Fujitsu Reaches Strategic Next-Gen Voice Product Agreement with MetaSwitch

Alameda, CA: August 5, 2004. Fujitsu Telecommunications Europe Ltd, the leading supplier of high-performance telecommunications solutions, has announced today that it has reached agreement with MetaSwitch, a division of Data Connection Ltd, to integrate MetaSwitch's leading edge softswitch into Fujitsu's next generation voice products for the UK market. This move is part of a long-standing 4-year relationship with MetaSwitch, which has produced a number of key strategic product initiatives, including the integration of a Voice over IP platform for the BT Broadband Voice service. The new agreement will result in the widely acclaimed MetaSwitch products being fully incorporated into the Fujitsu product line, broadening Fujitsu's existing market-leading broadband infrastructure capability, as well as providing comprehensive support across future features and functionality in line with voice migration and new technology adoption.

Under Fujitsu's existing GeoStream Access Gateway product portfolio, the expanded product line-up will include the GeoStream Call Server and the GeoStream Media Gateway - integrating components from MetaSwitch's distributed softswitch architecture. These two new products represent an important step forwards, providing operators with new capabilities to facilitate faster and more cost-effective migration, from legacy voice networks to a fully-converged NGN common network infrastructure.

Commenting on the new agreement, Nigel Garnham, Fujitsu's Business Development Manager, said: "This is a major step forward in our relationship and we believe it will strengthen our overall product strategy. Fujitsu's existing market-leading broadband access solutions will now be complemented by the full interworking capability of a world-class next-generation voice platform. Over the past four years, MetaSwitch and Fujitsu have worked very closely, building a strong relationship. We have been totally impressed by the skill, dedication and competence that MetaSwitch has demonstrated. The timely incorporation of these products into our portfolio will, we believe, generate many opportunities to deploy the capability to customers considering their future strategic direction, as well as providing clear emphasis for the migration of voice services in our NGN vision. We will continue to work very closely with the team at MetaSwitch, defining the features and capabilities of these products, as well as ensuring their comprehensive integration with other products in our portfolio."

John Lazar, MetaSwitch CEO, said: "Our partnership with Fujitsu has been extremely successful, as the launch of BT's Broadband Voice service shows. Building on that success, we are very excited to take the partnership to the next level, as the major carriers accelerate their adoption of Voice over IP and softswitch technologies, turning to companies like Fujitsu for complete end-to-end solutions. Our relationship with Fujitsu in the UK dovetails very well with our strategy to focus our own direct sales and marketing efforts on North America, where we now have more than 60 switches deployed."

Fujitsu and MetaSwitch have partnered on a number of leading next generation network standards developments in the past, chairing both the Signalling and Architecture workgroups of the Multiservice Switching Forum. As H.248 and the MSF Service Broker interface become common protocols for all parts of the next generation network infrastructure, Fujitsu will continue to work with MetaSwitch on the early demonstration and deployment of compliant products.

About Fujitsu

Fujitsu is a leading provider of customer-focused IT and communications solutions for the global marketplace. Pace-setting technologies, highly reliable computing and telecommunications platforms, and a worldwide corps of systems and services experts, uniquely position Fujitsu to deliver comprehensive solutions that open up infinite possibilities for its customers' success. Headquartered in Tokyo, Fujitsu Limited (TSE:6702) reported consolidated revenues of 4.77 trillion yen (approximately US$45 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2004. (For more information, please see: www.fujitsu.com.)

About Fujitsu Telecommunications Europe

Fujitsu Telecommunications Europe Limited is a major supplier of Broadband Access equipment in Europe and is Fujitsu's worldwide design location for access network solutions - including a centre of excellence for the development of Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) technology. The company is also the leading provider of broadband solutions in the UK, with more than 2 million lines deployed to date.

Fujitsu's GeoStream portfolio comprises a set of flexible, reliable and powerful network elements that can be used to construct an end-to-end communications network, capable of delivering the widest range of services to end-users. A key part of Fujitsu's Next Generation Network strategy, the GeoStream Access Gateway is a scalable, multi-service platform, interfacing to the widest range of access technologies and providing aggregation for IP, Gigabit Ethernet, Ethernet, ATM, TDM and POTS services, over copper, direct fibre, PON and wireless. Incorporating media gateway functionality, with standards-based external control interfaces, GeoStream Access Gateway provides an ideal platform for PSTN evolution to the Next Generation Network. With combined packet and TDM capabilities, GeoStream Access Gateway can support the migration of services from legacy networks to the new core.

Headquartered in Birmingham, UK, Fujitsu Telecommunications Europe is focused on providing strategic end-to-end solutions, supported by complete turnkey services. Fujitsu is playing a fundamental role in the creation of "Broadband Britain" - from world-leading products and technology, through project planning, community liaison, cable laying and civil engineering, to installation, implementation and ongoing maintenance. (For more information, please visit: uk.fujitsu.com)

About MetaSwitch

MetaSwitch is the industry's leading independent broadband Class 5 softswitch vendor. Its widely deployed VP3500 Series Class 5 Softswitch supports a wide range of subscriber and Centrex features, and scales from a few hundred to half a million subscribers. Customers include incumbent and competitive carriers, as well as operators of broadband wireless, cable and fibre networks.

MetaSwitch is a division of established technology provider Data Connection Limited, headquartered in London UK, with US offices in Reston, VA, Alameda CA and Dallas TX. The company was founded in 1981 and is privately held. During each of the past 22 years, its profits have exceeded 20% of revenue, with sales exceeding £30 million in its last financial year. In March this year, Data Connection won third prize in the Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For, as well as a special award for its care of the well-being of its employees. (For more information, see www.metaswitch.com.)

Data Connection and MetaSwitch are trademarks of Data Connection Limited and Data Connection Corporation. Brands and products referenced herein are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.