FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Editorial Contact:
Drew Knowland
Hammer Technologies
(978) 661-1213
drew.knowland@ham.com 

WILMINGTON, Mass. (June 14, 1999) -Hammer Technologies today announced that Nortel Networks* Cogent Global Services is now offering enhanced call center load testing services at a fixed price. The new service relies on Hammer test equipment and evaluates call center systems and applications by generating thousands of automated test calls, which uniquely duplicate the actions of real callers. The Hammer test calls find system, network, and application problems before they can impact customers. Nortel Networks' new service is designed to help call centers achieve increased reliability and quality.

"This new service allows our clients to completely test and document the performance of their call center telecommunications systems and applications under various call volume scenarios before taking the first customer call," said Ralph Calistri, Nortel Networks, vice president and general manager, North America, of Cogent Global Services. "Hammer Technologies' reputation for testing excellence fits perfectly with our commitment to providing Cogent's Symposium Professional Services clients with total solutions."

Most call center managers manually test their systems on a regular basis. Manual testing typically uncovers only a portion of the hidden problems contained in most call centers. Automated testing is widely acknowledged as a better approach that can find problems manual testing misses. The services being delivered by Nortel Networks Cogent Global Services allow customers to realize the benefits of automated testing at a fixed price without requiring a capital investment in test equipment or staffing to operate it.

"With the Call Center Load Testing Service we were able to give our customer a better understanding of the impact of changes to overall call center efficiency. It's a tool I would like to 

see utilized on every Symposium installation to make sure that everything has been engineered and scripted correctly before actually going into live production," said David Soxman, senior accounts manager, national accounts of SBC Communications, Inc. " I think it could be cost justified very, very easily and could improve customer service"

"We are looking forward to working with Nortel Networks to provide industry-leading automated test solutions for call centers," said Bill Schymik, general manager of Hammer Technologies' Call Center Business Group. "Nortel Networks has long been noted for providing advanced technology solutions to call centers. The new Call Center Load Testing Service demonstrates Nortel Networks' continuing commitment to leadership in the call center marketplace." 

Nortel Networks Cogent Global Services consultants will work with customers to develop customized test plans, maximizing the benefit of the tests. Hammer test systems hit the call center with thousands of test calls. Virtually every element of the test calls can be dynamically altered, providing the best real-world simulation by which to measure a call center's performance. The results of these tests give call center managers insight into how their call center will perform under current circumstances and how the call center would respond to dramatic traffic increases, giving confidence that the call center systems will continue to perform as the call center grows.

The Call Center Load Testing Service is provided by Nortel Networks' experienced test consultants using Hammer CTI test systems. The service provides up to 96 ports of telephony load with additional capacity available. It includes development of up to 10 test call flows with a total of up to 15 points of performance measurement. 

About Nortel Networks Cogent Global Services

Cogent Global Services includes Symposium* Professional Services and provides a full suite of consulting services that includes client server, computer telephony, and IVR application consulting, design and implementation services. Specialized design and test support is also provided by Symposium Professional Services including access to lab facilities for Symposium Partners, Business Affiliates and third-party developers.

Information about Nortel Networks Symposium Professional Services, other Nortel Networks products and authorized distributors is available by calling 1-800-4NORTEL (1-800-466-7835).

About Hammer Technologies

Hammer Technologies, a Teradyne company (NYSE:TER), is one of the world's leading suppliers of Computer Telephony, Voice over IP, and Enhanced Services test systems to major call centers, telecommunications equipment vendors, and carriers. Hammer test systems are widely used by call centers for in-service testing of automated customer service systems in addition to providing load and stress testing of telecommunications systems and applications prior to deployment.

* Nortel Networks and Symposium are trademarks of Nortel Networks Corporation.

Hammer, the Hammer logo, Hammer IT, and HammerFAX are trademarks of Hammer Technologies. All other trademarks are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.