New Orleans, CTIA, March 17, 2003 Microsoft Corp. and Comverse, a unit of Comverse Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: CMVT), and the worlds leading supplier of software and systems enabling network-based multimedia enhanced communications services, today announced plans to jointly offer instant voicemail message notifications through Microsofts .NET Alerts service. The .NET Alerts service enables service providers to send alerts to their subscribers who utilize Microsoft® Windows® Messenger and MSN® Messenger as well as their mobile devices (Smartphones, cell phones, PDAs and pagers) and email.
Under the global offering, Comverse will integrate the .NET Alerts service and Microsofts SQL Server™
Notification Services to enable voicemail users to receive notifications when they have new voice messages. Voicemail users will have the option to have voicemail alerts delivered to their messenger clients, wireless handsets or email in-boxes, and then retrieve and play back their voice messages over the Internet. The service will be integrated with Comverses open-standards-based InSight environment for next-generation enhanced services. With the availability of Microsofts .NET Alerts service, Comverses service provider customers can expand their notification capabilities, and potentially increase traffic to their Web properties and generate additional revenue from their voicemail services.
The .NET Alerts service is available to Microsofts more than 80 million Windows Messenger and MSN Messenger users. .NET Alerts provides a ready-made, high-performance engine for sending alerts short instant messages that customers may opt-in to receive. Customers can choose to have .NET Alerts instantly delivered to their desktops when online, to an email address, or to a mobile device when they are away from their computer.
“Service providers around the world are looking for new opportunities to provide services and experiences to their customers throughout the day, and to any device. Comverses global leadership in providing enhanced communications services and its relationship with more than 400 service providers, makes Comverse ideal to introduce a .NET Alerts-enabled voicemail solution to telecom customers,”
said John Wilcox, Director of Business Development at Microsoft.
“We are confident that the combination of Comverses products and services and Microsofts .NET Alerts service will deliver significant benefits to communications service providers and voicemail subscribers through these enhanced services.”
“Comverse is excited to be joining forces with Microsoft on delivering cutting-edge solutions for instant messaging consumers,”
said Ramesh Barasia, President, Comverse Americas.
“With the joint solution, wireline and wireless telecom customers can receive voicemail notification on their desktop PCs, PDAs or mobile devices. This innovative solution not only provides a more user-friendly experience, but also offers the potential for new revenue sources to our customers worldwide.”
With the Microsoft- and Comverse-enabled offering, service provider subscribers will be able to receive instant voicemail notifications on any PC or mobile device providing instant access to time-sensitive information. As an example, a residential voicemail subscriber can be instantly notified of an important voicemail directly at the corporate desktop and retrieve the message over the web, thereby avoiding missing a call. Or, a mobile user can be notified of voice messages at the desktop, or through email while roaming, in addition to traditional wireless notification.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software any time, any place and on any device.
About Comverse
Comverse, a unit of Comverse Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: CMVT), is the worlds leading provider of software and systems enabling network-based multimedia enhanced communications services. More than 400 wireless and wireline telecommunications network operators, in more than 100 countries, have selected Comverses enhanced services systems and software, which enable the provision of revenue-generating value-added services including call answering with one-touch call return, short messaging services, IP-based unified messaging (voice, fax, and email in a single mailbox), 2.5G/3G multimedia messaging (MMS), instant communications, wireless information and entertainment services, voice-controlled dialing, messaging and browsing, prepaid wireless services, and additional personal communication services. Other Comverse Technology business units include: Verint Systems, a leading provider of analytic solutions for communications interception, digital video security and surveillance, and enterprise business intelligence; and Ulticom, a leading provider of service enabling network software for wireless, wireline, and Internet communications. Comverse Technology is an S & P 500 and NASDAQ-100 Index company. For additional information, visit the Comverse web site at http://www.comverse.com.
Microsoft, Windows and MSN are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
All product and company names mentioned herein may be registered trademarks or trademarks of Comverse or the respective referenced company(s).
Note: This release may contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurances that forward-looking statements will be achieved, and actual results could differ materially from forecasts and estimates. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include: changes in the demand for the company’s products; changes in capital spending among the company’s current and prospective customers; the risks associated with the sale of large, complex, high capacity systems and with new product introductions as well as the uncertainty of customer acceptance of these new or enhanced products from either the company or its competition; risks associated with rapidly changing technology and the ability of the company to introduce new products on a timely and cost-effective basis; risks associated with changes in the competitive or regulatory environment in which the company operates; risks associated with significant foreign operations and international sales and investment activities, including fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, interest rates, and valuations of public and private equity; the volatility of macroeconomic and industry conditions and the international marketplace; risks associated with the company’s ability to retain existing personnel and recruit and retain qualified personnel; and other risks described in filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These risks and uncertainties, as well as others, are discussed in greater detail in the filings of the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and its subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. These documents are available through the company, or through the SEC’s Electronic Data Gathering Analysis and Retrieval system (EDGAR) at www.sec.gov. The company makes no commitment to revise or update any forward-looking statements in order to reflect events or circumstances after the date any such statement is made.
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