Alcatel 7450 ESS Meets 'Always-On' Requirements for Ethernet Services PARIS, March 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Alcatel (NYSE: ALA; Paris: CGEP.PA) today announced the successful verification by BT Exact of non-stop routing functionality on the Alcatel 7450 Ethernet Service Switch (ESS). Ethernet is already a favoured enterprise technology, and with a proven Ethernet router such as the Alcatel 7450 ESS that assures non-stop routing, operators can confidently introduce mission-critical services over Ethernet in order to generate new revenue opportunities. The Alcatel 7450 ESS performed extremely well under test and demonstrated carrier-class high availability in non-stop routing, forwarding and enhanced Ethernet services -- all critical components for ensuring "always-on" services. This provides the fundamental service capability required to deliver voice, video and data services with zero interruptions. Alcatel engaged the professional services of BT Exact to assist in the test and evaluation of the Alcatel 7450 Ethernet Service Switch (ESS-7) for high-availability features. The tests proved the ESS-7 is a high performance device that was barely impacted in forwarding packets, offered Non-Stop Routing of IP/MPLS routing protocols and Non-Stop-Services for advanced Ethernet services during failovers. "BT Exact concludes that Alcatel's high availability implementation represents the type of high performance solution demanded by service providers and carriers for service/edge switch high availability," said Jameel Khan, senior integration engineer for BT Exact. The BT Exact tests were designed to stretch the challenging conditions at the edge of large IP/MPLS networks by simulating hundreds of peers, thousands of routes and SLA-based services. Tests verified non-stop services during a control plane switchover, which demonstrated the Alcatel 7450 ESS's service awareness and routing protocol reconvergence performance. Another test verified the platform's ability to continue processing topology routing updates during a control plane switchover, thereby ensuring customer traffic was always forwarded over a valid route. In addition, the tests demonstrated that Alcatel's non-stop routing implementation is transparent to and fully interoperable with adjacent routers from other vendors. "Telecom operators are turning to Ethernet for mission-critical enterprise applications and they are now moving full-speed ahead on large-scale rollouts of 'triple play' where fixed and mobile services are combined," said Basil Alwan, president of Alcatel's IP activities. "These are ambitious and complex undertakings that require stringent testing and 100% confidence that the network will deliver." "We have designed our portfolio from the ground up to respond to these requirements," added Mr. Alwan. "Anything less than 'always on' is unacceptable. So we are pleased that testing witnessed by BT Exact validates the high performance of the 7450 ESS and its ability to withstand demanding failure scenarios." To view the entire report visit: http://www.alcatel.com/bnd/vpls/ About BT BT is one of the world's leading providers of communications solutions and services operating in more than 160 Countries. Its principal activities include networked IT services, local, national and international telecommunications services, and higher-value broadband and internet products and services. BT consists principally of four lines of business: BT Global Services, Openreach, BT Retail and BT Wholesale. In the year ended 31 March 2005, BT Group's revenue was 18,623 million pounds Sterling with profit before taxation of 2,354 million pounds Sterling. British Telecommunications plc (BT) is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BT Group and encompasses virtually all businesses and assets of the BT Group. BT Group plc is listed on stock exchanges in London and New York. For more information, visit http://www.bt.com/aboutbt About BT Exact BT Exact is BT's IT and operations business. Its dedicated IT professionals provide the technology foundation for BT's transformation into a global networked IT services company while working to create a zero touch, self-service, real-time world for BT's customers. In supporting BT's lines of business, BT Exact delivers customer success by combining a deep knowledge of change management, IT operations, leading-edge network design, and IT system and application development. BT Exact's IT professionals have a strong track record in the delivery and development of systems and solutions; and in managing a secure and resilient infrastructure. The innovations developed at BT's laboratories at Adastral Park, UK provide BT Exact with a world-class science and engineering base for the design and delivery of next-generation converged networks and services -- such as BT's 21st Century Network (21CN). About Alcatel Alcatel provides communications solutions to telecommunication carriers, Internet service providers and enterprises for delivery of voice, data and video applications to their customers or employees. Alcatel brings its leading position in fixed and mobile broadband networks, applications and services, to help its partners and customers build a user-centric broadband world. With sales of EURO 13.1 billion and 58,000 employees in 2005, Alcatel operates in more than 130 countries. For more information, visit Alcatel on the Internet: http://www.alcatel.com/ About Alcatel's IP portfolio Alcatel is focused on the continued enhancement of its IP portfolio in order to meet the diverse needs of its customer base and ensure high customer satisfaction. This has led to its confirmation by independent industry analysts as a "top-three" provider of IP solutions. In particular, Alcatel has led the industry in the definition of the multiservice edge router segment, based on delivering the critical feature set demanded by progressive service providers who seek to use IP/MPLS to converge multiple networks while simultaneously initiating profitable and compelling new services. To date, more than 70 of the world's leading service providers have selected the Alcatel IP portfolio. DATASOURCE: Alcatel CONTACT: press, Tracy Dupree, +1-818-878-4408, or , or Regine Coqueran, HQ, +33-0-1-40-76-49-24, or , or Mark Burnworth, HQ, +33-0-1-40-76-50-84, or , or investor relations, Pascal Bantegnie, +33-0-1-40-76-52-20, or , or Nicolas Leyssieux, +33-0-1-40-76-37-32, or , or Maria Alcon, +33-0-1-40-76-15-17, or , or Charlotte Laurent- Ottomane, +1-703-668-7016, or , all of Alcatel Web site: http://www.alcatel.com/ http://www.alcatel.com/bnd/vpls http://www.bt.com/aboutbt

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