Alcatel and Sun to Jointly Market Intelligent Network Systems; Telecommunication Service Providers Can Offer Comprehensive Enhanced Voice and Data Applications

Business Wire, March 19, 2002

Business Editors

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 19, 2002

Industry leaders Alcatel and Sun Microsystems announced a Joint Marketing Agreement (JMA) to promote carrier-class, open-architecture voice and data Intelligent Networking (IN) solutions for telecommunication service providers in the U.S. market.

With this agreement, Alcatel (NYSE: ALA) and Sun Microsystems (NSDQ: SUNW) technology will help service providers meet growing demand for enhanced services for voice and packetized data networks.

The agreement entails both companies developing new marketing programs to promote the strengths of the Alcatel/Sun enhanced services package. This enhanced relationship builds on voice applications and services developed by Alcatel on Sun equipment and already in use by several major wireless and wireline carriers. Examples of these traditional services include virtual private networks, enhanced toll-free calling, and prepaid calling.

As these carriers migrate to their respective next generation networks, Alcatel will be able to deliver new multimedia and location-based services that will generate additional revenue streams for the carriers. As a first step, Alcatel has recently announced that its new Media Server product, which is based on its Open Systems Platform, is now available for carriers that are migrating to packet networks.

"Alcatel was one of the first vendors to realize the potential of open-architecture Intelligent Network systems," said Pat Deagman, vice president of NEP Group, Sun Microsystems. "As an early adopter of Sun Microsystems' platforms for enhanced service development, Alcatel's proven experience in this area enables them to more quickly adapt voice services to the packet environment, thereby providing customers a better business model for the rollout of competitive enhanced services."

"Our respective customers have a common need for reliable, open-architecture IN solutions designed for multi-vendor, multi-protocol networks that offer converged voice and data services on a single system," said Mark Peterson, vice president, product marketing and management, Alcatel. "This well-defined agreement meets that need with outstanding products from worldwide industry leaders."

About Alcatel

Alcatel designs, develops and builds innovative and competitive communications networks, enabling carriers, service providers and enterprises to deliver any type of content, such as voice, data and multimedia, to any type of consumer, anywhere in the world. Relying on its leading and comprehensive products and solutions portfolio, stretching from end-to-end optical infrastructures, fixed and mobile networks to broadband access, Alcatel's customers can focus on optimizing their service offerings and revenue streams. With sales of Euro 25 billion in 2001 and 99,000 employees, Alcatel operates in more than 130 countries. For more information, www.alcatel.com

About Sun Microsystems, Inc

Since its inception in 1982, a singular vision -- The Network Is The Computer -- has propelled Sun Microsystems, Inc. (Nasdaq: SUNW) to its position as a leading provider of industrial-strength hardware, software and services that power the Internet and allow companies worldwide to take their businesses to the nth. Sun can be found in more than 170 countries and on the World Wide Web at http://sun.com.