NICE, France -- Lucent Technologies (NYSE: LU) today announced the launch of its VitalSuite(R) Network Management software release 9.1, offering new features that make it easier for enterprise and service provider network managers to manage today's complex networks. The software's monitoring tools help improve network performance, reduce network downtime and increase quality of service by identifying potential trouble spots before they impact service to the end-user. Vanco, the global virtual network operator, is one of the first customers to trial components of the VitalSuite(R) 9.1 software, which will be demonstrated at TeleManagement World (Booth #42) in Nice, France, this week.

The VitalSuite(R) 9.1 software allows network managers to immediately identify the root cause of network performance events, such as potential and actual overloads, equipment failures and traffic issues, and to quickly take preventative action on the equipment impacting performance. Some of the key enhancements in the VitalSuite(R) 9.1 software include: topographical views of the network allowing administrators to investigate and accurately diagnose potential problems quickly; enhanced support for monitoring applications over (WiFi 802.11b) wireless networks and third generation (3G) mobile networks; and additional capabilities for visual end-to-end monitoring.

Lucent is also introducing VitalNet(R) Advanced Reporting Toolkit (ART), an add-on feature to the VitalSuite(R) 9.1 software, which makes it easier for service providers to generate reports for customers. The VitalNet(R) ART solution allows customers to choose their own metrics, custom counts, report designs, report type and report outputs providing a flexible, easy-to-use and customized presentation system for the performance data gathered by VitalSuite solutions.

Vanco has a trial of the VitalNet(TM) solution underway, one of the three components in the VitalSuite family, to assess the benefits of the enhanced management toolkit for its network infrastructure.

"We were impressed particularly by the quality of the advanced reporting toolkit in VitalNet(TM) which has considerably enhanced the flexibility of our network reporting to customers," said John Locke, director of technical analysis, Vanco. "It is important that as a global virtual network operator, we are able to accurately report to customers on network performance - so that they are able to assess the benefits and cost effectiveness of using our services. The VitalNet(TM) solution enables us to be flexible in how we and our customers handle network data and the multi-vendor nature of our approach, thereby ensuring we can provide a wide range of competitive global data network solutions."

VitalSuite(R) is a fully integrated package of three software components, the VitalNet(TM) software, which delivers a comprehensive network performance management solution, the VitalEvent(R) software, a next-generation monitoring and management system designed to increase the performance of packet networks, and the VitalApps(TM) software, which offers real-time solutions to identify, diagnose and fix network performance problems before they take place.

"Every second of network downtime can equal a huge dollar loss for businesses," said Madan Kumar, vice president of the Network Operations Software Solutions Group in Lucent Technologies. "By using the VitalSuite(R) 9.1 software, customers can protect their investments by detecting problems in real-time before they affect network users."

Lucent Technologies Inc.