Equant to deliver advanced content networking solutions with ActiVia Networks

ActiVia confirm leading position as a CDN technology provider to network operators and large enterprises worldwide

Equant to deliver advanced content networking solutions with ActiVia Networks

Vallauris, 27 August 2002 -- ActiVia Networks, a leading provider of Content Networking solutions, today announced that it has been selected by Equant, an industry leader in IP and data services to multinational businesses, to provide content-enabling features for Equants Network Services portfolio.

Equants choice was announced recently following a multi-vendor selection process and extensive lab and customer trials. Equant will use ActiVias content distribution, request redirection and CDN management systems, delivered via Constellation, ActiVias next-generation Content Networking solution.

Content-enabling the network brings content to users desktops, where it is needed most, quickly and efficiently. Equants network will be able to make intelligent decisions on how to get the content -- in text, audio, video, or other format -- to users. Users will be routed to the nearest server with the updated and secure content they need, depending on where they are located and what type of content they are accessing. Equant customers will benefit from more efficient use of their VPN bandwidth, and their users will get content to their desktop faster.

"The changing nature of content and the increasing use of Web-based applications create challenges for enterprise IP Networks," said Pierre Roche, Marketing Manager for Content Networking Solutions at Equant. "Equants content networking solutions will make IP Networks more bandwidth efficient and content more secure. Using ActiVia Constellation puts us in a strong position to provide premium services to our customers."

"This announcement confirms ActiVias leading position as a CDN technology provider to network operators and large enterprises worldwide," said Pierre Liautaud, CEO of ActiVia Networks. "Equants requirements were very demanding in terms of performance, ease of deployment and scalability, and they insisted that we should offer the lowest total cost of ownership. We are very excited that our solution will help Equant handle the volume and diversity of its customers content delivery needs."

ActiVia Networks Constellation has been recognized as the most advanced content networking solution available today, offering unmatched integration of content distribution and content routing functions, and working in unison with leading caching appliances.

About ActiVia Networks

ActiVia Networks designs and delivers packaged content networking solutions to large corporations and service providers worldwide.

The company has developed and delivered Operator and Enterprise versions of Constellation, its Content Networking solution, based on the flagship A*Star content router and the Constellation Manager application. ActiVia has a proven business model as a focused provider of Content Networking solutions, working with key cache vendor partners as Network Appliance or Blue Coat Systems (formerly CacheFlow), for a complete CDN offering.

ActiVia Networks helps large corporations efficiently manage the distribution of valuable business content over their Intranet and Extranet infrastructure. Deployed over private or virtual IP networks, ActiVia's Enterprise solutions allow corporations to utilize bandwidth more efficiently and to optimize cache infrastructure, while providing end-users with quality access to strategic enterprise content. They enable effectively rolling out new multimedia applications across the extended enterprise, like e-learning, Web-casting, and e-marketing.

ActiVia's ISP solutions allow global and regional enterprise service providers to provide managed Caching and managed CDN services to those corporations that wish to outsource their cache or CDN infrastructure. In addition, ActiVia Networks enable service providers to build and operate their own Internet CDN, serving the most complex Internet content delivery needs of corporations, content providers and content aggregators.

ActiVia Networks builds upon leading-edge technologies developed by its founders since 1995 at INRIA, the prestigious French Computer Science Laboratory and European host of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). Backed by a prestigious line-up of scientific and business advisors, and contributing to several standardization initiatives such as Content Alliance and IETF, ActiVia Networks is the vision leader of next generation Content Networking Solutions. Partners include global vendors such as IBM, Blue Coat Systems (formerly CacheFlow), Network Appliance, as well as France Telecom R&D.

ActiVia Networks, founded in April 2000 and headquartered in Europes "telecom valley" Sophia Antipolis -- France, is a privately held technology company financed by Sofinnova Partners, Cross Atlantic Ventures, I-Source and FCJE.

WEB SITE: www.activia.net

About Equant

Equant (NYSE: ENT) (Euronext Paris: EQU) is a recognized industry leader in global IP and data services for multinational businesses, offering network, integration and managed services to global organizations. The network has unmatched seamless global reach, connecting key business centers in 220 countries and territories, with local support in 145 countries and territories. Building on more than 50 years of experience in data communications, Equant serves thousands of the world's top companies. Equant, a member of the France Telecom Group, meets the diverse needs of global companies with the industry's most extensive portfolio of managed data network services. Equant's 2001 revenues, on a pro forma basis, were more than $3 billion.

For all further information, please contact:

ActiVia Networks, S.A.
Lieven Vanstraelen
Director of Marketing
+33 4 97 23 46 43
lv@activia.net

Hopscotch
Sandrine Cormary / Karine Salvi
+33 1 58 65 00 40 / +33 1 58 65 00 46
scormary@hopscotch.biz
ksalvi@hopscotch.biz