SAVVIS' Financial Xchange Offers VPN and Fix Network Connectivity to the Pacific Exchange

Business Wire, Dec 17, 2002

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

HERNDON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 17, 2002

World's Leading Derivatives Market Utilizes SAVVIS to Enhance

Network Connectivity Options

SAVVIS Communications (NASDAQ:SVVS), a global managed IP and managed hosting services provider, announced today that the Pacific Exchange (PCX) will offer network access to PCX Plus, its new options trading system, via SAVVIS Financial Xchange(SM) services.

Using SAVVIS Financial Xchange(SM), the buyside and sellside can participate in PCX markets via a secured private IP VPN (virtual private network) or a shared FIX (Financial Information eXchange) connection.

PCX trades around 420,000 options contracts each day on over 1,200 stocks. PCX Plus creates a hybrid electronic options marketplace, providing firms the ability to make markets from the trading floor or remote locations.

This new system opens PCX markets to a wide range of potential new liquidity providers, including broker-dealers, institutional trading firms, hedge funds, mutual funds, and foreign and domestic banks. These entities will be given the opportunity to post quotes, enter orders into the consolidated book, and interact with customer and non-customer orders.

PCX Plus trading engine will aggregate quotes from potentially hundreds of market makers, thus yielding greater liquidity and narrow bid-ask spreads for customers.

PCX depends on SAVVIS Financial Xchange(SM) to deliver fast, reliable, and secured data communications to PCX Plus. Over 4,700 financial institutions currently connected to the SAVVIS global network will now have the capability to connect to PCX Plus via award- winning SAVVIS private IP VPN connections or shared FIX connections.

"PCX Plus is another example of how the Pacific Exchange is leveraging technology to provide efficient, liquid markets and superior customer service," said Dale Carlson, vice president of corporate affairs of the Pacific Exchange. "We received many requests from our customers to provide VPN and FIX connections to PCX Plus via SAVVIS Financial Xchange(SM). We worked closely with SAVVIS to make it happen. Our customers are pleased with the performance, reliability, and security of the SAVVIS network connections. In addition, we believe SAVVIS Financial Xchange(SM) will enable us to grow our business by connecting our markets to other financial institutions already on the SAVVIS network."

SAVVIS' Financial Xchange(SM) is quickly becoming the de facto standard for network connectivity in the global financial markets. Financial Xchange(SM) includes private IP VPNs, FIX networks, high-speed Internet access, and managed hosting solutions.

All Financial Xchange(SM) solutions are built on SAVVIS' award-winning Intelligent IP Network(SM), the only IP network built from the ground up to carry real-time market data. SAVVIS Financial Xchange(SM) solutions are unique in that multiple applications can be combined over a single local loop, with each application assigned the dedicated bandwidth and Quality of Service (QoS) it needs.

SAVVIS' solutions architecture simplifies complex networking and reduces costs for its customers.

"SAVVIS is a proven network and hosting service provider for a number of leading financial exchanges and liquidity pools - NYSE, Boston Stock Exchange, Chicago Board Options Exchange, the Philadelphia Stock Exchange, REDIBook ECN and others," said Jack Finlayson, president and chief operating officer of SAVVIS. "We are pleased that the Pacific Exchange is leveraging SAVVIS Financial Xchange(SM) to provide outstanding liquidity and service to its customers through PCX Plus."

About Pacific Exchange

The Pacific Exchange (PCX) is a marketplace where individual and institutional investors, professional broker-dealers, and registered member firms meet to buy and sell option on more than 1,200 stocks. It is one of the world's leading derivatives markets. For more information on how to connect to PCX Plus please contact PCX Connect at 415/393-7879 or email pcxconnect@pacificex.com.

For more information on PCX Plus, please visit http://www.pacificex.com/.> About SAVVIS

SAVVIS Communications Corp. (NASDAQ:SVVS) is a global managed service provider that delivers IP VPNs, both private and public, and managed hosting services to businesses. SAVVIS targets the financial services industry and other enterprises with demanding network and hosting requirements such as legal, media, retail, professional services, and healthcare.

Known as The Network that Powers Wall Street,(SM) SAVVIS connects to more than 4,700 financial institutions worldwide and provides a portfolio of services via Financial Xchange(SM). Its customer base is 30% financial services, with 80% of its revenue derived from Managed IP VPNs.

SAVVIS' IP VPNs were named Product of the Year for 2001 by the editors of Network Magazine, surpassing well-known VPN providers such as AT&T, WorldCom, Sprint and Genuity.

The company was ranked the eighth fastest-growing technology company in North America on the 2001 Deloitte & Touche Technology Fast 500 and was awarded Frost & Sullivan's 2002 Market Engineering Award for Product Differentiation Innovation for its managed hosting services.