3Com And CITEL To Provide IP Telephony Upgrade Path For Legacy PBX Users.

Business/Technology Editors

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 10, 2002

CITEL's Technology Enables Nortel Norstar Users to Migrate Easily to

3Com Voice Solutions

3Com Corporation (Nasdaq: COMS) and CITEL Technologies today announced an integrated hardware and software solution that will give existing Nortel Norstar customers an affordable migration path to 3Com's NBX(R) Networked Telephony solutions. Together, the companies are bringing to market the first solution that will allow customers to enjoy the advanced features and functionality of 3Com's IP-based business telephony solutions, while extending the life and value of a company's existing Nortel Norstar business telephones.

The CITELlink(TM) IP Handset Gateway solution targets legacy Nortel Norstar users that need a cost-effective method of transitioning to an IP PBX system. The CITELlink IP Handset Gateway allows businesses to utilize their traditional phone handsets, while gaining access to productivity tools like computer telephony integration, browser-based administration, unified messaging and the multi-site connectivity capabilities that are built into 3Com's voice solutions.

"Our relationship with CITEL Technologies reflects the commitment of both companies to provide more choices and better value for customers. 3Com was the first to offer customers the choice to move to IP telephony and now we are expanding those choices through our relationship with CITEL," said Patrick Guay, vice president and general manager, 3Com Business Networks Company. "3Com's commitment to an open platform, designed to leverage the innovation of our partners, assures that our customers are always offered superior communication and collaboration solutions."

"We are pleased to be working with 3Com to tightly integrate the CITELlink product with the NBX platform. We chose 3Com because of its market-leading IP PBX technology, established reseller channel and partner programs," states Alan Law, chief executive officer, CITEL Technologies. "This innovative product provides true investment protection that isn't offered by Nortel to existing Norstar customers. CITEL and 3Com are giving Norstar customers that have outgrown their systems either in size or capability, access to greater scalability, browser-based administration, unified messaging, and computer telephony integration."

CITEL Technologies engaged 3Com to develop and establish interoperability between its product, the CITELlink(TM) IP Handset Gateway, and the 3Com(R) NBX 100 and SuperStack(R) 3 NBX platforms to support legacy PBX handsets. The CITELlink IP Handset Gateway is a 16-port, slide-in card that fits into any available slot in the NBX chassis. The current offer supports Nortel Norstar M7310 and M7208 digital handsets, allowing users of Norstar handsets to benefit from the rich applications provided by the NBX product.

This new offer is the latest result of the 3Com NBX Solution Providers Program, a partner program that is designed to expand the array of software, hardware and services that can be integrated with converged voice and data networks.

3Com's networked telephony solutions combine an enterprise's voice and data services together on one network. The systems offer administrative simplicity and a rich feature set that enable organizations to improve customer relations, economize on costs and enhance overall productivity. According to In-Stat/MDR, the IP PBX market is expected to reach $1.5 billion in 2002 and expected to grow to $4.2 billion by 2006, indicating that customers will continue to abandon traditional PBX systems, such as the Norstar system. By offering a clear migration path, with investment protection, 3Com and CITEL are aggressively driving the adoption of IP PBX systems.

Pricing and Availability

Expected to be available in North America and the United Kingdom in June 2002, the CITELlink IP Handset Gateway manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) is $2,000 (US) per 16-port unit, or $125 (US) per user. Since CITEL Technologies sells through distribution, they do not control actual sales price. The CITELlink IP Handset Gateway is available through authorized CITEL distributors and dealers worldwide.

3Com Networked Telephony solutions are available worldwide through 3Com Voice Authorized Partners. For more information, call 1-800-NET-3COM.

About CITEL Technologies

CITEL Technologies is a global provider of unique IP telephony and converged communications solutions, which bridge the two worlds of legacy PBX telephones and next-generation IP PBX systems. CITEL works in partnership with the world's leading telecom equipment manufacturers and suppliers, with the goal of simplifying and accelerating the transition to next-generation communications solutions. Since 1995, CITEL has developed award-winning telephony products and is now pioneering a new product category of Handset Gateways. CITEL Technologies is a private company with offices in Nottingham, England (UK), Providence, Rhode Island (USA), and Seattle, Washington (USA). For more information, visit our Web site at www.citel.com.

About 3Com Corporation

3Com is a global leader in functionally rich, easy-to-use networking products that connect businesses to their employees, customers and suppliers anytime, anywhere. 3Com is also a leader in Internet protocol (IP) service platforms and access infrastructure for the network service provider market. In 1979, the company was founded by one of the inventors of Ethernet technology on which virtually all local area networks are based. Since then, 3Com has sold more than 360,000,000 Ethernet connections. 3Com has headquarters in Santa Clara, California and offices around the world. For further information, please visit www.3com.com, or the press site www.3com.com/pressbox.

3Com, the 3Com logo, SuperStack and NBX are registered trademarks of 3Com Corporation. CITEL and CITELlink are trademarks of CITEL Technologies, Ltd. All other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective holders.