Platinum Equity Acquires Alcatel's European Enterprise Distribution Operations

Business Wire, April 10, 2002

Business Editors

LOS ANGELES & PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 10, 2002

European Acquisition Enhances Platinum's Network

Services Portfolio and Global Customer Base

Platinum Equity, LLC, a leading private buyout firm focused on acquiring and growing technology companies, acquired the EURO 1.5 billion (US$1.3 billion) European operations of Alcatel's (Paris:CGEP.PA) (NYSE:ALA) enterprise distribution and services business. The European business provides geographic and service complements to NextiraOne, one of Platinum's 24 wholly-owned companies. NextiraOne is a U.S.-based company providing network services and solutions of voice, data and converged technology to enterprises throughout North America. Together, these two businesses will serve a worldwide customer base with premier voice and data convergence solutions. Additional terms of the acquisition are not disclosed.

This acquisition marks Platinum Equity's second acquisition of a billion-plus dollar business in less than twelve months, and its third acquisition in 2002. In six years, and with nearly 40 acquisitions, Platinum Equity has emerged as one of the fastest-growing private buyout firms in the U.S.

Alcatel's enterprise distribution business provides voice and data telecommunications services to businesses throughout Europe. It has a team of 6,500 employees serving 400,000 customers in 17 European countries. The combined businesses of NextiraOne and the Alcatel acquisition will have 2002 projected revenues of more than EURO 2.8 billion (US$2.5 billion) and will serve an international customer base in excess of 500,000.

Under the new ownership, the Alcatel enterprise distribution business will continue to be an Alcatel premier channel distribution partner, but will also offer products from other telecommunications companies. Platinum Equity will operate the European business as a stand-alone entity, led by a new executive management team located in Paris, France. The acquisition includes an agreement for NextiraOne to distribute Alcatel enterprise voice and data products in North America.

Tom T. Gores, president and CEO of Platinum Equity, said, "The Alcatel acquisition rounds out a three year strategy by Platinum Equity to build a premier, world-class, global voice and data network services provider. With the European and North American synergies shared between the Alcatel acquisition and NextiraOne, we are well-positioned to lead the network services market."

For Alcatel, this divestiture transforms its enterprise business into a multi-channel organization. This gives the company a flexible, cost-effective channel, enabling Alcatel to focus on the design and marketing of next-generation voice and data networking solutions for the enterprise.

"We are confident that employees, customers and partners of the Alcatel enterprise business will benefit from Platinum Equity's ownership and a new U.S. partner, NextiraOne," said Olivier Houssin, president of the e-Business solutions activities of Alcatel. "Platinum Equity is focused on creating new value and providing customers with top quality solutions and services. We look forward to a lasting relationship with the Platinum, NextiraOne and the e-Business teams."

"Trans-continental acquisitions present multiple complexities. Platinum took on each new challenge with the same energy and swiftness that have built our firm's success in the past six years," said Johnny O. Lopez, executive vice president of mergers and acquisitions of Platinum Equity. "We have immense respect for Alcatel, their employees, and a great appreciation for the European M&A landscape. We look forward to discovering new European acquisitions."

Platinum Equity

Platinum Equity (www.peh.com) is one of the largest and fastest-growing private buyout firms in the United States, specializing in the acquisition and operation of global, mission-critical technology companies. Since the company's founding in 1995, Platinum has completed nearly 40 transactions of global, mission-critical companies with leading Fortune 500 Corporations including Williams Communications, Motorola, Staples, Fujitsu, WorldCom, AT&T and IBM. Today, Platinum Equity has a multi-billion dollar revenue base, an established infrastructure in North America, Europe, Asia and South America and a workforce of more than 15,000 employees serving more than 500,000 customers throughout the world. Platinum Equity was recently ranked by Forbes magazine as the 75th largest private company in the United States.

About Alcatel

Alcatel builds next generation networks, delivering integrated end-to-end voice and data networking solutions to established and new carriers, as well as enterprises and consumers worldwide. With 110,000 employees and sales of EURO 27 billion in 2000, Alcatel operates in more than 130 countries. For more information, visit Alcatel on the Internet: http://www.alcatel.com