Ericsson and Vodafone Netherlands sign managed services contract

Wednesday, March 29 2006, Vodafone Netherlands and Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERICY) today announced they have entered into an exclusive managed services partnership. Under the contract, Ericsson will be responsible for the management of the access part of Vodafone Netherlands’ GSM, GPRS and UMTS radio networks.

Under the contract, Ericsson will be responsible for engineering, implementation and operation of the access part of Vodafone Netherlands’ GSM, GPRS and UMTS radio networks in the Netherlands. Vodafone Netherlands will retain ownership of the network and IT assets, as well as responsibility for the strategic direction of the network and IT infrastructure.

The five-year contract ensures Ericsson will operate radio access to the network to the highest standards, while enabling Vodafone Netherlands to manage and control its cost base, thereby enhancing the company’s platform for growth.

John Samarron, CTO, Vodafone Netherlands, says: “By transferring responsibility and the existing resources for the access part of our network, we are convinced that we will be able to capture synergies with Ericsson and that the quality of our access network will be further improved. Moreover, the shift to a partnering model allows us to focus on additional elements of the value chain that will enable growth and new product introduction. It also brings yet another growth business to the region of South Limburg.”

Hans Vestberg, Executive Vice President at Ericsson and Head of Business Unit Global Services, says: “We are very proud to be entrusted with operating the access part of Vodafone Netherlands’ network and to be able to extend further our long-term relationship with this operator in one of our strategic growth areas.”

About 160 Vodafone Netherlands employees will be transferred to Ericsson under the scope of the managed services agreement.

Ericsson is shaping the future of Mobile and Broadband Internet communications through its continuous technology leadership. Providing innovative solutions in more than 140 countries, Ericsson is helping to create the most powerful communication companies in the world.

About Vodafone Libertel N.V.
Vodafone is one of the Netherlands’ largest mobile telecommunication companies and is a member of the worldwide Vodafone Group, the world’s largest mobile community, with nearly 180 million customers on five continents, equity interests in 27 countries and partner networks in a further 32 countries.
For more information, go to www.vodafone.nl

About Ericsson Managed Services
Ericsson has the telecom industry’s most comprehensive managed services offerings, ranging from designing, building, operating and managing day-to-day operations of a customer’s network, to hosting service applications and enablers, as well as providing network coverage and capacity on demand. As the undisputed leader in managed services, Ericsson has officially announced more than 70 managed services contracts with operators worldwide since 2002. In all its current managed services contracts, excluding hosting, Ericsson is managing networks that together serve 53 million subscribers worldwide.

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