AEP Systems Appoints ORC as a Premier Reseller to the Federal Government

Business Wire, April 10, 2003

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

FOSE Conference 2003

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 10, 2003

AEP Systems Inc., a Boston-based high-speed security solutions company, announced today it has entered into a Premier Reseller Partnership agreement with Operational Research Consultants, Inc. (ORC), a systems integrator and information assurance firm. AEP Systems will reach a greater range of government customers with its hardware security and acceleration solutions through ORC. With over 80 experienced professionals, ORC provides systems engineering services for a variety of clients in the public and private sectors.

ORC will offer AEP Systems' security products through numerous contract vehicles including the US Department of Defense, Defense Information Systems Agency, the US General Services Administration, the US Department of Agriculture, the US Environmental Protection Agency, the US Census Bureau and the Administrative Office of the US Courts. AEP Systems and ORC's combined sales and support staff will focus their initial marketing efforts on AEP SureWare Keyper and AEP SureWare Net product lines.

AEP SureWare Keyper is the most comprehensive hardware cryptographic module of its class for secure key management. AEP SureWare Keyper is a network device, supporting high availability and load balancing, while providing tamper protection to FIPS 140-1 Level 4. The device is aimed at high security, high reliability applications, enhancing PKI security in any PKCS#11 or Microsoft CryptoAPI compliant environment including the following markets: Certificate Authorities, OCSP Responders and Registration Authorities.

AEP SureWare Net is ideally suited to government agencies using a VPN, where protection of highly sensitive VPN traffic is a priority. It can be deployed in any VPN, intranet/extranet environment, such as an IP Security Gateway at the network interface, or at the workstation to support secure end-to-end or data separation requirements. AEP SureWare Net is based on the IPSec standards for IP security for IP security, is fully PKI enabled and provides a managed solution through AEP Systems' Policy Manager software.

Mark Taber, Vice President Sales for AEP Systems said, "AEP Systems immediately benefits from ORC's extensive PKI expertise and the value ORC provides its customers. The partnership also enhances the level of customer service we can offer customers."

"We look forward to adding AEP Systems' PK enablement solutions to the ORC family of products," said Dan Turissini, ORC President. "This technology not only fits with existing ORC initiatives and opportunities within DoD, but also with the civilian agencies. AEP Systems' FIPS Level 4 certified products allows us to give our customers the choice of a higher level of security."

About AEP Systems

AEP Systems (www.aepsystems.com), the high-speed security company, delivers hardware security and acceleration solutions that are fast and cost-effective to deploy. Customers include financial institutions, government bodies, healthcare organizations, and OEMs. Founded in 1998, AEP Systems is privately held with US headquarters in Boston, MA and offices in Palo Alto, Europe and Asia-Pacific.

About ORC

Operational Research Consultants, Inc. (www.orc.com), is a systems integrator and information assurance firm based in Chesapeake and Fairfax, Virginia. Founded in 1991, its staff of 80 experienced professionals provides systems engineering services for a variety of clients in the public and private sectors. Among those federal agencies currently contracting with ORC are US Department of Defense, Defense Information Systems Agency, US General Services Administration, US Department of Agriculture, US Environmental Protection Agency, US Census Bureau, and the Administrative Office of the US Courts.

Operational Research Consultants, Inc. is a service related disabled veteran owned small disadvantaged business and has received SBA approval for fifteen NAICS/SIC codes.