Akibia Launches Network and Security Solution; Former Interliant group adds to Infrastructure Management Services portfolio.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

WESTBOROUGH, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 24, 2002

Akibia Infrastructure Management Services, the leading independent provider of customized and integrated support solutions for complex UNIX and Windows environments, has launched Akibia Network and Security Solutions. Formerly Interliant Systems and Security Group, the new practice was launched to complement the support solutions Akibia already delivers to its customers.

Akibia Network and Security Solutions was formed by an agreement with Interliant. As part of the agreement, Akibia will honor the outstanding customer contracts with the former Interliant group for the remainder of the year.

According to a report issued by IDC last month, "The worldwide market for IT security and business continuity products and services is growing twice as fast as IT spending in general. By 2006, IDC expects this market to surpass $150 billion. Despite this growth, the leading IT research and advisory firm believes the current level of spending is not nearly enough." (Source: IDC)

Akibia Network and Security Solutions provides services to develop, implement and support network design and Internet/Intranet connectivity. Consultants with an average of 12 years independent industry experience offer best business practices in the following areas:

-- Security Planning

-- Firewall Implementation and Auditing

-- Ongoing Project Support

-- Staff Augmentation

-- Internet Infrastructure Design, Installation and Connectivity

-- Performance Audits and Assessment

-- Network and System Design and Implementation.

"We are extremely excited to welcome the Network and Security Solutions group to their new home at Akibia," said Tom Willson, Akibia CEO. "Our ongoing goal is to serve as a single point of contact for all our customers' data center, desktop and network support needs. As soon as the possibility arose of bringing this outstanding, proven team to Akibia, we moved quickly to make it a reality. We believe our customers will benefit from being able to leverage our best practices and further consolidate vendors throughout their organization by virtue of our enhanced network and security solutions."

Steve Tassinari, who led this team as the former VP of Professional Services at Interliant, Inc., and served as VP of Sales at Triumph Technologies, Inc., will head up Akibia Network and Security Solutions and its 35 employees. Tassinari, an industry veteran with more than 20 years of experience, will oversee the group's marketing, sales, engineering and support services at Akibia.

To find out more about Akibia Network and Security Solutions, please contact Scott Moody, Director of Sales, at [phone] or toll-free at (866) 4-AKIBIA, or visit www.akibia.com/networksecurity.

About Akibia Infrastructure Management Services

Akibia Infrastructure Management Services provides customized and integrated support solutions for complex UNIX and Windows environments. Founded as Polaris Service in 1988, Akibia delivers data center support, desktop management and network and security solutions to leading companies worldwide. The company also offers operations support, IT education and infrastructure consulting services. Akibia partners with its customers, combining people, processes and infrastructure to deliver cost-effective support solutions designed to meet each customer's specific needs. Headquartered in Massachusetts, Akibia Infrastructure Management Services is a division of Akibia Inc., an IT services company, and has offices throughout the United States and Europe. For more information, please call (866) 4-AKIBIA (425-4242) or visit us on the web at www.akibia.com.