Fremont, CA, August 17, 2001 - ZNYX Networks, a leading provider of high availability carrier class networking solutions, and Siemens Carrier Networks LLC, a subsidiary of Siemens AG (NYSE: SI), today announced an OEM agreement whereby ZNYX will provide state of the art ZX4500 switches with OpenArchitect™ as a core plug-in component of Siemens' carrier-grade softswitch solutions for next generation networks - the SURPASS hiQ platform.

"We are pleased to provide core technology for Siemens' forward-looking telecommunications platform," said Connie Austin, CEO of ZNYX Networks. "The agreement is a strong endorsement that our fully managed, line rate Ethernet switches and software meet the demanding reliability standards of Siemens and the telecommunications industry."

Two ZX4500 switches, with OpenArchitect management software, provide internal Ethernet communications for each hiQ 9200 system. The hiQ's subsystems - Call Feature Control, Media Gateway Control, IP Signaling Gateway, Signaling Processors, and SS7 - communicate at full line rate through ZNYX's OpenArchitect switch. The switch also provides a high-speed interface to the external network via a pair of fiber optic gigabit Ethernet ports, thus providing an unparalleled level of high availability throughput.

R. Mark Howell, Product Line Manager for Feature Server and Core Switching, Siemens Carrier Networks LLC, said "We needed high availability and fail-safe reliability in an Ethernet switch that could handle the necessary bandwidth. ZNYX Networks' switch met or exceeded all our requirements."

The ZX4500 with OpenArchitect is an extensible managed-switch for the telecommunication market. Equipment manufacturers and systems integrators embed one or more ZX4500s into their CompactPCI system chassis to provide Carrier-Class™, line-rate Ethernet switching between application subsystems on node cards or external Ethernet links. A broad range of "out-of-the-box" routing protocols, provided by the OpenArchitect environment, establish switching policies for applications. Integrators can easily implement other switching policies to meet their application needs.

The ZX4500 with OpenArchitect combines the performance of a silicon-based switching fabric with flexibility of software-managed routing policies. The switching fabric component is a complete Layer 2 through Layer 7 solution that integrates 24 10/100-Mbit Ethernet ports and dual 1-gigabit Ethernet ports. The switching fabric maintains the forwarding table on silicon, providing the capability to filter and forward 6.6 million packets per second - full line rate performance on every port.

The OpenArchitect software component - Linux, IP protocol stack, control applications and the OA Engine - runs on an embedded microprocessor. OpenArchitect provides extensive routing policies such as Spanning tree, VLAN, OSPF, VRRP and QoS. OpenArchitect enables rapid porting of other UNIX/Linux-based protocols, including open source RFCs. It also enables the development of application-specific routing programs.

The OA Engine is the bridge between the software environment and high performance switch fabric. The engine transparently moves routing policies, determined by UNIX-based IP protocols, to the switch fabric's forwarding table. This bridge enables line rate packet switching, executed on silicon, which is managed by open source routing protocols - a quick time-to-market, feature-rich protocol set.

The SURPASS hiQ softswitch is the latest controlling element of the SURPASS architecture that incorporates IP and ATM gateway network products as well as access products. The SURPASS architecture allows an operator to cap investment into existing TDM equipment while allowing the network to grow by investing in future-oriented packet-based technology.

Through the SURPASS architecture, Siemens helps its voice customers to migrate smoothly to today's converged networks. The SURPASS architecture establishes interoperability between the voice network and the IP/ATM data network, enabling the carrier to transport voice and data traffic over packet-oriented networks and offer voice services in combination with new innovative IP based services.

Siemens' SURPASS architecture allows data carriers to leverage their data network infrastructures to provide carrier class voice services. This includes all the TDM features, such as Centrex services, virtual private network (VPNs) services, as well as services running on network AIN SCPS and separate AIN platforms for prepaid debit cards and toll free services.

ZNYX Networks is the leading provider high availability CarrierClass™ networking solutions to equipment manufacturers requiring next-generation products with high-availability, high-performance, and strict compliance to telecommunications standards. The ZNYX Networks family of products and services provide design engineers with pre-built and pre-tested embedded network or switch solutions that allow significant "time to market" advantages. Combined with the OpenArchitect switching application platform and support for compactPCI packet-switched backplane, equipment manufacturers have a flexible and powerful design environment.

ZNYX Networks family of CarrierClass networking and switching products are used in next-generation architectures and applications including wireline/wireless, central office, terabit routers, airborne network services, Voice-over-IP gateways, video media gateways, and firewall VPN products.

Privately held, ZNYX Networks has its corporate headquarters at 48421 Milmont Dr., Fremont, CA 94538, and advanced research centers in Santa Barbara, San Francisco and Ottawa, Canada. Sales and professional service offices are located in Newport Beach and Fremont, CA, Boston, MA, and Ottawa, Canada. Contact ZNYX Networks at (510) 249-0800 or www.znyx.com.

Based in Boca Raton, Fla., Siemens Information and Communication Networks, Inc., with its subsidiaries - Siemens Carrier Networks LLC, Siemens Enterprise Networks LLC and Optisphere Networks, Inc., is a leading provider of integrated voice and data networks and solutions for enterprises, carriers and service providers. Siemens AG, headquartered in Munich, is a leading global electronics and engineering company. It employs over 460,000 people in 193 countries, and reported worldwide sales in excess of $74 billion in fiscal 2000 (10/1/99 - 9/30/00). The United States is Siemens' largest market, with 85,000 employees and sales of more than $17 billion in fiscal 2000. Siemens is a leading provider of advanced technology solutions in the information and communications, medical, power, automation and control, transportation and lighting sectors, and leverages its global network of innovation and unparalleled technological heritage to deliver business results for Siemens' customers around the globe.