Valley Telecom Group Selects Tekelec's Signaling Platform, Real-Time

Valley Telecom Group Selects Tekelec's Signaling Platform, Real-Time Traffic Management Solutions

    Business Editors/High-Tech Editors

    MORRISVILLE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 22, 2005--

IOC Group to Utilize Tekelec's Solutions to Reduce Network Costs, Increase Revenues
    Tekelec (NASDAQ: TKLC), a leading developer of telecommunications products for next-generation fixed, mobile and packet networks, today announced Valley Telecom Group will deploy two EAGLE(R) 5 Signaling Applications Systems and a suite of traffic management applications to reduce operational costs of its signaling network and generate new revenues.
    Valley Telecom Group is a cooperative of four rural independent operating companies (IOCs), including Valley Telephone Cooperative, Copper Valley Telephone, Valley Connections LLC and Valley Telecommunications, delivering telephone, wireless and Internet services in Arizona and New Mexico. With Tekelec's EAGLE SAS platforms, the consortium will gain greater control of its signaling network and expand capacity to offer signaling capabilities to additional IOCs in these states. It will also lower operational costs by reducing the amount spent with other signaling system 7 (SS7) carriers.
    Tekelec's traffic management applications will provide Valley Telecom Group with additional revenue assurance and protection and enable it to generate new revenues by offering applications such as "phantom traffic" identification to other carriers. Traffic management applications manage interconnection traffic to provide operators with real-time data. Optimizing access to the network and traffic analysis helps customers efficiently reduce churn and manage subscriber needs.
    "We reviewed several signaling systems and found the EAGLE platform was superior in every regard, including advanced technology, service and maintenance," said Chanse Bruns, network manager, Valley Telecom Group. "Tekelec's traffic management applications help us and our customers protect revenues and market new applications like identifying un-billable phantom traffic."
    Monty Johnson, president and general manager of Tekelec's Network Signaling Division, added, "This purchase demonstrates how seamlessly our signaling platform and network performance applications combine to provide value to our IOC customers. With greater control of its signaling network and increased visibility into interconnection traffic between its members, Valley Telephone Group will be able to support new services that save costs and generate revenues."

    About Tekelec EAGLE 5 SAS

    Tekelec's EAGLE 5 SAS is a high-capacity multi-protocol advanced signaling system. The EAGLE 5 SAS hosts a variety of applications from a single, high-performance platform, including: SS7 signal transfer, number portability, signaling gateway, integrated services, monitoring and data acquisition. The system supports the IETF Sigtran suite of signaling protocols for next-generation network connectivity, creating a clear path forward to packet telephony and 3G networks.

    About Valley Telecom Group

    Valley Telecom Internet began providing Internet Service to customers in June of 1997. It provides service to all of the Valley Telephone Service Areas and Copper Valley Service Areas, as well as to Benson and Willcox, Arizona.

    About Tekelec

    Tekelec is a leading developer of now and next-generation signaling and switching telecommunications solutions, network performance management technology and value-added applications. Tekelec's innovative solutions are widely deployed in traditional and next-generation wireline and wireless networks and contact centers worldwide. Corporate headquarters are located in Calabasas, Calif., with research and development facilities and sales offices throughout the world. For more information, please visit www.tekelec.com.

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CONTACT: Tekelec Manager, Public Relations: Joni King Brooks, 919-461-1065 joni.brooks@tekelec.com or Director, Investor Relations: Mike Attar, 818-880-7821 michael.attar@tekelec.com or GolinHarris for Tekelec Laura Slagle, 972-308-9141 lslagle@golinharris.com

KEYWORD: CALIFORNIA ARIZONA TEXAS NORTH CAROLINA NEW MEXICO JAPAN UNITED KINGDOM INTERNATIONAL ASIA PACIFIC EUROPE INDUSTRY KEYWORD: TELECOMMUNICATIONS INTERNET E-COMMERCE HARDWARE SOFTWARE PRODUCT SOURCE: Tekelec

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