Demonstrates Its Multi-Vendor Resource and Service Abstraction Software for Automating Deployment of Global Ethernet Services

BERLIN -- (Marketwire) -- 09/23/08 -- Soapstone Networks (NASDAQ: SOAP) today announced that it will be showcasing the PNC(TM) (Provider Network Controller), its multi-vendor resource and service control plane software framework at CEWC (Carrier Ethernet World Congress) in Berlin and Broadband World Forum Europe in Brussels in one of the largest multi-vendor showcases at these two events.

Soapstone Networks is demonstrating a northbound interface to the service layer/OSS which is taking apart a service into its component resources, establishing quality criteria for resources and passing the complete description to the PNC using TMF standards implementing a NGOSS contract. The PNC, utilizing the NGOSS contract, then identifies the appropriate network resources, provisions the network resources to implement the contract and maintains them in real-time to ensure compliance with the SLA. The multi-vendor Carrier Ethernet switch network is comprised of ANDA Networks, Cisco, Extreme Networks, Nortel, and Telco Systems.

The Soapstone PNC framework is designed to provide quality and capacity management for transport resources. The tight coupling of fulfillment and assurance results in a dynamic control plane that creates and maintains resources through active monitoring of network elements and provides uniform reporting of performance, utilization, faults, and resource inventory. This information is shaped into a form that is meaningful northbound to the service layer.

"Carriers today have a number of business challenges to contend with including deploying a global Ethernet service where the time between service order and invoice can be measured in months, providing a positive customer Quality of Experience (QoE) for differentiation, and procuring quality resources from other providers required to construct a global service. This requires automation, standardization, and intra- and inter-provider quality management. The Soapstone transport abstraction software is designed to provide such a solution," said Esmeralda Swartz, SVP Marketing and Business Development, Soapstone Networks.

To schedule a meeting with Soapstone at an event, email meeting@soapstonenetworks.com. To learn more visit Soapstone at CEWC in Booth 1 and Broadband World Forum in Booth 131.

About the events: The CEWC event, presented by the MEF, previews advancements in Carrier Ethernet and showcases how networks and service are being deployed. The event is being held 22 September through 26 September 2008 at the MARITIM proArte Hotel in Berlin, Germany.