Powerful SMB “all-in-one” Business Gateway Software Solution Made Available to Network Equipment Vendors

Southampton, UK, January 3rd, 2007 – Critical Links, an international networking technology company, today announced the launch of a program to make its award-winning edgeBOX software solutions available to OEM network equipment manufacturers.

Under the program, OEM partners gain access to a complete and integrated software platform for the development of converged and sophisticated “all in one” networking devices targeted at SMBs and Branch Offices. A number of new partnerships with “OEM ecosystem” partners, including silicon vendors, ODMs and ISVs, are to be announced in early 2007.

The edgeBOX software platform enables network equipment vendors to go to market faster, reduce market entry costs, and increase ROI on new “all in one” SMB business gateway products. The platform can easily be deployed across various “silicon” vendor’s platforms, operating systems and other third-party software component vendors, allowing customers to choose platforms that optimize time-to-market, costs, and performance.

A number of new partnerships with “OEM ecosystem” partners, including silicon vendors, ODMs and ISVs, are to be announced in early 2007. 

The edgeBOX software platform provides a comprehensive API, allowing for the development and/or integration of unique value-added capabilities for differentiation and easy deployment of new features and services over time, through a sophisticated software update system. Professional customisation, integration and validation services allow Critical Links to meet aggressive schedules for new OEM product launches while integrating the necessary third-party components, and customising services for differentiation.

A pool of more than 160 engineers, with extensive knowledge in networking and embedded real-time systems, at Critical Software (CMMi-3, ISO9001, ISO15504 certified) guarantee quick response times and produce high quality, reliable products.

The edgeBOX software platform enables network equipment vendors to go to market faster, reduce market entry costs, and increase ROI on new “all in one” SMB business gateway products.

 “New networking products and services increasingly rely on software features to deliver differentiation and remain competitive” said Critical Links CEO João Carreira. “Our edgeBOX platform is ideally suited to enable the quick development of converged Business gateways targeted at the booming SMB and managed services market”. “We’ve seen tremendous interest in edgeBOX throught the past months from OEMs that are eager to jump into the business gateway market,” said Mr. Carreira. “The newly structured OEM program will allow us to respond more effectively and deliver a better service to the surging demand from OEM customers”.

The edgeBOX software is the ideal foundation for converged all-in-one, remotely manageable networking devices for SMEs, a market that is expected to be worth 1,7 Billion € in 2010 (InStat). The edgeBOX incorporates all the latest in-demand technologies such as VoIP, IP-PBX, WiFi, VPNs, security, NAC, QoS and can be used as a web server, email server and storage device.

edgeBOX has been identified as a key player in the emerging “Business Gateway” market by leading analyst house InStat and won the Best Broadband Appliance award at the World Broadband Forum in 2005. It was selected a finalist by IDG Communications’ Techworld for its 2006 “Small Business Product of the Year”. It was recently unveiled in several european markets, following successful launches in Brazil, China, India, Portugal, Chile, Singapore, the Middle East and South Africa.

Licensing

A variety of licensing options are available for edgeBOX OEM software platform. Vendors who are interested in licensing Critical Links products and technologies should contact Critical Links at oem@critical-links.com. Further information can be found on the edgeBOX website www.edgebox.net

 
About Critical Links

Critical Links (www.critical-links.com) is an international networking software company and provider of edgeBOX, a converged multi-function device or business gateway targeted at SMBs and Enterprise Branch Offices. edgeBOX is available in a wide range of scalable hardware platforms, including standard servers, and has the best feature to price ratio in the market, making it the ideal choice for cost savvy SMBs. edgeBOX typically replaces 4-7 single-function devices required to deliver an equivalent set of services, fully remotely managed, with significantly lower TCO. Telecom Service Providers and Managed Services Providers offer edgeBOX  as a service to their SMB customers.

Critical Links is a wholly owned subsidiary of Critical Software SA, established in 1998, with over 100 employees, with a presence in the UK, USA, and Portugal. The company is CMMI Level 3 compliant and has a reputation for producing mission and business critical networking and telecoms solutions for the telecoms, public sector, industry, aerospace and defence markets, with customers such as Vodafone, Deutsche Telekom, Infineon Technologies, NASA, EADS and ESA.

 For more information:

Carlos Taveira; Email: carlos-taveira@critical-links.com