Proficient Network Policy Engine Receives Communications News' Editors' Choice Award

Business Wire, Nov 7, 2002

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

Networld Interop and COMDEX Atlanta 2002

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 7, 2002

The Proficient Network Policy Engine Touted as Unique and

Innovative by Top-Ranking Magazine

Proficient Networks, a leading provider of network optimization solutions, today announced that Nelson Publishing's Communications News Magazine has selected the Proficient Network Policy Engine as winner of their 2002 Editors' Choice Award.

The editors of Communications News, a leading publication for telecommunications, data communications and network managers chose the Proficient Network Policy Engine as one of five Editors' Choice Awards from over 830 different vendors' products at the recent Networld Interop Conference in Atlanta.

"Editors' Choice Awards are selected based on a product's usefulness to enterprises and service providers," according to Ken Anderberg, editor of Communications News. "The Proficient Network Policy Engine fills a need for intelligent routing by reliably providing smarter, cheaper bandwidth. We continuously strive to identify innovative products that can contribute to the productiveness of data and voice networks."

The November issue of Communications News includes special coverage of the Networld Interop Editors' Choice award winners. In addition to the print coverage in the magazine, Proficient Networks' award-winning product will be included on Communications News' Web site at http://www.comnews.com.

"The Proficient Network Policy Engine enhances the performance and reliability of business-critical IP applications for enterprises and services providers," said Madeline Chan, VP Strategy and Marketing of Proficient Networks. "By increasing the resiliency of our customers' networks, we provide them the peace of mind they need to migrate to these technologies and drive the adoption and use of business-critical IP services."

Proficient Networks provides solutions for enterprises and service providers to accelerate the deployment of multiple Internet connections as they face the carrier crisis head on through network diversity. By collectively managing separate Internet links, companies can transform these network infrastructures into business quality networks, resulting in smarter, cheaper bandwidth. The Proficient Network Policy Engine is the only product on the market today that simultaneously applies performance-based routing policy while intelligently distributing the remaining traffic to minimize overall costs. Proficient Networks customer base consist of both enterprises and service providers, including CTX Mortgage, EdgePoint Technology, (a leading systems integrator of e-learning solutions with customers including Cisco Networking Academy), United Online, and Bang Networks. These companies have integrated the Proficient Network Policy Engine product family to establish a best practices multi-homed network design to deliver data through the most appropriate Internet path to ensure optimal performance for Web-based applications and efficient use of network resources.

About Proficient Networks

Proficient Networks is a leading provider of network optimization solutions for enterprises and service providers. Enabling network optimization results in applications such as IP-VPNs, VoIP, and web-based enterprise applications to effectively use the Internet in spite of service degradations experienced with today's major carrier networks.

The Proficient Network Policy Engine is an appliance delivering a toolkit of comprehensive traffic engineering mechanisms that adds performance and cost intelligence to Internet routing. An optimized network engineered by the Proficient Networks delivers enhanced business continuity, application-aware route control, and better visibility and control into network performance and cost.

Headquartered in San Francisco, Proficient Networks is privately held, funded by BV Capital, Canaan Partners, El Dorado Ventures, Horizon Ventures, and individual investors, including Ed Kozel, former Board of Director member and Chief Technology Officer and Senior Vice President for Business Development at Cisco Systems. For more information on Proficient Networks, visit www.proficient.net

About Communications News

Founded in 1964, Communications News is written for enterprise telecommunications, data processing, networking, and communications managers and senior executives. Its focus is on network infrastructure from the point of view of the enterprise network manager as end user, designer, or installer. The publication offers user-written, practical case studies of communications products and cutting edge technology, and covers application-oriented networking, voice, data, and video communication products and technologies. Feature articles often illustrate how a product or technology is being used to solve a problem or how industries are using communications technology.