News & Events

Switch and Data Expands VoIP Marketplace With the VeriSign® Network Routing Directory Service

TAMPA, FL AND MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA, JUNE 6, 2006 – Switch and Data, a leading exchange and neutral colocation provider, and VeriSign, Inc. (Nasdaq: VRSN), the leading provider of intelligent infrastructure services for the Internet and telecommunications networks, today announced a strategic relationship to enable VoIP exchange services. The services will feature Switch and Data’s PAIX peering infrastructure and VeriSign’s Network Routing Directory and will initially be available in Switch and Data’s New York data centers located at 60 Hudson and 111 8th Avenue.

Switch and Data’s PAIX services, with the addition of VeriSign’s Network Routing Directory, allows VoIP providers to bridge the so-called “islands of connectivity,” enabling true end-to-end VoIP call completion. VoIP providers can take advantage of layer 2 interconnection supported by QoS, interoperability support, directory information via ENUM, an online portal for directory and route information and various self-management tools.

“We are focused on leveraging our PAIX peering infrastructure and extensive choice of networks and applications to provide the ideal environment for VoIP providers,” said Ernie Sampera, CMO at Switch and Data. “VeriSign’s expertise, industry leadership and innovation in VoIP services are significant additions to our VoIP Exchange. VoIP providers can now benefit from our PAIX peering, density of networks, VeriSign’s Network Routing Directory and a number of additional vital VoIP applications all within one facility – a truly unequaled combination.”

Voice over IP is an emerging market for consumers and businesses. AT&T, Vonage, Verizon and Skype are considered market leaders and AOL, Microsoft and Time Warner have recently introduced services.

According to Ovum, IP telephony continues growing and the IP PBX market, in particular, is moving out of the early adopter stage and is predicted to hit 60 percent penetration by 2008.

“VoIP will grow rapidly over the next few years in both the consumer and business markets. In the business market, we expect hosted and managed VoIP flavors to grow particularly strongly, complementing the already solid growth of IP PBX solutions. As enterprises deploy VoIP, there will be an increasing need to interconnect their networks to enable end-to-end VoIP calling, which may help reduce costs and help to ensure businesses benefit from using feature-rich VoIP services and applications,” said Jan Dawson, vice president, US Enterprise Practice, Ovum.

“The IP revolution hinges on the ability to securely find and connect users with each other and with innovative multimedia services,” said Tom Kershaw, VeriSign’s vice president of next generation services. “VeriSign is committed to bringing managed solutions to market that remove the obstacles of end-to-end IP communications. Combining VeriSign’s Network Routing Directory services with the Switch and Data PAIX peering infrastructure helps to improve the service providers’ ability to grow markets and introduce new services. Switch and Data’s VoIP marketplace is a strategic environment in which to extend these capabilities.”

Switch and Data’s VoIP exchange services will help enable near seamless VoIP call exchange through a highly scalable network directory resolving Internet endpoint and gateway locations. Based on standard protocols such as SIP and ENUM, the exchange handles inter- and intra-domain resolution for efficient and secure call routing and gives customers a self-management portal that accesses features beyond simple DNS-based telephone number lookups.

VeriSign’s Network Routing Directory leverages the same robust platform that VeriSign developed to manage the Internet’s .com and .net root domain name service, providing a highly scalable query-response platform. Network information is securely stored, managed and accessed through the provisioning interface that serves as a consolidated delivery portal for routing information to establish IP connectivity to end-points, mediation-points and application servers.

The self-management portal supports valuable call management features such as least cost routing and load balancing and programmable dial plan translations that ensure calling priority to qualified partners. With the integrated service mediation capabilities of the VeriSign Network Routing Directory, Switch and Data customers can manage the range of service delivery processes from external service agreements, as well as dynamically connect to VeriSign services such as calling name and number portability in a single address resolution request.  

Switch and Data’s facilities serve as robust neutral marketplaces where users and providers of VoIP related services can colocate and may realize cost savings and greater efficiencies through the highest density of networks for interconnection to suppliers, customers and other VoIP providers.

About Switch and Data 
Switch and Data is a leading provider of Internet exchange and colocation services. Based in Tampa, Florida, Switch and Data operates the largest footprint of neutral Internet exchange and colocation facilities in North America with 34 data centers in 23 markets serving more than 800 customers. Switch and Data’s PAIX is recognized worldwide as the premier name in peering and Internet exchange services and is home to one of the largest commercial exchange points in North America. For more information, please visit http://www.switchanddata.com/.

About VeriSign, Inc. 
VeriSign, Inc. (Nasdaq: VRSN), operates intelligent infrastructure services that enable and protect billions of interactions every day across the world’s voice and data networks. Additional news and information about the company is available at www.verisign.com.

Contacts 
Switch and Data, Duncan Elliott, +813 207 7786, delliott@switchanddata.com     
VeriSign, Lori Sinsley, +650 426 4176, lsinsley@verisign.com

Trademarks  
VeriSign and other trademarks, service marks and logos are registered or unregistered marks of VeriSign, Inc. and its subsidiaries in the United States and in foreign countries. Copyright © 2006 VeriSign, Inc. All rights reserved.

Statements in this announcement other than historical data and information constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause VeriSign's actual results to differ materially from those stated or implied by such forward-looking statements. The potential risks and uncertainties include, among others, the uncertainty of future revenue and profitability and potential fluctuations in quarterly operating results due to such factors as the inability of VeriSign to successfully develop and market new products and services and customer acceptance of any new products or services, including VeriSign's Network Routing Directory services; the possibility that VeriSign’s announced new services may not result in additional customers, profits or revenues; and increased competition and pricing pressures. More information about potential factors that could affect the company's business and financial results is included in VeriSign's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005 and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. VeriSign undertakes no obligation to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this press release.