Ericsson signs IP and AXE agreement with Canadian BridgePoint

Ericsson signs IP and AXE agreement with Canadian BridgePoint Ericsson and BridgePoint Enterprises, Inc., have signed a five-year frame agreement with an initial value of more than USD 65 million (SEK 530 million). Ericsson will provide IP, data networking and AXE solutions to BridgePoint's operations in Canada and worldwide. The frame agreement initially covers delivery of Ericsson's IP Telephony system - IPT, AXE solutions, and data networking products, as well as related services. An additional agreement has also been signed by the two companies, that provides Ericsson's customers worldwide with new opportunities to team up with BridgePoint to enter into markets where demands do not justify their own investments, by providing shared switched facilities. "We need a vendor capable of delivering total communication solutions for us on a global basis, and this was one of the main reasons for choosing Ericsson," says René Arbic, BridgePoint Canada CEO. "Ericsson's AXE International Gateway platform will enable us to standardize our worldwide roll out, and we look forward to expanding our business into areas such as IP telephony and data networking." Ericsson is a leader in providing IP telephony solutions as the convergence between voice and datacom services continues. Ericsson's IP telephony products have wide commercial deployment, and AXE is the world's most widely deployed International Gateway switch. An important part of BridgePoint's business is based on providing high-quality solutions to operators who choose to lease communication services in North America and worldwide. Ericsson Communications Inc., is Ericsson's operating company in Canada. It has an R&D center in Montreal with worldwide responsibility for software development for the wireless standard TDMA/AMPS. Ericsson employs more than 1,500 people across Canada. For further information, please visit http://www.ericsson.com/ca Ericsson is the leading provider in the new telecoms world, with communications solutions that combine telecom and datacom technologies with freedom of mobility for the user. With more than 100,000 employees in 140 countries, Ericsson simplifies communications for its customers - network operators, service providers, enterprises and consumers - the world over. Please visit Ericsson's Press Room at: http://www.ericsson.se/pressroom FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT Bill Gajda, Director, Marketing & Communications Ericsson Communications Inc. Phone: +1 905 629 68-38; E-mail: bill.gajda@ericsson.se Johan Wiklund, Ericsson Corporate Communications Phone: +46 70 560 0134; E-mail: johan.wiklund@lme.ericsson.se Company Information BridgePoint Enterprises is an international operator of telecommunications co- location centers headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. The company provides state-of-the-art neutral network bridging services, central office facilities and technical support services to telecommunication companies worldwide. BridgePoint serves businesses as a network operations outsourcer, allowing companies to expand without incurring the significant expenses associated with the building of their own infrastructure. For more information about BridgePoint, visit http://www.bpe.net