PARIS, September 12 /PRNewswire/ -- Alcatel (Paris: CGEP.PA and NYSE: ALA) today announced the availability of software advances in the operating system for the Alcatel 7750 Service Router (SR) and the 5620 Service Aware Manager (SAM), giving operators the service continuity, richness and assurance to support every kind of business service over IP and enable them to converge these onto a single multi-service edge router.

The Alcatel 7750 SR has the reliability and scalability required to deliver the range of IP and Ethernet services, and with today's advances is optimized for converged network service delivery. While IP VPN revenue continues to show the greatest growth, Frame Relay and TDM revenue still accounts for two-thirds of the $90 billion market - and are projected to still do so by 2010 (source: Pyramid Research). For service providers, uniting existing and emerging services on a single platform for efficiency and cost-savings is inevitable.

"If operators want to invest in a next-generation infrastructure, they are already thinking about future needs, so it's vital that the equipment they purchase today is built with foresight," said Basil Alwan, president of Alcatel's IP activities. "Alcatel is raising the bar for IP routing with this latest release, optimizing the cost to build a single, carrier-class MPLS network while simultaneously assuring the highest reliability, scalability and network efficiency."

With these upgrades, Alcatel is bringing a solution to service providers that spans three critical areas:

- Service continuity across the broadest and most scalable range of services, via service interworking between all access types and customer locations

- Service richness based on a combination of hierarchical quality of service capabilities and scaling that provides for creative elasticity to meet peak demands and long-term growth

- Service assurance based on Alcatel's high-availability technology for non-stop service delivery and new automated end-to-end service assurance testing, which eliminates time-intensive manual troubleshooting

"With more than 70 service provider customers in more than 30 countries, and a tripling of market share in Q2 2005 to 11% (source: Ovum-RHK), Alcatel is demonstrating that its IP portfolio roadmap is harmonized with operator requirements," added Mr Alwan.

About Alcatel

Alcatel provides communications solutions to telecommunication carriers, Internet service providers and enterprises for delivery of voice, data and video applications to their customers or employees. Alcatel brings its leading position in fixed and mobile broadband networks; applications and services, to help its partners and customers build a user-centric broadband world. With sales of EURO 12.3 billion and 56,000 employees in 2004, Alcatel operates in more than 130 countries. For more information, visit Alcatel on the Internet: http://www.alcatel.com

Alcatel Press Contacts

Aurélie Boutin / HQ, Tel :+33-(0)1-40-76-11-79, aurelie.boutin@alcatel.com

Mark Burnworth / HQ, Tel :+33-(0)1-40-76-50-84, mark.burnworth@alcatel.com

Alcatel Investor Relations

Pascal Bantegnie, Tel : +33-(0)1-40-76-52-20, pascal.bantegnie@alcatel.com

Nicolas Leyssieux, Tel : +33-(0)1-40-76-37-32, nicolas.leyssieux@alcatel.com

Maria Alcon, Tel : +33-(0)1-40-76-15-17, maria.alcon@alcatel.com

Charlotte Laurent-Ottomane, Tel : +1-703-668-3571, charlotte.laurent-ottomane@alcatel.com

Alcatel Press Contacts: Aurélie Boutin / HQ, Tel :+33-(0)1-40-76-11-79, aurelie.boutin@alcatel.com, Mark Burnworth / HQ, Tel :+33-(0)1-40-76-50-84, mark.burnworth@alcatel.com, Alcatel Investor Relations, Pascal Bantegnie, Tel : +33-(0)1-40-76-52-20, pascal.bantegnie@alcatel.com, Nicolas Leyssieux, Tel : +33-(0)1-40-76-37-32, nicolas.leyssieux@alcatel.com, Maria Alcon, Tel : +33-(0)1-40-76-15-17, maria.alcon@alcatel.com, Charlotte Laurent-Ottomane, Tel : +1-703-668-3571, charlotte.laurent-ottomane@alcatel.com