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 Adax announces new SIGTRAN modules High performance M3UA and M2PA software for IP networks

Reading, UK, June 3rd 2003: Adax, the Industry leader in high performance communications and signaling infrastructure, today announced the addition of M2PA and M3UA modules to its SIGTRAN suite of software products. Conforming to the latest Industry standards, the Adax SIGTRAN software is designed for Convergence, Wireless and Intelligent networks. The SIGTRAN software allows customers to IP enable any SS7 node in the network, increasing bandwidth whilst maximising the investment in, and value of, legacy equipment.

IP is becoming the worldwide choice for the high-speed, cost-effective telecommunications networks created to meet the increasing demand for value-added functions and services. SIGTRAN is an Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) standard for transporting message based PSTN SS7 traffic over IP networks and defines a modular structure that uses a common, reliable transport protocol (SCTP) and provides the definition of adaptation modules for different PSTN control protocols.

The SIGTRAN software from Adax meets the new demands of IP whilst preserving the investments already made in SS7 upper layer applications. The software delivers optimum utilization of high bandwidth data links, and is backward compatible with legacy SS7 software running over the Adax SS7 board and driver. This combination maximises performance of the solution without increasing development costs, thus protecting the customers' valuable investment in the application.

The availability of the SIGTRAN software expands the capability of Adax to provide end-to-end solutions across different network types. Coupled with Adax communications controllers and other protocol software they can be used as a building block in a Softswitch, Signaling Gateway or Media Gateway Controller in the VoIP domain. The Adax controllers provide 10/100 BaseT Ethernet ports for interfacing to IP networks, in addition to T1/E1 and OC3/STM-1 interfaces for narrowband and broadband networks respectively.

The Adax SIGTRAN products are also used within the Adax Signaling Gateways for switching, routing, tunneling and backhaul of SS7 over IP.

Glossary

M3UA - MTP-3 User Adaptation Layer - is designed to transport SS7 MTP-3 signaling stacks over IP networks. It provides the seamless operation of MTP-3 – User Peers (ISUP, SCCP, TCAP and TUP) in both SS7 and IP domains.

M2PA – MTP-2 Peer-to-Peer Adaptation Layer – allows full MTP-3 message handling and network management capabilities between any two SS7 nodes communicating over an IP network. This means an IP network connection will function as a traditional SS7 node but uses the IP network instead of SS7 links.

SCTP – Stream Control Transport Protocol – Transport layer to carry signaling messages over IP networks. SCTP together with the adaptation sub-layer e.g. M2PA and M3UA, form the equivalent of the MTP-2 layer protocol in an ATM, Ethernet, HDLC or IP environment.