BOSTON, Oct. 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- VON CONFERENCE & EXPO (Booth no. 629)-- Polycom, Inc. , the world's leading provider of unified collaborative communications solutions, today announced the expansion of its VoIP Interoperability Partner (VIP) Program for manufacturers of SIP-based call control platforms with the addition of six newly certified members: Cedar Point Communications, LignUp, MetaSwitch, PanTerra Networks, Sutus, and Zultys. Polycom now recognizes a total of 25 leading VoIP platform providers as certified members who deliver solutions that seamlessly interoperate with the award-winning line of Polycom SoundPoint(R) IP desktop and SoundStation(R) IP conference phones. As a result customers now enjoy a broad and flexible offering of interoperable, standards-based VoIP solutions that meet a range of business needs.

Polycom's line of VoIP desktop and conference phones offers standards- based flexibility with renowned Polycom voice quality and clarity -- including breakthrough Polycom HD Voice(TM) technology, which enriches the customer communications experience with high definition voice quality that doubles that of traditional landline phones. The phones are software upgradeable via the network and offer rich feature support through a combination of intuitive hard and soft keys with a large graphical display, making it easy for users to transition to a VoIP environment.

"Polycom and its partners are giving customers integrated solutions that will smooth the transition to VoIP and ensure reliability and comprehensive feature support between the SIP-based call platform and the Polycom phones," said Will Stofega, research manager of VoIP services at IDC. "The Polycom VIP program provides standards-based IP PBX and softswitch vendors, who do not manufacture their own phones, a process to certify their systems interoperable with Polycom's VoIP phones and provide customers with a complete IP telephony solution."

"As the leading independent supplier of standards-based VoIP endpoints, we appreciate that our customers want best-of-breed components for their VoIP solution," said Sunil Bhalla, senior vice president and general manager of Voice Communications at Polycom. "Our VIP program offers customers the flexibility to choose the best VoIP solution for their needs, while guaranteeing interoperability with our best-in-class endpoints. Since initiating our VIP program we've seen tremendous interest from the industry's leading vendors of SIP-based platforms, and we're delighted to welcome our newest partners to the Polycom family."

The Polycom VIP program allows vendors to demonstrate that their premises-based or hosted SIP-based call control solutions interoperate with a defined feature set of the award-winning desktop and/or conference phones and SIP software. The VIP program involves rigorous interoperability testing at a Polycom-approved test facility according to a Polycom test plan.

The program also helps assure that customers moving from legacy PSTN phone systems to VoIP solutions featuring Polycom phones and certified manufacturers' equipment enjoy seamless interoperability and familiar functionality; providing an easy transition to VoIP and reliable technical support. Additional information about the Polycom VoIP Interoperability Partner Program is available at http//www.polycom.com/vip About Polycom

Polycom, Inc. is the worldwide leader in unified collaborative communications (UCC) that maximize the efficiency and productivity of people and organizations by integrating the broadest array of high definition video, wired and wireless voice, and content solutions to deliver the ultimate collaborative experience. Polycom's high quality, standards-based conferencing and collaboration solutions are easy to deploy and manage, as well as intuitive to use. Supported by an open architecture, they integrate seamlessly with leading telephony, workplace wireless telephony, and presence-based networks. With its market driving technologies, best-in-class products, alliance partnerships, and world-class service, Polycom is the smart choice for organizations seeking proven solutions and a competitive advantage from on-demand communications and collaboration. For additional information, call 800-POLYCOM or visit the Polycom web site at http://www.polycom.com.

Polycom, the Polycom logo, SoundPoint and SoundStation are registered trademarks and Polycom HD Voice is a trademark of Polycom in the U.S. and various countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. (C)2007, Polycom, Inc. All rights reserved.

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