Nortel Picks Equant as Partner

WASHINGTON -- Equant (NYSE: ENT) (Euronext Paris: EQU), a recognized industry leader in global data and IP services for multinational businesses, has been named a Global Customer Partner (GCP) by Nortel Networks*.

As a Global Customer Partner, Equant will be recommended by Nortel Networks to its top enterprise customers as a single source to meet their entire communications needs. The Nortel Networks Global Customer Partner Initiative (GCPI) is intended to help its major clients reduce their vendor management costs and increase consistency and accountability of their fulfillment and maintenance capabilities by streamlining the number of partners with which they need to work. Each GCP is selected on its pan-regional capabilities, experience with the Nortel Networks enterprise portfolio, overall training and skills, and technical support across both voice and data products. Equant is the only telecommunications service provider chosen as a GCP and is the only partner chosen for three Nortel Networks sales regions: Europe, Middle East and Africa; Caribbean and Latin America; and Asia-Pacific.

"As part of our 'One network. A world of choice.' enterprise vision, we are looking at the best ways to serve our customers," said Malcolm Collins, president, Enterprise, Nortel Networks. "Equant's exceptional product supply and support capabilities enable it to act as a single point of contact for our customers across entire regions. Equant was selected as a 'Global Customer Partner' because of its strong track record leveraging Nortel Networks products and its unique global capabilities."

Equant has unmatched coverage with a seamless network that connects major business centers in more than 220 countries and territories, with local support in more than 30 languages in 165-plus countries. No other company has so many high-skilled field engineers in so many countries to respond to mission-critical customer needs. Equant's dedicated staff of more than 10,000 employees are the foundation for its leadership in cutting-edge data and IP technologies, including IP VPNs, converged voice, and integration and managed services. Among these employees are 1,500-plus network and telephony engineers specialized in Nortel Networks or other leading vendor platforms. Equant has more than 300 Logistics Centers and Strategic Stock Locations (SSLs) worldwide.

"We are delighted to expand our relationship with Nortel Networks and look forward to the opportunity to work even more closely with their top accounts," said Howard Ford, president of Sales and Marketing of Equant. "We see this Global Customer Partnership as a true win-win situation for Equant, Nortel Networks and its customers."

This new partnership builds on the strong Equant-Nortel Networks relationship of more than 12 years, during which time Equant has deployed more than 1,900 Nortel Passport* switches and other Nortel Networks products in its global network. In mid-2001, Nortel Networks named Equant its first Global Solutions Partner. In May 2002, the two companies announced an agreement to deliver an expanded portfolio of innovative products to enterprise customers, including next-generation telephony solutions, secure IP virtual private networks and optical Ethernet.

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