SS8 Networks and Martin Group have announced that the two leading companies will collaborate to provide customers a facilities-based trusted third-party service to meet the federal CALEA mandate for lawful intercept. Under the terms of the agreement, Martin Group, the nationwide leader in software solutions, business services and engineering services for communications providers, will use Xcipio™ from SS8 Networks®, the leading source of lawful intercept solutions for telecommunication service providers.

On behalf of third parties, this service will conduct the intercepts, provide intercepted information to law enforcement agencies, assist with filing compliance reports and regularly test the installed solution.

Communications service providers are required under the Federal Communications Commission’s CALEA (Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act) legislation to provide the ability to intercept VoIP and broadband communications by May 14, 2007. In order to simplify and cost-reduce the compliance process, some service providers are looking for a highly reliable third-party organization to conduct the intercept and secure the information.

“Local exchange carriers, VoIP operators, and Internet service providers seeking a third-party CALEA implementation will see this as a stand out solution. It uses powerful technology that is deployed and managed by an absolutely credible engineering firm,” said Stephen Gleave, SS8 Networks vice president of marketing. “The communications industry knows and respects Martin Group.”

SS8 Networks’ Xcipio has proven interoperability with a broad range of networking equipment products and vendors. At the heart of the Xcipio solution, SS8’s nucLIus™ control logic provides the intelligence for Martin Group to rapidly integrate an active or passive solution into their customers’ heterogeneous network environments.

“Xcipio’s scalable, reliable, and high-performance lawful intercept platform simplifies our role as a third-party provider of lawful intercept solutions,” said Peter Rasmusson, President of the Telecommunications Consulting and Engineering department at Martin Group. “Our customers place their trust in Martin Group to provide the best solutions, and simply put, Xcipio is the best technology available.”

A court fine of up to $10,000 per day and potential additional FCC fines are a hefty price tag for many communications providers.

“We simply can’t afford to be non-compliant let alone adding staff to manage and implement an in-house CALEA solution,” said Mark Harrison of USA Communications, the first of over 50 Martin Group TTP clients in the U.S. “We selected Martin Group’s Trusted Third Party Services because they’ve been our trusted engineering and regulatory partner for 20 years. They know our network, equipment, requirements, and regulatory processes.”

Martin Group’s Trusted Third Party Service is immediately available.

About SS8 Networks
SS8 Networks, headquartered in San Jose, Calif., is an independent provider of carrier-grade, regulatory-compliant electronic surveillance solutions that have been deployed on all continents for the largest wireline, wireless, cable, VoIP and satellite service providers. These voice and data installations can already intercept more than 500 million subscribers, and serve over 10,000 law enforcement agents.

SS8’s expertise in communications forensics ensures that intercepted traffic is securely targeted, seized, stored, transferred and analyzed, so that evidentiary chain of custody is maintained for successful criminal prosecution. For more information, please go to www.ss8.com.

About Martin Group
Martin Group is the nationwide leader of software solutions, business services, and engineering services that address operational and marketplace challenges faced by communications providers. Martin Group’s advanced OSS/BSS software provides communications providers with the tools to manage revenue effectively and efficiently. Martin Group’s business services help communications providers minimize exposure to capital, human and technological risks associated with in-house solutions. Martin Group’s engineering team has been assisting service providers plan and engineer their infrastructure for over 35 years with innovative solutions, practical designs, and expert implementations. Martin Group is headquartered in Mitchell, SD and has regional offices spanning across the US. For additional information, visit www.martin-group.com.