4G WORLD, CHICAGO, IL, OCTOBER 19, 2010 — Acme Packet® (NASDAQ: APKT), the leader in session border control solutions, today announced that its Net-Net® session border controllers (SBCs) are compliant with the newly released GSMA specification for delivering Voice over LTE (VoLTE). This compliance underscores Acme Packet’s position as one of the leading IMS vendors with nearly 120 active projects globally and recognition by a leading analyst firm as the second most recognized brand.

The GSMA VoLTE initiative has defined a single architecture, the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), as the common way to deliver voice and messaging services over next generation LTE all-IP networks. Acme Packet is a founding member of the initiative which is supported by leading mobile service providers and equipment manufacturers around the world. In late September 2010, GSMA published the IREG Permanent Reference Document IR.92, which details the IMS profile for the VoLTE User-to-Network interface (UNI). IR.92 outlines the minimum set of requirements using 3GPP IMS specifications to guarantee interoperability between LTE devices and the core network.

Acme Packet’s Net-Net SBC is compliant with the newly published VoLTE profile. In IMS networks, the Net-Net SBCs perform several key IMS access functions: Proxy-Call Session Control Function (P-CSCF), Emergency-CSCF (E-CSCF) and IMS-Access Gateway (IMS-AGW). Additionally, Acme Packet SBCs provide the Interconnect Border Control Function (IBCF) and Transition Gateway (TrGW) functions for interconnection of VoLTE networks. In this role, Acme Packet SBCs can manage the interconnect border for all SIP multimedia communications and traditional mobile telephony.

“We expect the number of worldwide IMS-based subscribers to grow at a compounded annual rate of 49 percent through 2014. The growth later in the period will be fueled by mobile operator deployments including VoLTE which will benefit vendors such as Acme Packet,” said Diane Myers, Directing Analyst, Service Provider VoIP and IMS with Infonetics Research.

In roaming scenarios, Acme Packet SBCs can perform the visited P-CSCF and IMS-GW functions that provide security, routing, media management and interoperability for VoLTE and SIP multimedia communications. In visited networks, Acme Packet SBCs can anchor media for 3GPP-defined Local Breakout (LBO) and Optimized Media Routing (OMR), which improves call quality by eliminating backhaul to the home network. This anchoring also enables compliance with emergency service and lawful intercept for the visited provider. Other key functions supported on the Acme Packet access SBC/P-CSCF for VoLTE, RCS and other mobile IMS-based services include:

Rx for queries to the PCRF for bandwidth-based admission control

IMS-AKA for strong authentication

IPv4-v6 interworking for SIP signaling, including MSRP sessions

While building standards-compliant products and serving as an active contributor to the relevant standards bodies, Acme Packet is focused on delivering pragmatic solutions to service providers. Acme Packet products go above and beyond the standards to solve the challenges in real-world deployments associated with delivering trusted, first-class IP communications. These real-world requirements include a SIP signaling firewall to protect 

core infrastructure and the mediation and normalization of SIP to maximize service reach and expedite time to market.

Acme Packet Net-Net SBCs are being trialed or are deployed at nearly 120 projects at 100 service providers around the globe. This leadership is further supported by results from the Infonetics Research survey IMS Product Features and Vendor Ratings. Published in June 2010, Acme Packet received the highest average ratings across multiple dimensions in the IMS vendor scorecard and was named the number two vendor for brand recognition. 

“Acme Packet is one of the most experienced IMS vendors in the world,” said Seamus Hourihan, Acme Packet’s vice president of marketing and product management. “We are using that experience to further enhance our strong collection of security and control functions to allow mobile service providers to effectively and profitably deliver next generation multimedia communications over 3G and LTE networks.”

About Acme Packet

Acme Packet (NASDAQ:APKT), the leader in session border control solutions, enables the delivery of trusted, first-class interactive communications—voice, video and multimedia sessions—and data services across IP network borders. Our Net-Net family of session border controllers, multiservice security gateways and session routing proxies supports multiple applications in service provider, enterprise and contact center networks—from VoIP trunking to hosted enterprise and residential services to fixed-mobile convergence. They satisfy critical security, service assurance and regulatory requirements in wireline, cable and wireless networks; and support multiple protocols—SIP, H.323, MGCP/NCS, H.248 and RTSP—and multiple border points—service provider access and interconnect, and enterprise access and trunking. Over 10,000 Acme Packet systems have been deployed by more than 1,105 customers in 105 countries. They include 91 of the top 100 service providers in the world and 11 of the Fortune 25. For more information, contact us at +1 781.328.4400, or visit www.acmepacket.com.