Yak Communications Inc., a provider of telecommunications services to residential and business customers, announced that it has joined forces with Emergent Network Solutions, Inc. and DaVinci Integration Inc. to provide users of its new yakForFree VoIP service (www.yakforfree.com) with an easy means for upgrading to local/long-distance VoIP-to-PSTN services. This sophisticated, prepaid VoIP capability is a standard feature of the new yakForFree virtual videophone service, which debuts today.

The new prepaid yakForFree VoIP capability is provided through a partnership between Emergent and DaVinci, whereby Emergent's innovative open systems platform, ENTICE, enables the feature and DaVinci integrates it. Yak expects that the new yakForFree service represents a "disruptive force" in the VoIP arena, offering the first free member-to-member voice AND video online service and enticing users to move to VoIP as the primary means for communicating with colleagues, friends and family around the world.



"The collaboration with Emergent and DaVinci has helped to put our revised VoIP business strategy on the map," said David Hurwitz, President of VoIP Initiatives of Yak Communications. "To remain competitive in the VoIP space, we had to adapt quickly to rapidly evolving market conditions. DaVinci's expertise combined with Emergent's ENTICE platform provided us with the essential operational elements to help bridge the gap between our existing VoIP infrastructure and the enhanced yakForFree system."

"Yak and DaVinci required a durable, scalable and easily-integrated prepaid capability for this critically important function. The ENTICE enhanced services platform is designed specifically for such applications," said Nathan Franzmeier, President of Emergent Network Solutions. "This technology will fully support Yak's needs now, while also giving it a base for additional value-added services in the future."

"We believe yakForFree has the potential to reach millions of people worldwide, establishing Yak as a premier global VoIP provider," said Charles Zwebner, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "Using Emergent's ENTICE enhanced services platform provides us with a fast, cost-effective method for capitalizing on the higher margins and faster cash flow made possible by prepayment. We anticipate a significant number of consumers to sign up for this free communications alternative that requires only a PC, camera and a broadband connection. Once they subscribe, the Emergent/DaVinci solution makes it easy for members to upgrade to the prepaid yakToAnyone service."

yakForFree users can place free online videophone calls only to other yakForFree members. yakToAnyone, an upgrade service available to yakForFree members, will be able to place VoIP calls from their VoIP videophone to non-member local and long distance numbers in the United States and Canada for just $.02 per minute. Calls can also be placed to international numbers at highly competitive prices.

For more information about yakForFree, yakToAnyone, and other popular yak VoIP services, visit www.yak.com.