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Relationships with industry’s leading lawful intercept product and managed services providers: NeuStar, SS8 Networks, Verint and VeriSign; Supports intercept provisioning by CMS messaging in MSO cable networks
WASHINGTON, D.C. – May 26, 2005 – Acme Packet® today at ISS World announced broad support in its Net-Net session border controller (SBC) for global lawful intercept (LI) capabilities that enable service providers to comply with complex, evolving regulations worldwide such as the US Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA). Service providers delivering real-time, interactive IP communications such as voice, video and multimedia face significant challenges in building cost effective, scalable, LI-compliant solutions. Acme Packet is working with leading product vendors and trusted third-party service providers - NeuStar, SS8 Networks, Verint and VeriSign – to provide a complete solution for LI. In addition, for MSO cable networks, Acme Packet supports the dynamic provisioning of the targeted subscribers by the Call Management Server (CMS).
In the solutions announced today, Acme Packet’s Net-Net SBC is the intercept access point in an IP network. Provisioning of the target subscriber in the SBC is performed by SS8 Networks’ lawful intercept platform Xcipio™ or Verint STAR-GATE products or within SIP signaling messages sent to the SBC by the CMS in a MSO cable network. The Acme Packet SBC forwards intercepted call data and content to the SS8 Networks or Verint delivery functions which in turn provide trusted, secure interfaces to law enforcement agencies.
Acme Packet and its product partners SS8 Networks and Verint support managed services from NeuStar and VeriSign. Service providers use those third-party managed services of Neustar and VeriSign to meet their law enforcement compliance needs while remaining able to keep their focus on delivering innovative, high-quality subscriber services.
“With these lawful intercept solutions, service providers can deploy VoIP and other real-time interactive IP communications with confidence that they are compliant with CALEA and similar government regulations worldwide for assisting law enforcement in conducting authorized electronic surveillance,” commented Seamus Hourihan, Vice President Marketing and Product Management at Acme Packet. “As the standards evolve, meeting these requirements and attaining Safe Harbor will require new capabilities. Acme Packet and our partners will continue to support the changing requirements in a timely fashion.”
Satisfying lawful interception requirements in IP networks
An LI solution requires sending call data (the voice over IP signaling messages) and call content (the actual voice media packets) to one or more law enforcement agencies for detection and storage. This intercept must be transparent or undetectable to the both the target subscriber and to the service provider’s management systems. In addition, each law enforcement agency eligible to receive the intercepted call must not be aware that other agencies are also intercepting the call. For IP networks, which utilize separate signaling and media protocols and paths, these requirements present a challenge.
By using the Acme Packet Net-Net SBC in an LI solution, the target subscriber will see no difference in the quality (latency/jitter) or IP addressing of their intercepted call because all signaling and media traffic always flows through the Net-Net SBCs. Transparency from the perspective of multiple law enforcements agencies and service provider management systems is provided by SS8 and Verint products and NeuStar and VeriSign services.
These solutions are applicable for both Internet Telephony Service Providers and integrated, network facilities-based providers. They allow service providers to quickly respond to government mandated LI requirements in an increasingly uncertain environment in which criminals and terrorists seek to exploit IP communications networks.
SS8 Networks’ Xcipio product line is an open-architecture, real-time, highly secure, high performance lawful intercept platform which provides state-of-the-art intercept capabilities for the provisioning, access, delivery, and recording of authorized communications. Supporting the lawful intercept requirements for domestic and international markets, Xcipio is designed to meet the specific needs of different networks and is capable of intercepting all forms of communications content – from next-generation packet wireline, wireless and cable networks to traditional circuit-switched systems.
Verint STAR-GATE lawful intercept solutions for communications services providers offers a comprehensive system for the interception, administration and delivery of targeted communications. STAR-GATE streamlines communications interception and delivery and reduces network complexity, with a single point of administration for virtually any combination of communications technologies – from traditional circuit-switched to multimedia, VoIP, Push-To-Talk Over Cellular, broadband and ISP networks. Verint is a market leader for lawful intercept solutions with mature products deployed in over 25 countries around the world.
NeuStar’s Fiduciary Services enable communication service providers to rapidly implement scalable and affordable legal compliance and revenue assurance solutions. These services help contain capital and organizational costs related to the compliance of mandated services, and the management of fraud in the provider’s network. NeuStar’s Fiduciary Services team is experienced with the rapid integration and deployment of managed legal compliance services throughout a service provider’s footprint. As the “Service Provider Agent”, NeuStar manages service providers’ obligations to produce customer records under subpoena and court order, and to provide law enforcement agencies with assistance under electronic surveillance law, including CALEA.
VeriSign NetDiscovery™ is a managed solution for provisioning, access, and delivery of call information from service providers to law enforcement agencies. VeriSign NetDiscovery services support end-to-end compliance with government regulations and judicial requirements for advanced technologies such as VoIP, push to talk, and wireless. VeriSign assists providers in responding to requests for delivery of subscriber information, historical billing/call detail records, and real-time lawful interception.
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About Acme Packet
Acme Packet, the leader in session border control, enables service
providers to deliver premium, interactive communications - voice, video
and multimedia sessions - across IP network borders. Our Net-Net family
has been selected by 9 of the top 10, and 16 of the top 25 service providers
in the world to satisfy critical security, service assurance and law
enforcement requirements in wireline, cable and wireless networks. These
deployments support all applications - from trunking to hosted enterprise
and residential services; all protocols – SIP, H.323, MGCP/NCS and H.248;
and all border points - peering, access network and data center.
For more information, contact us at +1 781.328.4400, or visit www.acmepacket.com
About NeuStar, Inc.
NeuStar is a provider of essential clearinghouse services to
the North American communications industry and Internet service providers
around the world. NeuStar operates directories that manage virtually
all telephone area codes and numbers, and enables the dynamic routing
of calls among thousands of competing communications service providers.
In North America, the network of every telecommunications service provider
is either directly or indirectly connected to NeuStar’s centralized
clearinghouse, virtually every telephone call placed is routed using
NeuStar’s system, and every telecommunications service provider is one
of NeuStar’s customers. Visit NeuStar online at www.neustar.biz
About SS8 Networks
SS8 Networks, Inc. provides a complete range of messaging, lawful
intercept, and signaling solutions that enable service providers to
profitably operate converged networks – bridging PSTN and IP capabilities.
The company’s carrier-class products allow network operators to optimize
their investment in traditional, legacy networks and seamlessly transition
to next generation networks. SS8 Network’s solutions are installed in
tier one wireless and wireline networks worldwide and are also distributed
through a channel of major international switch vendors. SS8 Networks
is headquartered in San Jose, Calif., with offices worldwide. More information
is available at www.ss8.com
About Verint Systems Inc.
Verint Systems Inc., headquartered in Melville, New York, is a leading
provider of analytic software-based solutions for communications interception,
networked video security and business intelligence. Verint software,
which is used by more than 1,000 organizations in over 50 countries
worldwide, generates actionable intelligence through the collection,
retention and analysis of voice, fax, video, email, Internet and data
transmissions from multiple communications networks. Verint is a subsidiary
of Comverse Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: CMVT). Visit us at our website www.verint.com
About VeriSign
VeriSign, Inc. operates intelligent infrastructure services that
enable businesses and individuals to find, connect, secure, and transact
across today's complex, global networks. Additional news and information
about the company is available at www.verisign.com
Media Contact:
Annalisa Ouellette
Acme Packet
+1 781-328-4436
aouellette@acmepacket.com