PARIS -- Alcatel (Paris: CGEP.PA and NYSE: ALA) today announced new features on the 7450 Ethernet Service Switch and 7750 Service Router that will speed the roll-out of triple play and business VPN services, driving its leadership in next-generation IP solutions.

In addition, BT Exact, the research, technology and IT operations business of BT, tested the high availability features of the 7750 SR - a critical capability that enables voice, IPTV and data services to be delivered with the highest levels of uptime, equal to today's telephone network. Available immediately, these new features enable service providers to roll-out new higher-value services with the confidence that they can meet the most demanding of customer expectations.

In October 2004, SBC announced the selection of Alcatel for the delivery of triple play services to 18 million homes in the United States, as part of its Project Lightspeed. The features introduced in the new releases of Alcatel's IP platforms will allow SBC to deliver a revolutionary integrated solution to consumers.

"As a leading provider of 'always-on' services such as triple play for consumers, SBC is expected to deliver the highest levels of reliability and service availability," said Ralph Ballart, Vice President, SBC Labs. "Alcatel's new features enabling non-stop routing and non-stop services will help SBC to meet the high expectations of our customers."

Enhancements to the portfolio include scalable, highly efficient multicasting for IPTV distribution and automated per-subscriber security policies. In addition, new features on the 7750 Service Router make it the first multi-service edge router (MSER) to deliver a full range of feature-rich, scalable Layer 2 and Layer 3 services, including Virtual Private LAN Service (VPLS), IP VPNs, high-speed Internet, ATM, and Frame Relay. The latest release also delivers new Ethernet, TDM and ATM interfaces, enhancing the breadth of applications addressed by the 7750 SR.

Alcatel