NETGEAR® and Tatara Systems® To Show Interoperable Femtocell Solution at CTIA Wireless in Las Vegas
NETGEAR’s New Femtocell Voice Gateway (DVG834GH) with ADSL2+, Wi-Fi, VoIP and 3G Femtocell Technology to Interoperate with Tatara’s SIP-Based Convergence Server
SANTA CLARA, Calif. and ACTON, Mass. – March 31, 2008 – NETGEAR®, Inc. (NASDAQGM: NTGR), a worldwide provider of technologically advanced, branded networking solutions, and Tatara Systems, the leader in SIP-based femtocell convergence, today announced a plan to achieve interoperability between NETGEAR’s Femtocell Voice Gateway (DVG834GH) and the Tatara Convergence Server.
The combined solution will enable mobile operators to extend and improve cellular phone coverage for home and small office users, as well as provide customers with affordable and easy access to a range of advanced home networking services via existing 3G handsets. Both products will be on display in Tatara’s booth (#3300) at the CTIA Wireless trade show in Las Vegas, April 1-3, 2008.
“We’re very pleased to work with Tatara on this innovative and standards-based approach to femtocell convergence,” said David James, NETGEAR’s director of product management for service provider markets. “Our respective solutions promise to greatly benefit our service provider partners around the world, and in particular, the many operators that want to integrate femtocell traffic leveraging VoIP or IMS infrastructure. Tatara has been leading the industry in developing a SIP-based approach to femtocell network integration, responding to network operator demands for an open, low cost solution that is highly scalable and provides for multi-vendor interoperability.”
Seven products in a single box, the NETGEAR Femtocell Voice Gateway includes a comprehensive residential gateway with integrated ADSL2+ modem, router, 10/100 wired LAN switch, 802.11g wireless access point, Voice over-IP (VoIP), SPI double firewall, and private mobile network with 3G femtocell technology. The gateway enables consumers to share their broadband Internet connection with their mobile devices and networked computers, both wired and wirelessly.
“Service providers around the world know and respect the NETGEAR brand for providing industry-leading networking solutions featuring SIP-based interfaces,” stated E.Y. Snowden, President and CEO for Tatara. “Working closely with NETGEAR is a reflection of our progressive commitment to develop and promote an open SIP-based standard for the femtocell-to-network interface.”
The Tatara Convergence Server (TCS) handles all the service interworking functions and call state processing necessary for controlling the flow of femtocell voice and messaging traffic over an IP packet core, while delivering service parity with the existing GSM/UMTS macro network. The key benefit to mobile operators is a lower cost convergence solution, leveraging commodity infrastructure for transport and control, but without the need to reconfigure or upgrade equipment in their circuit-based mobile core. The TCS can be deployed in a VoIP or IMS environment, and supports standard SIP or ISC interfaces into the packet core, as well as a GSM MAP interface into the circuit-based core, and supports all critical femtocell convergence requirements, including supplementary services, emergency services, and femto-macro handoff.
The two companies will showcase their interoperable femtocell solution at the upcoming CTIA Wireless trade show, the premier global event representing the $500 billion global wireless industry. As the largest wireless show in the world, CTIA brings together all industries affected by wireless technology. For more information visit www.ctia.org/ctiawireless.
About Tatara Systems
Tatara Systems is the first vendor to deliver a SIP-based solution for femtocell network integration, and a leader in enabling network operators to offer converged mobile services. The Tatara Convergence Server leverages a VoIP or IMS core to give any SIP-based end point presence on a mobile operator’s network. For femtocell applications, this ensures service parity with the macro network, but without having to tie radios directly into the mobile core, circumventing the attendant scalability and interoperability challenges. Tatara is a founding board member of the Femto Forum, and is working with its customers and partners to speed the deployment of femtocells worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.tatarasystems.com/.
About NETGEAR, Inc.
NETGEAR® (NASDAQGM: NTGR) designs technologically advanced, branded networking solutions that address the specific needs of small and medium business and home users. The Company’s product offerings enable users to share Internet access, peripherals, files, digital multimedia content and applications among multiple personal computers and other Internet-enabled devices. As an ENERGY STAR® partner, NETGEAR offers products that prevent greenhouse gas emissions by meeting strict energy-efficiency specifications set by the U.S. government. NETGEAR is headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.netgear.com or call (408) 907-8000.
© 2008 NETGEAR, Inc., NETGEAR®, and the NETGEAR logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of NETGEAR, Inc in the United States and/or other countries. Other brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Information is subject to change without notice. All rights reserved. Actual data throughput will vary from maximum signal rates stipulated. Network conditions and environmental factors, including volume of network traffic, building materials and construction, and network overhead, lower actual data throughput.
Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 for NETGEAR, Inc.:
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Specifically, statements concerning the development of future NETGEAR products interoperating with the Tatara Convergence Server and the expected performance characteristics, specifications, market acceptance, market growth, specific uses, user feedback and market position of NETGEAR’s Femtocell Voice Gateway (DVG834GH), products and technology are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Safe Harbor. These statements are based on management’s current expectations and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, the following: the development of NETGEAR products that interoperate with the Tatara Convergence Server may be unsuccessful or may be delayed; NETGEAR or Tatara may choose not to proceed with the planned agreement if there are technological difficulties or if there is no market demand for such products, the actual price, performance and ease of use of NETGEAR’s Femtocell Voice Gateway (DVG834GH) may not meet the price, performance and ease of use requirements of customers, product performance may be adversely affected by real world operating conditions, new viruses or Internet threats may develop that challenge the effectiveness of security features in NETGEAR’s products, the ability of NETGEAR to market and sell its products and technology, the impact and pricing of competing products and the introduction of alternative technological solutions. Further information on potential risk factors that could affect NETGEAR and its business are detailed in the Company’s periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, those risks and uncertainties listed in the section entitled "Part I - Item 1A. Risk Factors," pages 12 through 24, in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2007, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 29, 2008. NETGEAR undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
Contacts:
For NETGEAR
Technology & Channel Media
Ken Hagihara
Integrity Public Relations
(949) 768-4423 x801
ken@integritypr.net
Other Media
Lisa Hawes
Sterling Communications
(408) 884-5155
lhawes@sterlingpr.com
For Tatara Systems
Kelly Friedland
(978) 206-0831
Kfriedland@tatarasystems.com