Spirent Advances in China

ROCKVILLE, Md. -- Spirent Communications, a wholly owned business unit of Spirent plc (NYSE: SPM and LSE: SPT), today announced the establishment of a partnership with regional firms Dascom Info-Tech (Holdings) Ltd (Dascom) and Beijing MetarNet Technologies Co. Ltd (MetarNet). The new organisation, called Spirent DM, creates a robust relationship between one of the leading service assurance companies in North America and two of the most important local service assurance producers within the People’s Republic of China (PRC) telecom industry.Spirent DM will provide local sales and support for service providers within the PRC, as well as facilitate Spirent’s development and deployment of service assurance solutions for the world’s most populous telecommunications home-market. The Beijing-based Spirent DM will be jointly staffed by Spirent, Dascom and MetarNet personnel, providing localised operations support systems (OSSs), network access devices, network test probes, consulting and related field services for the rapidly-growing local service providers. Spirent DM will also enable easier cooperation with local partners including manufacturers, research institutes, universities and system integrators to introduce specific solutions for the market based on Spirent’s advanced technologies. As part of the partnership, Spirent is committing to a long-term strategic localisation plan, including Chinese-language products that are appropriate for local market requirements.“Today’s announcement, consolidating on the recent establishment of four Chinese offices for Spirent’s Performance Analysis division, is evidence of Spirent’s strategic commitment to serving the analysis and assurance needs of the PRC telecom industry,” said Jim Schleckser, president of Spirent Communications’ Service Assurance division. “The opportunity to partner with two of the PRC’s most accomplished firms in this effort is especially exciting, and we look forward to this cooperating with leading PRC companies as they extend and develop their world-class telecom infrastructure with products and personnel appropriate to this prestigious home market.”In a separate release:Spirent Communications, a wholly owned business unit of Spirent plc (NYSE: SPM and LSE: SPT), today announced the establishment of an Asia Pacific office in Beijing for its Service Assurance division. The new location will provide local sales and support for service providers throughout the Asia Pacific region.The new Beijing office is the first established within the PRC by Spirent’s Service Assurance division, and follows the October 2002 opening of sales and support offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou by Spirent’s Performance Analysis division. Spirent’s service assurance sales and support organisation for Asia Pacific will be located at this office as well as Spirent DM, the company’s partnership with local companies Dascom Info-Tech (Holdings) Ltd and Beijing MetarNet Technologies Co. Ltd.“We are delighted to announce the expansion of our Service Assurance operations into this important regional market,” said Jim Schleckser, president of Spirent Communications’ Service Assurance division. “Spirent views the Asia Pacific region as critical to the future of the telecommunications industry. With the opening of this office, the formation of the Spirent DM partnership, and Spirent’s strategic localisation program for its service assurance products, we intend to demonstrate our long-term commitment to the developing needs of this region’s service providers.”Spirent Communications