Primus to Provide VoIP for MSN Messenger

Primus Telecommunications Group, Inc. has entered into an agreement with Microsoft Corp. to provide Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP) services for MSN Messenger Service customers. Marketed as "PrimusTalk," once a user has logged into MSN Messenger Service, calls can be made by clicking on the "Make a Phone Call" link. A phone dialer will appear where a call can be made to any number -- national, international or mobile.

The McLean, Va.-based Primus will provide PrimusTalk service as an Internet telephony application that can be accessed by any user accessing MSN Messenger Service. Specifically, the PC-to-phone service will be integrated with the MSN Messenger Service as an option that may be accessed by users of Microsoft client software programs.

"Primus is leading the way to a carrier class era of converged communications solutions," said John Melick, co-president of Primus and one of the principal developers and implementers of the company's VoIP initiatives. "As a third-party solutions provider with market leading positions in global voice and Internet services, the advantage of Primus offering a voice service over the Internet's architecture is the added convenience and value available to customers by engaging in communications at their desktop or wherever they are using a MSN Messenger Service-enabled device."

Primus owns and operates its own global VoIP backbone network connecting over 300 points-of-presence in over 80 countries in Asia-Pacific, the Americas and Europe. The network is supported by automated backroom systems and operating control centers. Primus can terminate VoIP calls to virtually any destination in the world where such termination is not prohibited by law.

Operating as a VoIP carrier for more than two years, Primus now has over an six percent worldwide market share for international VoIP traffic, according to a 2001 TeleGeography Report. The company is now expanding through the launch of new products and the formation of third party relationships to extend its VoIP services directly to end-user business and consumer customers who will be able to directly access Primus' global VoIP network.

By owning and operating its own public switched telephone network (PSTN) of switching faculties and fiber optic cable capacity, Primus is able to provide back-up and disaster recovery for its VoIP network. Primus also owns and operates its own global asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) and IP backbone network. As such, Primus maintains peering relationships and Internet network facilities supporting IP services on a higher level than most pure-play VoIP providers.