basic and Primary Rate ISDN capabilities. Improved features for basic rate ISDN include virtual key parameter downloading, ISDN inspect, uniform cause values and explicit call transfer. Numerous Primary Rate capabilities have been added, such as two B-channel transfer for PBX and intelligent peripheral applications, service route advance for Internet applications and B-channel availability.

Long Distance Features - For long distance, Release 16.0 includes higher throughput for automatic message accounting, public and private speed dialing services, hotline services, switch-based calling card and debit card services. The ability to perform code screening and fraud detection is enhanced, and AIN triggers specific to the needs of long distance carriers provide access to an array of service node-based services and revenue opportunities, using Siemens' AIN-based Fast Feature Platform. SS7 Features - A-link consolidation enhances the EWSD system's capabilities with signaling transfer point capabilities for message routing from subtending offices to the SS7 network.

Operations Features - Operational enhancements are being introduced in the areas of line and trunk administration, translation verification and database table sizing. This should result in significant cost savings for telcos. Based on customer need, enhancements such as a new magneto-optic disk subsystem to increase data storage reliability have been added in Release 16.0. Initial law enforcement intercept administration capabilities are available, in response to the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act of 1996 (CALEA).

Siemens Telecom Networks is a leading provider of solutions to the public network service providers in North America. Headquartered in Boca Raton, Fla., the company designs and manufactures digital central office switching equipment, access network solutions, broadband switching systems, wireless solutions, end-to-end multimedia solutions, Internet solutions, network management products and transmission products. Siemens Telecom Networks is a subsidiary of Siemens AG, which has annual revenues of $63.7 billion (FY 96-97) and has operations in 193 countries. Home page: www.stn.siemens.com. ### Siemens and EWSD are registered trademarks of Siemens AG.

Media Contact:

Tom Phillips 561-955-3670 thomas.phillips@stn.siemens.com

Robert Bartolotta 561-955-3140 robert.bartolotta@stn.siemens.com

Siemens Telecom Networks

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