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Inkra Networks Expands Relationship with NEC, Builds Momentum in Japanese Market

Posted on: Wednesday, 24 September 2003, 06:00 CDT

FREMONT, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 24, 2003--

Inkra Signs New Customers and Enhances Distribution Channel to Meet

Growing Market Demand for Network Virtualization Solutions

Inkra Networks today announced an expanded relationship with NEC Corporation (Nasdaq:NIPNY), under which NEC will sell, market, and support Inkra's Virtual Service Switches (VSS). The alliance with NEC builds on Inkra's successful strategic partnership with NEC System Integration and Construction, Ltd. (NESIC). Inkra and NESIC continue to build momentum in the Japanese market and NEC recently signed a new customer, NEC Nexsolutions, Ltd. who has selected the Inkra 4000 VSS to power its data center network.

NEC is distributing Inkra's 4000 and 1500 Virtual Service Switches through its direct sales force that specializes in selling to enterprises and service providers. With the Inkra VSS, NEC provides its customers with a unique, fully virtualized network and security infrastructure solution. NEC positions the VSS as an ideal solution for implementing layered, defense-in-depth security.

"With the Inkra Virtual Service Switch, NEC is offering its enterprise and service provider customers a sophisticated, high-value virtual network infrastructure switch that will help them make data center automation and layered security a reality," said Mr. Shigeru Tojo, General Manager for NESIC.

Inkra Builds Momentum with Nexsolutions Customer Win

Nexsolutions, a leading system integrator, outsourcer and application service provider in Japan, selected the Inkra 4000 VSS as the virtual platform for delivering managed application services to its customers. Following a rigorous evaluation period, Nexsolutions is now deploying Inkra firewall and SSL services, and will add other services such as server load balancing and VPN in phases.

"The Inkra Virtual Service Switch enables Nexsolutions to cost-effectively deliver high-quality managed services to our customers, providing us with a competitive edge in the data center industry," said Mr. Takao Tusji, Senior Manager for NEC Nexsolutions, Ltd. "Inkra's switches bring a new level of efficiency to the data center environment. By leveraging those efficiencies, we become more responsive to our customers' needs."

NESIC Forms Virtual Service Switch Division

To support the increasing demand for Inkra's network virtualization solutions from customers like Nexsolutions, NESIC has formed the Virtual Service Switch (VSS) division, a new strategic business unit that provides a dedicated organization to sell, market and support Inkra's VSS in Japan. The NESIC VSS division is the next step in furthering NESIC's strategic technology partnership with Inkra.

As the number one systems integration company in Japan, NESIC brings local market expertise and trusted systems integration services to supplement the capabilities of Inkra Networks Japan. The new NESIC VSS division has 50 employees, including sales, marketing, engineering and customer support professionals, who are focused on building awareness and driving business development efforts for Inkra solutions. Working together, NEC, NESIC, and Inkra are leading the market by using virtualization to help Japanese customers simplify and automate their data centers.

"Through our expanded relationship with NEC, we bring the benefits of network virtualization to its customer base," said Sanjay Dhawan, president and CEO, Inkra Networks. "By leveraging the expertise of NEC and NESIC in the Japanese market, we continue to build momentum and win new customers. Nexsolutions recognizes that Inkra's solutions can help them expand their business opportunities by building responsiveness and flexibility into their data center environments."

About NEC System Integration and Construction, Ltd.

NESIC, headquartered in Tokyo, has been providing telecommunications and information systems focused on the integrated networks of audio and data along with auxiliary facilities to the domestic and international markets on a consistent basis, covering consulting, system design and construction, development, device offerings and even more, operation and maintenance services. The company has earned a solid reputation as a system integrator, in a field demanding knowledge in tasks ranging from the design of systems to project management. The services are provided from a network of 53 bases in Japan and eight in other countries.

About Inkra Networks

Inkra Networks' Virtual Service Architecture(TM) (VSA), including the Virtual Service Switch(TM) (VSS) and Center Point(TM) Management Suite, offers the most adaptable and cost-effective network security, business continuity, and performance architecture in the industry. Inkra's VSS product family virtualizes and integrates multiple services -- such as firewall, VPN, intrusion detection and prevention, SSL, and load balancing -- in multi-gigabit hardware platforms. Together with HardWall(TM), Inkra's hardware-based virtualization technology, the VSA provides the same performance and integrity as tens to hundreds of separate appliances, at a fraction of the cost. The VSA offers elastic functionality and scalability, enabling corporations to deploy, adapt, and grow network security and infrastructure as needed in real time, with far less budget, time, and effort than using appliances. Inkra Networks is headquartered in Fremont, Calif., and funded by Battery Ventures, Morgenthaler Ventures, Norwest Venture Partners, Storm Ventures, and Greenstone Venture Partners.

Inkra is a registered trademark of Inkra Networks Corporation. Center Point, HardWall, OpenRack, Virtual Rack, Virtual Rack Operating System, Virtual Rack Processor, Virtual Service Architecture, Virtual Service Module, and Virtual Service Switch are trademarks of Inkra Networks Corporation.

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