Vernier Expands Sales Channels

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. -- Vernier Networks, a global leader in security and management systems for wireless local area networks (WLANs), today announced that it has added seven international partners to its network of value-added resellers across Europe and Asia-Pacific. In Europe, Vernier has signed partner agreements with Micro Warehouse GmbH in Germany, and Cygate in Finland, and in the Asia-Pacific region with Suntek Information Systems, Co., Ltd, Cyber On-Air (Asia) Limited, Networks Ltd, Acctran Technology Co., Ltd, and MV Communications Co., Ltd.

Vernier also announced that Luc Bouchard has joined the company as director of European sales, responsible for recruiting, leading and managing resellers and distributors in Western Europe.

The addition of these new strategic business partnerships significantly broadens Vernier's presence in Asia and Europe, adding the sales coverage necessary to meet the growing international demand for its award-winning security and management solution, the Vernier Networks System(TM).

"The demand for WLAN mobility is growing globally, and strategic business partnerships in the highest-growth markets like the ones we've just signed, help us meet demand by capitalizing on local market opportunities, and by delivering critical local service and support," said Matthew Powell, president and CEO of Vernier Networks. "Our partners in Western Europe, for example, have prominent customers that want to immediately enjoy the benefits of WLAN mobility, but also need robust security and management solutions in place. The partners we've signed are poised to help them meet those needs today and start benefiting right away."

"The most significant growth is happening in the Asia-Pacific region," added Powell. Countries in Asia have a limited copper infrastructure and hand-held devices are pervasive. We're seeing major enterprises in these countries begin to integrate wireless LAN mobility into their networks. These partnerships with leading resellers reinforce Vernier's global presence for this growing market."

According to a report by InStat/MDR (August 2002), Asia Pacific continues to be a high-growth market for wireless LAN deployments, with Taiwan, South Korea, and Hong Kong experiencing the most significant growth.

"Over the years, Cyber On-Air has offered the most advanced and comprehensive wireless applications and IP solutions to customers in Hong Kong, Macau and mainland China," said Ricky Choi, CEO of Cyber On-Air Group Company Limited. "With the increased usage and popularity of WLAN equipment, wireless users in these areas have become aware of the inherent security issues in wireless networks. We selected Vernier Networks as an alliance partner based on its strong reputation in the WLAN security market and its sophisticated security control solutions. Vernier's solution provides the management and security features necessary to augment our product range to better serve our customers. By partnering with Vernier Networks, Cyber On-Air now has the total solution to provide cost-optimized WLAN services to our customers."

Today, Vernier announced reseller relationships with the following companies:

Cyber On-Air (http://www.cyberonair.com/) --Cyber On-Air, one of China's leading enablers of wireless, broadband, and multimedia applications, will resell Vernier's system in China, Hong Kong, and Macau.

Suntek (http://www.suntek.co.kr/) --Infrastructure solution provider Suntek, based in Korea, is reselling Vernier's system as part of its offering, which ranges from wireless LANs, to networking system solutions.

Acctran (http://www.acctran.com/) --Acctran selected Vernier's system to meet the wireless security needs of its customer base in Taiwan. Acctran is a provider of network systems solutions addressing the government, enterprise education and telco markets.

MV Communications (http://www.mvcoms.com/)--Thailand-based MV Communications incorporates Vernier's system into its existing wireless and last mile broadband solution portfolio, focusing on the enterprise, government and education markets.

According to a recent report published by IDC, the number of hotspots in Europe skyrocketed by 327 percent in 2002, due mainly to regulatory changes. These wireless hot spots allow corporations, universities, and government agencies to capitalize on the enormous opportunity for improved productivity that mobility offers.

"It is important for our customers to establish individual user mobility within their networks," says Ayhan Tevetoglu, sales manager with Micro Warehouse GmbH. "Vernier's solution provides the security and scalability needed to support hundreds of mobile users as they roam throughout the network, while easing the costs and complexity of deployment and stimulating the growth of WLANs."

"Our customers want to capitalize on the benefits of WLAN mobility," said Tommi Hirvi, regional sales and product manager for Cygate Finland. "Until now, however, the need for airtight security has hindered large-scale deployment. Cygate selected Vernier Networks because their system provides our customers with the most comprehensive Layer 3 solution for securing and managing wireless networks."

Vernier today announced agreements with these top resellers in Western Europe:

Cygate (www.cygategroup.com) -- Based in Finland, Cygate creates and manages networks for Internet service providers (ISPs) and large enterprises. The company is reselling Vernier's equipment as a management and security feature to its high-profile corporate enterprise and university customers throughout Western Europe.

Micro Warehouse GmbH (www.microwarehouse.com) --A worldwide direct marketer of computer and network products, Micro Warehouse is reselling Vernier's solution to education, government, and enterprise customers in Germany, where the use of wireless LANs is growing exponentially.

Vernier Networks Inc.