THE MFA FORUM WELCOMES NEXAGENT AS A NEW MEMBER TO ADVANCE AND PROMOTE OPEN INTERCONNECT ARCHITECTURES

Nexagent joins roster of key industry players, including BT, Cisco Systems, Deutsche Telekom, Ericsson, Juniper Networks, Nortel Networks, Sprint and Verizon

London UK, 15 August 2005 - Nexagent, the market leader in centralised management software and hardware for interconnecting next-generation telecom networks, has today announced its membership of the MFA Forum, an international industry organisation that is advancing the recognition and acceptance of multi-vendor, multi-service, packet-based networks, associated applications and interworking solutions in the global telecom industry. The MFA Forum was formed following the merger of the MPLS and Frame Relay Alliance and the ATM Forum last month.

Nexagent was invited to join the MFA Forum due to its pioneering technology and expert knowledge about multi-carrier interconnection. This has been gained over the last three years by listening to the needs of over 100 carriers and 10 systems integrators about the multi-carrier challenge and the complex issues involved.

Andrew G. Malis, chairman and president of the MFA Forum, said: "Nexagent is making great strides in interconnect MPLS solutions. As such, the MFA Forum is pleased to welcome Nexagent as a new member, and looks forward to its valuable contributions to the MPLS Inter-Carrier Interface and other Forum work items."

Dave Page, Chief Technology Officer, Nexagent said “Nexagent is committed to establishing a common understanding of end-to-end service requirements with carriers and systems integrators and defining the standard for next-generation interconnect. We look forward to working closely with the MFA Forum and taking an active role in supporting them and their critical industry work.”

Nexagent is the pioneer and market leader in centralised management software and hardware for interconnecting next-generation telecom networks. Based on open standards and offering a component-based approach, Nexagent’s software and hardware enables carriers and systems integrators to automate and accelerate the creation, provisioning and management of advanced IP services over multiple carrier networks. As well as dramatically reducing time-to-market for new services, Nexagent’s customers benefit from increased operational efficiencies, improved productivity and greater service performance – all key to remaining competitive in a crowded marketplace.

The MFA Forum is an international, industry-wide, nonprofit association of telecommunications, networking, and other companies focused on advancing the deployment of multi-vendor, multi-service packet-based networks, associated applications, and interworking solutions. The Forum provides a meeting ground for companies that are creating MPLS, Frame Relay and ATM products and deploying MPLS, Frame Relay and ATM networks and services.

Through the efforts of its three working committees, the Forum encourages: (a) input to the development of standards throughout the various industry standards groups; (b) the creation of Implementation Agreements, based upon appropriate standards, on how to build and deliver MPLS, Frame Relay and ATM networks and services; (c) the definition of interoperability test suites and coordination of interoperability events to demonstrate the readiness of MPLS for network deployments; (d) the creation and delivery of educational programmes to educate the industry about MPLS, Frame Relay and ATM technologies, services and solutions; and (e) building the awareness of MPLS as a technology ready for wide-scale deployment within service provider networks to deliver profitable services to the end-user community.

-ENDS-

About Nexagent

Nexagent is the pioneer and market leader in centralised management software and hardware for interconnecting next-generation telecom networks. Based on open standards and offering a component based approach, Nexagents software and hardware enables Carriers and Systems Integrators to automate and accelerate the creation, provisioning and management of advanced IP services over multiple carrier networks. As well as dramatically reducing time-to-market for new services, Nexagents customers benefit from increased operational efficiencies, improved productivity and greater service performance all key to remaining competitive in a crowded marketplace. For more information, visit Nexagents website at: www.nexagent.com

About the MFA Forum

The MFA Forum is an international, industry-wide, nonprofit association of telecommunications, networking, and other companies focused on advancing the deployment of multi-vendor, multi-service packet-based networks, associated applications, and interworking solutions. The Forum currently has more than 50 members. For Forum membership information please contact Alexa Morris, executive director, at (510) 608-5914 or via e-mail at amorris@mplsforum.org. Additional information about The MFA Forum is available online at http://www.mfaforum.org

Contacts

For Nexagent: Marina Ruscoe/ Caroline Tarbett

Tel: + 44 (0) 207 349 2275

Email: marina.ruscoe@b1.com; caroline.tarbett@b1.com