Alcatel Makes it Attractive for Trained Network Professionals to Become Certified on Alcatel's Next Generation Switches; Curriculum Builds on Prior LAN Switch Expertise.

Business Editors

CALABASAS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 3, 2002

Alcatel (NYSE:ALA) today announced the Alcatel Certified Switch Professional (ACSP) certification course for network engineers, network administrators, and IT professionals. The CD training course on Alcatel's next generation OmniSwitch family allows network professionals to complete training when and where they want, and gain certification upon successful completion of the Web-based exam.

Over the years, the industry's data switches have evolved to share similar command line interfaces for configuration and management. The ASCP certification takes advantage of these similarities, which are inherent in the OmniSwitch family, allowing network professionals to leverage their current expertise to quickly, flexibly, and cost effectively achieve Alcatel certification. The straightforward certification process ensures that IT managers can use existing IT staff to work on an Alcatel network with minimum training.

Alcatel cemented its position in the enterprise market when it unveiled its Omni family of data switches -- the industry's first entirely new family of switches built for the next generation of data networking. Positive feedback from analysts, press and end-users puts Alcatel on a short list of stable vendors truly committed to data networking and continues to increase the value of ACSP certification.

"With the emergence of IP communications and the reality of multi-vendor networks, businesses want IT workers who are qualified to evaluate and deploy a variety of network architectures," said Steve Tufts, vice president of worldwide service and support. "Alcatel's ACSP gives network professionals that extra edge by allowing them to take the knowledge they already have and, with minimal time and investment, gain certification with a top-tier vendor."

This comprehensive, self-paced ACSP CD course can be completed in approximately six hours. The Web-based certification exam is an additional 45 minutes. From now until December 31, 2002, Alcatel is offering the training CD free of charge. For those with access to Alcatel data switches, the CD includes optional laboratory exercises for trainees to apply what they have learned during the course in a real-life setting before taking the final exam. The ACSP certification is part of Alcatel's comprehensive Training and Certification programs for IP communications. For more information about the ACSP certification or other Alcatel training programs, visit http://eservice.ind.alcatel.com.

About Alcatel enterprise networking solutions

Alcatel delivers standards-based IP communications solutions to a global customer base of over 500,000 small, medium and large enterprises, government agencies, healthcare facilities, and educational institutions. Alcatel's award-winning Omni family of IP Communications solutions consists of an extensive portfolio of network switching infrastructure products and IP telephony products built to provide long-term value.

About Alcatel

Alcatel designs, develops and builds innovative and competitive communications networks, enabling carriers, service providers and enterprises to deliver any type of content, such as voice, data and multimedia, to any type of consumer, anywhere in the world. Relying on its leading and comprehensive products and solutions portfolio, stretching from end-to-end optical infrastructures, fixed and mobile networks to broadband access, Alcatel's customers can focus on optimizing their service offerings and revenue streams. With sales of $22 billion in 2001, Alcatel operates in more than 130 countries. In 2001, the United States was the largest single market served by Alcatel. For more information, visit Alcatel on the Internet: http://www.alcatel.com.