SBC Grants Service-Bureau Status to NightFire 

August 29, 2000 -- NightFire Software announced that it has entered into a service-bureau provider agreement with SBC Communications.

The agreement enables NightFire to establish direct connectivity between SBC companies and CLECs using NightFire eSupplierExpress, the company's hosted loop ordering service. According to NightFire, this accelerates time-to-market and lowers costs for carriers that wish to offer DSL service in SBC territories. And for SBC, granting service-bureau provider privileges to NightFire may reduce costs and increase the efficiency associated with supplying local loops to CLEC customers.

To offer DSL and related services, a CLEC typically establishes a direct connection between its operations support system (OSS) and the operations support systems of the incumbent local exchange carriers (ILEC) from which it orders the phone lines -- the local loops -- used to deliver DSL. Dealing with a single supplier, NightFire says that it reduces the need for these multiple connections, simplifying the process of entering new markets for CLECs.

In addition, the agreement allows NightFire to establish one connection with each SBC company for all competitive carriers using eSupplierExpress. NightFire says that CLECs using eSupplierExpress no longer need to establish connectivity or go through the loop ordering certification process once NightFire has established connectivity with an SBC company. This should allow competitive carriers to more quickly begin offering DSL.

One of the first CLECs to benefit from this partnership is Arrival Communications. "The NightFire/SBC deal ensures that Arrival can take immediate advantage of eSupplierExpress," said Tony DiStefano, CEO of Arrival Communications, a CLEC serving secondary markets throughout the Western United States and a NightFire eSupplierExpress customer. "This will enable us to quickly and cost-effectively procure DSL lines for our customers."