Toyota consolidates retailing with the aid of Song Networks

Toyota consolidates retailing with the aid of Song Networks Song Networks Svenska AB, the Swedish subsidiary of Song Networks Holding AB (Stockholmsbörsen: SONW), has signed a contract with Toyota Sweden AB for the supply of data communication. Toyota's head office, retailers and servicing garages are being interconnected in a private network using Song Networks' IP/VPN service. Via this network the connected companies will gain access to Toyota's central IT system and a fixed connection to the Internet. The contract is for 3 years and the value for Song Networks approx. SEK 20 million. Toyota's Swedish retailers and servicing garages used to be connected to the network via dial-up connections. After the migration to Song Networks' IP/VPN solution, the offices connected will get a fixed connection to Toyota's network and thus improved accessibility and greatly increased capacity. The communication solution consolidates Toyota's retailing through more efficient management of the information passing between the local retailers and head office. "We have a large number of users at the offices throughout the country who use our joint company systems. It is a matter of everything from ordering spare parts through to obtaining information on what cars we have in stock and current delivery times. With Song as a supplier we are now getting a uniform technical solution which will be very flexible if we wish to add more services, increase capacity or connect more offices to our network," says Michael Friis, IT director of Toyota Sweden AB. The solution will be supplemented by a backup service for Toyota's local server centre, which will be connected via the IP/VPN network. The information will be stored on tape media in Song's data centre, which meets the most stringent requirements regarding physical IT security. With the Remote Backup service, Toyota is rationalising its backup routines with regard to ongoing administration and maintenance of equipment, guaranteeing the possibility of restoring lost information if necessary. "It is inspiring that Toyota is selecting Song's solution for its extensive Swedish data-communication network. By owning the network via which the IP/VPN solution is being set up, we can meet Toyota's requirements regarding price, performance and quality. And should the need arise, we can also extend the solution to our neighbouring Nordic countries, where we also have our own network coverage," says Mats Almgren, sales director of Song Networks. For further information, please contact: Song Networks Svenska AB Song Networks Svenska AB Mats Almgren, sales director Tobias Gyhlenius, press service Tel.: +46 (0)8-5631 02 40 Tel.: +46 (0)8-5631 05 27 Mobile: +46 (0)701-810 240 Mobile: +46 (0)701-810 527 E-mail: mats.almgren@songnetworks.se E-mail:tobias.gyhlenius@songnetworks.se Toyota Sweden AB Michael Friis, IT-director Tel: +46 (0)8-706 71 28 Mobile: +46 (0)73-973 19 51 E-mail: michael.friis@toyota.se About Song Networks, formerly Tele1 Europe, (Stockholmsbörsen: SONW) Song Networks is a data and telecommunications operator with activities in Sweden, Finland, Norway and Denmark. The Company's business concept is to offer the best broadband solution for data communication, Internet and voice to businesses in the Nordic region. This means that Song Networks supplies communication solutions that are attractively customized for each corporate customer. Song Networks is currently the only pan Nordic operator investing in local access networks with broadband capacity. The Company has built local access networks in the largest cities in the Nordic region. The access networks, which are linked by a long-distance network is one of the fastest data and Internet super-highways in Europe, with an initial capacity for customers of up to one gigabit. The Company was founded in 1995 in Sweden and have approximately 975 employees per September 30. The head office is located in Stockholm and there are an additional 34 offices located in the Nordic region. www.songnetworks.net About Toyota, Toyota is the third largest car manufacturer in the world with a yearly production of 6 million cars. Toyota has 64 factories, all certified with the environment certificate, ISO 14001. Certain statements contained in this press release contain "forward- looking statements" within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities law. Such statements are based on the current expectations of the management of Song Networks Holding AB only, and performance is subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from these statements. Such risks include, but are not limited to, adverse regulatory, technological or competitive developments; decline in demand for the company's services or products; inability to timely develop, introduce and market new technologies, products and services; pricing pressures resulting from competition; unforeseen construction delays; and the inability to successfully manage systems failures or shutdowns and service interruptions or reduced services to customers. For a more detailed discussion of such risks and uncertainties affecting the company, please refer to Song Networks Holding AB's reports that are filed from time to time with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including the company's annual report on Form 20-F and reports on Form 6-K. ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by Waymaker http://www.waymaker.net The following files are available for download: http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2002/12/18/20021218BIT00210/wkr0001.doc http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2002/12/18/20021218BIT00210/wkr0002.pdf