INTEL DEVELOPER FORUM, San Francisco, Sept. 8, 2004 – Intel Corporation announced today that Fujitsu Limited and UTStarcom support the use of standards-based modular communications platforms including Intel® processors for their service provider customers. This supports the growing industry momentum behind network equipment providers (NEPs) and service providers toward adopting standards-based platforms to deliver new services with faster time-to-revenue.

In related news, Intel also announced the availability of a new software building block for equipment providers, the Intel® NetStructure™ Host Media Processing (HMP) Software Release 1.2 for Linux*, a software-only solution that eliminates the need for specialized telephony boards and provides media processing capabilities with off-the-shelf server platforms.

“The direction advocated from Fujitsu Limited and UTStarcom provide further proof that telecommunication’s transition to modular, standards-based designs is taking hold,” said Howard Bubb, vice president and general manager of the Communications Infrastructure Group. “We plan to continue delivering interoperable components and building block solutions to further this approach, including our new Linux-based HMP software for IP-based media processing platforms.”

Intel technology, ranging from components and software, are considered the building blocks that enable the telecommunications industry to deliver a broad range of high-performance solutions to support the ever-increasing demand for cost-effective new services deployment. Platforms based on Intel products allow equipment makers to build various modules using industry-wide standards like AdvancedTCA® that make up the network infrastructure, instead of utilizing custom, proprietary technologies.



Fujitsu Limited, UTStarcom benefit from modular communications

Fujitsu Limited is applying a modular, standards-based platform design approach. This takes advantage of the time efficiencies gained in developing new equipment.

“The cost and time-to-market benefits of AdvancedTCA-based platforms are clear for both equipment manufacturers and service providers,” said Akira Yamanaka, corporate vice president and group president, Server Systems Group, Fujitsu Limited. “Fujitsu is supportive of Intel’s AdvancedTCA standardization efforts and processor products.”

UTStarcom decided early that employing a standards-based design approach would speed development of its leading technology solutions, reducing the time for its customers to deploy revenue-generating access services.

“The use of open interfaces and platform standards such as AdvancedTCA have been a key to our success in rapidly developing IP-based solutions that will yield operational savings to our customers, and also reduce UTStarcom’s product development costs,” said Howard Kwock, vice president of engineering, UTStarcom, Inc. “Our first implementations combining AdvancedTCA with high-performance, low-power Intel® Pentium® M processors are currently under development.”



Host Media Processing Now for Linux

The Intel NetStructure Host Media Processing Software release 1.2 for Linux is the first high density, commercially supported software offering the flexibility and value of open platforms. This software-only building block for communications providers eliminates the need for specialized telephony boards with digital signal processors, but still provides the media processing power to develop applications such as interactive voice response, voice mail, unified messaging and conferencing.

Toshiba and Bridgetec, two leading communications companies, plan on incorporating host media processing software from Intel in future releases of their solutions. The software scales up to 240 channels in off-the-self Intel Architecture-based servers and is compatible with the leading Internet telephony standards, including SIP, H.323 and H.450.2. Intel NetStructure Host Media Processing Software Release 1.2 for Linux is planned to be available in late October from Intel authorized distributors for approximately $18-150 per port, based on the functionality needed.