Aricent Accelerates WiMAX Network Deployments With First Remote WiMAX Testing Service.

Allows Equipment Manufacturers to Achieve Pre-Compliance With WiMAX Forum Networking Standards

PALO ALTO, Calif. -- Aricent, the full-service, full-spectrum communications software company, today announced the launch of its remote WiMAX testing service. As WiMAX equipment manufacturers deploy increasing volumes of base stations, gateways, modems and laptop cards, standards compliance and equipment interoperability will be critical in accelerating the roll-out of new WiMAX networks. Aricent's remote testing service enables WiMAX base station and access service network gateway (ASN-GW) manufacturers to remotely and securely test their WiMAX equipment interfaces for pre-compliance with WiMAX Forum networking standards and achieve a faster market introduction of new products.

"With the WiMAX Forum networking standards in place, equipment manufacturers need to be able to test compliance and interoperability in an easy, cost-effective manner that will speed up their time-to-market," said Albert Lin, director of capital markets at AmTech Research. "With WiMAX solutions gaining momentum, vendors will need a comprehensive, fast and reliable testing solution to meet WiMAX compliance regulations."

Using the Aricent remote WiMAX testing service, manufacturers can test the compliance of their equipment against the key scenarios of the WiMAX Forum's Network Working Group (NWG) Wave 1 standard.

"While spectrum auctions and the emergence of new WiMAX service providers point to a rapid roll-out of new WiMAX networks, deployments are still dominated by proprietary equipment," said Ajay Gupta, vice president of the wireless and convergence business unit, Aricent. "As manufacturers race to develop new products, they want to eliminate the compliance testing overhead and focus on shipping equipment as fast as possible. Aricent's new WiMAX testing service strengthens our commitment to provide test solutions designed to expedite the deployment of WiMAX networks, allowing communications equipment engineers to do their jobs faster and more efficiently than ever before, which will lead to the rapid deployment of WiMAX systems."

The Aricent remote testing tool allows WiMAX equipment manufacturers to test their equipment from their labs using the intuitive web based graphical user interface without intervention from Aricent. The test tool can assess the behavior of an Implementation Under Test (IUT) according to pre-written Tool Command Language (TCL) test scripts based on the test plan. This helps network equipment manufacturers identify standards compliance issues enabling the smooth introduction of WiMAX networks.

Aricent now offers equipment manufacturers the most concurrent measurements in the industry, enabling unparalleled efficiency in WiMAX core network interface testing and troubleshooting. For WiMAX equipment manufacturers, Aricent provides WiMAX software products and WiMAX software development, customization, testing, and maintenance services.

About Aricent

With corporate offices in Palo Alto, California, Aricent is a full-service, full-spectrum communications software company. Aricent offers software services and products that enable the world's leading communications equipment manufacturers, device manufacturers and service providers to improve time-to-revenue and maximize efficiency. Owned by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR), Sequoia Capital and Flextronics International Ltd., Aricent has more than 350 clients worldwide, including Airtel, Alcatel-Lucent, Cisco Systems, Ericsson, Inmarsat, Juniper, Motorola, NEC, Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Texas Instruments, Virgin Mobile and Vodafone. For more information, visit www.aricent.com

Aricent is a trademark of Aricent, Inc. in the United States and/or other jurisdictions