Ericsson and ACC win ground-breaking Remote Acess contract from Dishnet Ltd.

Ericsson and ACC win ground-breaking Remote Access contract from Dishnet Ltd. Ericsson and Advanced Computer Communications (ACC), a leading provider of network access solutions, have won a ground-breaking contract to provide multi-service point-of-presence (POP) remote access solutions to Dishnet Ltd. (Dishnet), a premier commercial Internet Service Provider (ISP) in India providing nationwide Internet access. Under the terms of the multi-year contract, Ericsson will provide all logistics, support, integration and consulting services. Dishnet will also offer Internet services through its sister company, Srinivas Cellcom Ltd., which currently utilizes Ericsson's AXE architecture to provide GSM mobile services in India. Last month, Ericsson announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire ACC. According to Michael Thurk, executive vice president and general manager of Ericsson's Datacom Networks and IP Services business unit, "We are very pleased to have been awarded the Dishnet contract because we have a long-standing and valued relationship with Dishnet's parent company, Sterling Infotech. Furthermore, The Dishnet contract substantiates Ericsson's recent decision to acquire ACC for its core competencies in Internet and remote access technologies, and reflects Ericsson's commitment to delivering leading edge IP solutions to its customers." The contract involves the deployment of ACC's Tigris remote access concentrator platform to support "eth.net", India's first private commercial nationwide Internet service with an Education to Home (ETH) mission. Launched by Dishnet last month, the ETH initiative will enable free, full-featured Internet access to students, teachers, schools and universities throughout India. Working in cooperation with government and public educational institutions, ETH plans to offer home learning programs via a national network infrastructure. Utilizing "best of breed" products from leading technology vendors such as ACC, Microsoft, Compaq, Intel, Portal, CheckPoint, and Cisco, Dishnet plans to deploy state-of-the-art POPs in more than 40 cities throughout the country, with the goal of reaching a subscriber base of over 6 million users by the year 2000. "We are delighted to be involved in this network infrastructure because Dishnet is a commercial enterprise with a social conscience," said Frank Soos, director of Pacific Rim sales at ACC. "ACC's Tigris, along with equipment from other technology players, is enabling the delivery of high quality educational content to millions of homes throughout India." After an extensive evaluation of products from the leading remote access server (RAS) vendors, Dishnet selected ACC's Tigris multi-service remote access concentrator as the platform of choice. "We chose the Tigris product because it provided the best possible solution for our long-term requirements for scalability, port density, multi-service capabilities, and support for both fixed and dial services from a single platform. ACC's strong relationship with Ericsson was also a major factor in Dishnet's decision," said Mr. Ted Chun, an executive officer of Dishnet Ltd. "Ericsson's commitment to ACC reinforces our buying decision because Ericsson brings to the deal its leading-edge technology solutions, a world-class service organization, and an undisputed reputation for quality in the communications industry." About Dishnet Dishnet Ltd., a subsidiary of the Sterling Infotech Ltd., provides solutions that address the emerging Internet needs of India. Dishnet believes it is essential for companies of the next millennium to have a social mission tied to commercial ventures. The education-to-home (ETH) mission is a critical part of Dishnet's business plans. Dishnet delivers a suite of Internet services under the label "eth.net" that facilitates enhanced delivery of supplementary educational content to the masses (students, teachers, schools, businesses, etc.). It is the intent of Dishnet to deliver affordable Internet access to the people of India.Web: http://www.eth.net About ACC ACC is a leading manufacturer of integrated remote access and internetworking products that provide cost-effective solutions for service providers and corporate enterprise networks. ACC leads the industry in the development of Virtual Private Network technologies and solutions designed to address emerging applications for both public and private networks. ACC's products are sold worldwide directly and through strategic channel partners. Web: http://www.acc.com Ericsson´s 100,000 employees are active in more than 130 countries. Their combined expertise in fixed and mobile networks, mobile phones and infocom systems makes Ericsson a world-leading supplier in telecommunications. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT Lars Östlund, Press Officer Ericsson Phone: +46 8 681 2656, or +46 70 326 2656 E-mail: lars.ostlund@etx.ericsson.se Kathy Egan, Vice President, Communications Ericsson Inc, Phone: +1 212 685 4030 Lisa Aviani, Press and Analyst Relations Manager ACC Phone: + 1 805 961-0628 E-mail: laviani@acc.com