CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (June 22, 2005) -- Vertical Communications (ASFT.OB), a leading provider of next-generation, IP-based phone systems and applications that help businesses better serve their customers, announced that it will be exhibiting at LegalTech Westcoast 2005 taking place in Los Angeles this week. Vertical will demonstrate Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) with industry-standard software applications, as well as customized applications. The demonstration is designed to highlight the flexibility of Vertical’s award-winning TeleVantage product, which enables a number of cost- and time-saving applications for legal professionals. TeleVantage is a turnkey, IP-PBX business phone system that delivers multiple voice applications and features on a single, scalable system.

In addition to integration with standard practice management tools, key partners of the company’s Open Communications Alliance (OCA) have leveraged TeleVantage’s Application Programming Interface (API) to develop specialized voice applications. OCA is comprised of industry-leading companies working with Vertical to deliver standards-based communications solutions that enhance business processes. Specific demonstrations will include LumenVox’s award-winning Speech Driven Assistant, tightly integrated with Vertical's TeleVantage system to speech-enable call routing, contact lists, voicemail and email for complete hands-free phone interactions. Another Vertical OCA partner, WinScribe - located next to Vertical in Booth # 409 at LegalTech - offers a digital dictation system which can use a telephone interface to record a digital voice file and automatically route it to the appropriate individual, transcription team or even to a voice recognition engine in order for the document to be processed and created.

A number of legal firms have adopted TeleVantage as an IT Solution for productivity gains, as well as time and cost savings. One firm, Hackard & Holt, a Sacramento-based law firm, is using TeleVantage to avoid the complexity and cost of two separate phone systems with their recent expansion to a second office. According to John Long, Chief Technology Officer and Director of Human Resources for the firm, “TeleVantage has helped us reduce our phone service costs by 40%. Even with a doubling of our staff, we’re realizing a 40% savings on our total phone bill.”

“Although most lawyers don’t think of the phone when thinking about new technology that can truly enhance their practice’s business, TeleVantage is suited to this environment – with features such as point-and-click dialing and screen pop links into applications like Outlook or Time Matters to automate and simplify the call billing process,” added John Doheny, Director of Marketing, Industry Segments for Vertical Communications. “We understand the importance of a firm’s total return on law technology investment (ROLTI), and we are committed to showing law firms how telephony solutions such as TeleVantage can contribute to improving ROLTI.”

Vertical Communications within the Legal Market
Vertical has leveraged its experience serving thousands of knowledge workers with high volume and high value call-based businesses. The company’s TeleVantage product can be used in conjunction with Microsoft CRM and Outlook, Goldmine and ACT!, among other productivity applications used by legal professionals. Vertical’s staff is dedicated to integrating TeleVantage into Case/Practice, Billing and Record Management systems, with the goal of lowering the total cost of ownership by using a self administered and self managed software system.