Legerity and Texas Instruments Team Up to Give Service Providers and IT Managers Increased Ability to Remotely Detect and Monitor VoIP Services

BOSTON, Sept. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Legerity, Inc., the "V" in VoIP!(TM), and Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) are collaborating to deliver service providers and enterprise IT managers reliable solutions to manage and monitor real-time Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services. As part of their agreement, Legerity's VeriVoice(TM) Test Suite, a subscriber line test software package for VoIP equipment, has been integrated into TI's PIQUA(TM) IP quality management system.

TI's PIQUA software provides an extensive framework for a real-time distributed system of complete quality management elements designed to monitor and improve the quality of IP-based services. The framework will facilitate quicker and easier troubleshooting of IP-based services including voice, data, video, and Internet-based music services. The Legerity VeriVoice Test Suite is available as part of TI's PIQUA system, and is designed to provide automated troubleshooting of the telephone wiring and equipment attached to VoIP gateways in the home and office. The solution is utilized by leading VoIP providers, including Vonage Network Inc., a subsidiary of Vonage Holdings Corp. .

"The enterprise market and service provider community continue to implement new IP services for their customers creating the need for a complete and robust quality management platform that improves customer service while lowering costs," said Fred Zimmerman, executive director, VoIP customer premises solutions, Texas Instruments. "Our work with Legerity further extends the capabilities of our PIQUA system and enables both service providers like Vonage and other users of TI and Legerity VoIP products to identify and address specific problems that can occur within home and office telephone systems and networks."

TI's PIQUA software incorporates quality management tools that enable the discovery, monitoring and repair of services, devices and networks, allowing operators to proactively manage factors like echo, dropped-packets and line- delay. These real-time diagnostic tools and historical reporting capabilities will make it possible for operators and enterprise network managers to identify trends and avert problems before customers are even impacted.

"Accurate line test diagnostics are a vital component to ensure the quality of VoIP services," said Rick Bye, senior segment marketing manager with Legerity. "The integration of Legerity VeriVoice Test Suite with TI's PIQUA platform gives service providers and enterprise IT managers an increased ability to remotely diagnose line problems present in telephone wiring and handsets connected to VoIP equipment. Previously this type of diagnosis could only be achieved by sending a technician to the customer premises at a significant cost."

Legerity's VeriVoice Test Suite software is a subscriber line software package for VoIP equipment, providing the market's most cost-effective and reliable solution for VoIP line test and self-test while at the same time minimizing the cost of ownership for service providers. VeriVoice Test Suite software enhances the line test capabilities of the Legerity VE880 VoicePort series. VeriVoice Test Suite is available in C code allowing easy integration by the developer, significantly reducing the effort needed to implement line tests and self tests in VoIP equipment. The automated, remote testing capability of the Legerity VeriVoice Test Suite eliminates the need for costly truck rolls, which minimizes maintenance costs, improves reliability of service and decreases the mean time to repairs. The Suite incorporates two test packages that monitor the customer telephone equipment and copper pair leading to it and self-tests to check the VoIP equipment itself. The VeriVoice Test Suite features the same robust line test capabilities (GR-909 specification) that are implemented in traditional central office line cards.

"As a leading provider of broadband phone service in North America, Vonage strives to offer our subscribers the highest level of voice quality and support," said Daniel Smires, senior vice president of Engineering of Vonage Network, Inc. "The integration of the Legerity VeriVoice Test Suite into the TI PIQUA Quality Management System enables us to quickly diagnose customer problems and reduce customer support costs while improving the overall experience and ease of use for our customers."

Legerity will be exhibiting at Fall VON 2006 in Boston, September 11-14, in booth number 1063 and will be demonstrating its VeriVoice Test Suite. TI is hosting a hospitality suite in room 158.

About Legerity, Inc.

Legerity is the world's most trusted name in voice integrated circuits (ICs) for high-voltage, analog/mixed signal semiconductor and software technologies. Legerity has years of demonstrated expertise in multiple voice technologies, world-class factory and field engineering support with a "high touch" customer philosophy, and consistent, reliable, high volume supply of premium quality IC components. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Legerity supports the needs of a global customer base through proprietary semiconductor technologies, superior manufacturing processes, and more than 650 U.S. and international patents. Visit Legerity on the Web at http://www.legerity.com/ .

About Texas Instruments

Texas Instruments Incorporated provides innovative DSP and analog technologies to meet our customers' real world signal processing requirements. In addition to Semiconductor, the company includes the Educational & Productivity Solutions business. TI is headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and has manufacturing, design or sales operations in more than 25 countries.

Texas Instruments is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol TXN. More information is located on the World Wide Web at http://www.ti.com/ .

Trademarks

Legerity, the Legerity logo and combinations thereof are registered trademarks, and VeriVoice and "the 'V' in VoIP!" are trademarks of Legerity, Inc. PIQUA is a trademark of Texas Instruments. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.