Apogee Networks and Northgate Announce Strategic UK Partnership; Alliance Will Provide ISPs and ASPs with Content Rating/Settlement and IP Billing Solutions.

Business Editors

SADDLE BROOK, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 12, 2000

Apogee Networks, the leading global provider of advanced Content and IP Rating, Billing and Settlement solutions, and Northgate Information Systems, a front office IT solutions deployment company, today announced a strategic UK partnership.

The alliance will help network operators develop cost-effective network strategies, driving down costs and improving customer service as well as enabling service providers to rapidly adopt new billing services, thus creating new business models.

Apogee Networks will provide a complete range of IP content and billing solutions to support Northgate's ASP and managed solution offerings. Using Apogee Networks' NetCountant(TM) solution, Northgate will be able to provide transparent cost reports to help service providers develop dynamic pricing models and identify areas where savings can be made. This information can be used to influence the levels and timings of network use, for example compelling users to utilize networks during lowest cost and quiet periods. This supports improved customer service levels, reduces network overload and ensures constant network up time.

The partnership will enhance Northgate's ASP solution package, providing benefits to customers in sectors such as telecommunications, health and local government.

"Northgate is a perfect fit for Apogee Networks' European operations," said Apogee Networks President and COO, Tom Goldman. "Northgate's vast customer base makes it an established player in the network management/system Integrator arena. Plus, the company has its own Service Provider division. This is a tremendous opportunity for us to provide a full range of end-to-end IP billing solutions."

David Alexander, Northgate's Director of Strategy and Marketing added, "Additionally, our partnership with Apogee Networks will enable ISP/ASP customers to realize scalable and flexible billing solutions to leverage the Internet and Intranet in its own operations. Apogee Networks' NetCountant(TM) product line provides the capability to cost-effectively define, aggregate, rate and settle billions of transactions in real-time. As a result, Northgate's customers will have the ability to rapidly introduce new business revenue strategies."

About Northgate Information Solutions 

Northgate Information Solutions is a leading front office IT solutions Deployment Company that moves organizations closer to their customers. The front office is where organizations interact with their customers, both internal and external. Northgate's front office solutions help to streamline the flow of information, enabling swifter, better informed decision making, and the ability to offer a consistent and positive experience for users, building customer loyalty and generating accurate, up-to-date customer profiles. Ultimately, Northgate's front office solutions increase competitive advantage and improve customer service.

Northgate designs, plans, builds, implements and runs solutions for over 1,200 organizations, providing mission critical systems to many corporate customers and new dot com organizations as well as in the public sector, including over half the UK's local governments and 95% of its police forces. Northgate has developed long-standing relationships with its customers, who provide a living reference.

Northgate partners with leading technology vendors that are world class, including Clarify, Cognos, Informix, Microsoft and Sun Microsystems, and bridges the gap between organizations and technology solution providers by speaking both languages fluently, delivering innovative solutions to its customers. By maintaining its independence, Northgate has the freedom to design solutions using whatever components best deliver the requirement. Northgate Information Solutions is listed on the London Stock Exchange. For additional information on Northgate, please visit www.northgate-is.com.

About Apogee Networks

Headquartered in Saddle Brook, New Jersey, Apogee Networks, Inc. is the recognized leader in developing and deploying advanced Content and IP Rating, Billing and Settlement solutions for IP Content Distributors, ASPs, ISPs, Carriers, Wireless Internet Providers and Enterprise customers. Apogee Networks' NetCountant(TM) product line provides full end-to-end content, revenue settlement and IP billing capabilities. Uniquely, NetCountant Billing provides real-time billing, flexible service creation and high scalability to meet the challenges of rapid customer growth. Apogee Networks' NetCountant Content Collection and NetCountant Settlement platforms provide advanced IP Content aggregation, processing, and revenue settlement capabilities for Content Distributors. NetCountant Accountability provides Global 2000 Enterprise and IP Network customers with the capability to better manage and allocate IP usage thereby realizing significant bandwidth cost savings. NetCountant Performance provides Global IP Networks with advanced measurement and diagnostic capabilities that measure overall network performance. The company's product recently was awarded Networld+Interop's Best-of-Show Award. Apogee Networks is a Charter member of the Internet Protocol Detail Record (IPDR) Association.

Apogee Networks investors include Fidelity Ventures Limited, Granite Ventures, Oak Investment Partners, INTEL, BBVA, Net One Systems Co. Ltd., CTC, and several private investors. For additional information about Apogee Networks, please call 1-888-APOGEE3 (276-4333) or 1-201-368-8800 or email [e-mail] or visit us at http://www.apogeenetworks.com.