PLANO, Texas -- Santera Systems Inc., a leading provider of now- and next-generation switching solutions, today announced that the SanteraOne platform has complete IXC Tandem replacement functionality and is commercially available for installation in networks. In addition, Santera has added wireless functionality to its media gateway, allowing it to operate in a wireless network. Today's Inter Exchange Carriers are facing a market where long distance traffic is growing. Yet, revenues are declining by an average of 14 percent annually largely due to dramatic increases in wireless traffic across their networks. In addition, many of their long-distance switches have reached maximum capacity and are only circuit-based, not allowing for growth or next-generation services. With these factors playing against them, these carriers are not able to achieve the capital and operating cost savings they need to succeed. "SanteraOne's increased functionality provides carriers that have both long distance and wireless networks the ability to collapse their network architecture ultimately providing both operating and capital cost benefits," said San-Qi Li, chief technology officer for Santera Systems. "With our switch, we're able to offer carriers a cost-effective solution to grow their networks, provide them the means to develop revenue-generating services, and ease the current capacity strains their networks are feeling due to increased long-distance traffic." Currently in lab trials with Beta customers, the SanteraOne with this increased functionality will be in field applications end of first quarter 2003. In a separate release: Santera Systems Inc., a leading provider of now- and next-generation switching solutions, today announced that Cinergy Communications has chosen the SanteraOne(TM) switching platform to deliver both local- and long-distance services, replacing equipment made by Nortel and CopperComm. Cinergy Communications is in the process of migrating its network from legacy time division multiplexing (TDM) equipment to a Next Generation Switching system that can carry packet-based voice and data traffic in addition to traditional circuit based voice traffic. Cinergy Communications' plans call for the use of a SanteraOne in both its local and long-distance networks to route tandem traffic and deliver both traditional and newer IP-based Class 5 services. "We think Santera has finally developed the technology to challenge the legacy switching platforms," said John Cinelli, President of Cinergy Communications. "It has delivered on what was promised: good economics, flexibility, feature richness and superior capabilities in handling any type of traffic that could possibly travel through our network, TDM, ATM or IP." The first SanteraOne, under the three-and-one-half-year purchase agreement, has been installed in Evansville, IN, and is in service today delivering Class 5 services. A second switch is already on order, which will be installed in Madisonville, KY, to provide Class 4 (IXC tandem) services throughout Cinergy Communications' multi-state network. Santera Systems Inc.