AFINA and Lucent Sign Value Added Distributor Agreement to Resell Lucent Security Solutions Throughout Latin America

With a new two-tier sales model Lucent carrier-grade security solutions will be available to enterprises, organizations, and service providers throughout Latin America

SEPTEMBER 27, 2006 - SAO PAULO, Brazil -- Lucent Technologies (NYSE: LU) today announced that it has signed a Value Added Distributor (VAD) agreement with AFINA, regional leader in distribution of products and professional services for internet/Intranet, to resell Lucent´s Bell Labs-developed comprehensive security portfolio as part of its larger IT offerings to Latin American IT resellers, system integrators, Internet Service Providers (ISPs), telecom carriers, and enterprises.

This new partnership will enable AFINA and its reseller and carrier clients to directly offer solutions to enterprises through the full suite of Lucent´s award-winning, carrier-grade network and security components - a portfolio that spans the full spectrum of network security from firewall and VPN functionality to robust bandwidth management and secure mobile data networking. Lucent´s comprehensive security portfolio includes the VPN Firewall Brick® IP services portfolio, the Lucent Security Management Server and the Lucent IPSec Client. AFINA will also have a Master Reseller Agreement for Lucent´s VitalSuite products for network management in Latin America.

With this announcement, Lucent is introducing a two-tier channel model in the Latin American region, providing leading national IT distributors with the technology, products, and support infrastructure to sell best-in-class solutions for delivering secure VoIP and data networking applications to local security resellers, systems integrators, ISPs, smaller carriers and enterprises.

“We are pleased to have signed this VAD agreement with AFINA to support our overall global strategy to leverage our hardware, software, and management tools to deliver carrier-grade security solutions that meet the needs of enterprise customers,” said Francisco Berrueta, Director Global Business Partners for Lucent Technologies in Latin America. “Through AFINA´s network of experienced security reseller partners, we can extend our expertise and leverage our Bell Labs innovations to address the complex security needs of enterprise customers.”

Lucent is currently recruiting more distributors for security in Europe, the Middle East, Latin America and other regions throughout the world, and thus implement the two-tier channel model in all key markets.

“AFINA represents our first VAD partner in the Caribbean-Latin America Region as we extend the benefits of our security solutions to enterprise customers throughout the world,” said Carmen Sorice, Director, Global Business Partner Programs for Lucent Technologies. “We look forward to working with AFINA as we continue to expand our global two-tier security distribution program and build on the success of our VAD launch in Europe earlier this year.”

Product Background
A winner of numerous industry awards, the Lucent VPN Firewall (LVF) portfolio is used by service providers throughout the world not only to protect their own network elements, but also as a resale solution for managed security services. With the addition of this new two-tier distributor model, Lucent carrier-grade security products and solutions are now also available directly to enterprises through the above named distributors" system integrator and value added reseller partners.

The Lucent VPN Firewall portfolio was designed from the start to be a highly secure, fully redundant and centrally managed security platform that provides customers with improved security, less operations downtime, and considerably lower operational expenses over traditional firewall solutions.

The product portfolio features include:

* Full-featured bridging: enables stealthy, depth-of-defense security that conventional router-based firewalls cannot match.
* Advanced security safeguards: denial-of-service attack protection; high-speed content security; premium authentication services; with low occurrences of reported advisories or vulnerabilities and no backdoors.
* High-performance packet processing: supports up to 3 million simultaneous VPN sessions, 1,100 virtual firewalls, and 20,000 VPN tunnels.
* Ultra-thin, highly secure operating system: virtually impenetrable to hacker attacks; frees memory for packet processing, policy management.
* Plug-and-play deployment: implement secure mission-critical applications without costly, time-intensive network reconfiguration
* Low ownership costs: no ongoing feature-licensing expenses; easy installation, management and upgrades save IT staff time and effort; high-performance, high-capacity features reduce the need to purchase additional equipment.
* Simplified management: unique client/server design; centralized staging, real-time monitoring and no-touch management of all VPN, security and service-quality assurance capabilities via scalable, proven Lucent Security Management Server.
* Virtual firewall and VLAN support: easily assign and enforce security policies for diverse user groups.
* Granular bandwidth management: maximize service quality via flexible class-based queuing (CBQ) technology, server-level and user-level limits and guarantees.
* Carrier-grade reliability: native high-availability architecture with no single point of failure.



Security Enabled by Lucent Technologies
As Lucent delivers on the promise of next-generation IP communications, one of its top priorities is to ensure reliability and security of the global communications networks and the people who use them. To support this goal Lucent offers a comprehensive and integrated security portfolio and architecture that integrates best in class dedicated security products, network solutions that are security-hardened, professional consulting services, managed security services - as well as promoting industry standards around network security such as the ITU X.805 and ISO/IEC 18028-2 standards. All of these solutions are tightly integrated in Lucent´s offerings and are based on cutting edge security research led by Bell Labs, Lucent´s award-winning R&D research institution.

Background on the Lucent Sales Business Partner Program The Lucent Market Advantage Program offers Sales Business Partners the combined powers of leading-edge solutions, Bell Labs expertise, world-class services and support to increase their revenue opportunities. Partners have access to resell Lucent´s innovative products and solutions that span optical, data, convergence, software and mobility technologies. A complete set of tools is available to support partners in providing end-to-end solutions and services to ensure they address each customer´s unique needs. For more information on the Sales Business Partner Program or to locate a Lucent Sales Business Partner, visit the website at http://www.lucent.com/map/salesbp/.

About AFINA
Since its foundation, AFINA has specialized in UNIX environments. With a clear vision of the future, the company has focused its activities in IP communications and in open systems that are basic for Internet communications. Currently, AFINA´s strategy is based on Internet/Intranet. During its 10 years of existence, AFINA has been installed in new markets and now operates in Spain, Portugal, France, Mexico, EUA, Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Colombia and Chile. The general strategy of AFINA is to differentiate itself from other companies by offering clients not only products but also a complete coverage in all business areas, an adequate tolls selection to specific needs, certified technical support and consulting services customized to the clients requirements, carefully personalized. And for Business Partners, the 100 percent assurance that sales will be done through them.

About Lucent Technologies
Lucent Technologies designs and delivers the systems, services and software that drive next-generation communications networks. Supported by Bell Labs research and development, Lucent uses its strengths in mobility, optical, software, data and voice networking technologies, as well as services, to create new revenue-generating opportunities for its customers, while enabling them to quickly deploy and better manage their networks. Lucent’s customer base includes communications service providers, governments and enterprises worldwide. For more information on Lucent Technologies, which has headquarters in Murray Hill, N.J., USA, visit http://www.lucent.com.

Contact Information

Marco Malfavon

Lucent Technologies – Latin America

Lucent Technologies

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