Information (including product prices, product specifications, details of services, launch dates, inquiry information, and URLs) contained in this news release is current as of the date of the press release but is subject to change without notice. Please note that details may differ from those effective on the search date.

Hitachi Cable Ltd. has announced that its AquaVocal *1 All-in-One IP-PBX *2 will support Hikari Denwa Business Type *3 provided by Nippon Telegraph and Telephone East Corporation (Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; President and CEO: Toyohiko Takabe; NTT East hereafter ) and Nippon Telegraph and Telephone West Corporation (Headquarters: Osaka-shi, Osaka; President and CEO: Shunzo Morishita; NTT West hereafter ) beginning July 11, 2006. Hikari Denwa Business Type is an IP telephony service targeting enterprises.

Falling prices and the expanding functionality of data communications networks in recent years have led to rapid growth in IP telephony services. In addition to reducing communication costs, introducing an IP telephony service eliminates or reduces wiring costs when employees are reassigned or office layouts change. But most IP-PBX products are designed for sites of 500 to 1,000 users or larger, posing challenges to small- to mid-sized offices in terms of initial costs and depreciation expenses.

As a solution, since June 2004 Hitachi Cable has offered the AquaVocal All-in-One IP-PBX for small- and mid-sized offices, as well as branch and sales offices of large enterprise sites of 200 or fewer users. AquaVocal is an all-in-one IP-PBX unit with various integrated functions, ideal for introducing office IP telephony services. The feature set includes basic IP-PBX functions; diverse gateway functions *4 , including IP carrier gateway, PSTN gateway, and gateway accommodating internal analog phones; PPPoE functions *5 ; and a survival function that enables calling between analog phones and the public network even when power fails. This integrated feature set allows users to upgrade office phones to an IP-based system with minimal investment.

A service provided by NTT East and NTT West to enterprise clients, Hikari Denwa Business Type offers numerous features, including voice quality equivalent to fixed-line phones and phone number portability (allowing users to keep existing phone numbers). Now that AquaVocal supports Hikari Denwa Business Type, enterprises can easily introduce Hikari Denwa Business Type even at small sites like branch and sales offices, as well as larger sites including headquarters. The combination allows easy deployment of IP telephony services company-wide, reducing communication costs between branch offices and between branch offices and headquarters sites.

AquaVocal is primarily sold through our sales partners. Ensuring compatibility between AquaVocal and various IP telephony carriers is an ongoing Hitachi effort, intended to expand our market share for IP-PBX systems targeting small- and mid-sized offices.

*1	AquaVocal is a registered trademark of Hitachi Cable, Ltd.
*2	PBX stands for Private Branch Exchange. IP-PBX refers to a Private Branch Exchange for an IP telephony system.
*3	Hikari Denwa Business Type is an enterprise IP telephony service provided by NTT East and NTT West. Please visit the following websites for overviews and specifics of the Hikari Denwa Business Type service. NTT East NTT West
*4	A gateway is a protocol converter for interconnecting communication service carriers, IP telephony networks, fixed-line telephone networks, and internal telephone networks. Specific models implement varying types of gateways. IP carrier gateways connect internal telephone networks and the IP telephony network operated by a communication service carrier. The PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Networks) gateway connects internal telephone networks and analog public telephone networks operated by communication service carriers.
*5	PPPoE (Point to Point Protocol over Ethernet) allows deployment of PPP (a protocol connecting computers to networks over serial connections, such as telephone lines) over Ethernet networks.

Overview of specifications for major models in the AquaVocal series

(Specifications are subject to change without notice.)

AquaVocal 2004-FXSO AquaVocal 2112-FXSO AquaVocal 3000 All-in-One 4-line model (IP-PBX with PSTN gateway model) All-in-One 12-line model (IP-PBX with PSTN gateway model) Dedicated IP-PBX model Port configuration 10/100BASE-TX 2 2 2 PSTN/FXS 4 12 - PSTN/FXO (Pass through at power failures) 4 (1) 12 (3) - Power supply specificationsv Input power source AC 100 V(85-132 V), 47-440 Hz Switch Locking switch with anti-error guide (housed in front panel) Environmental specifications Operating conditions Operating temperature 0 degrees-40 degrees Operating humidity 20-85% Rh (No condensation) Installation conditions Installation (mounting) Level installation Stacking Stackable when housed in panel/used on tabletop Storage conditions Storage temperature -20 degrees 60 degrees Storage humidity 20-85% Rh (No condensation) Acquired certification specifications Noise emission regulations VCCI-Class A Communication device certification JATE certification Functional specifications Network connection functions LAN connection specifications 10BASE-T/100BASE-TX (IEEE802.3-compliant) Channel number 2 (LAN0, LAN1) External connectors RJ-45 (RTP with shield) x 2 (double x 1) Serial I/F functions for maintenance I/F specifications RS-232 level, full-duplex, asynchronous serial I/F External connectors RJ-45 x 1

External view of AquaVocal2004-FXSO