Astracon and Granite Systems Form Joint Sales and Marketing Agreement.

Business/Technology Editors

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 5, 2001

SUPERCOMM 2001-- Astracon Inc., the leading provider of High Performance Service Activation OSS software solutions for broadband and IP networks, and Granite Systems, a communications software provider of Service Resource Management (SRM) solutions, announced today they have formed an agreement to engage in cooperative sales and marketing efforts.

The integration of Granite Systems' Xpercom and Astracon's Connection Manager offers communication service providers a total network management and provisioning solution. Xpercom provides the capability to perform Service Resource Management for all network components in both the physical and logical view. Connection Manager supplements this capability by providing an equally flexible means to activate service across a variety of leading edge technologies.

Together the two products eliminate what has been a typical integration challenge for communication service providers and provides them with an automated provisioning capability. Service activation using the combined products results in fewer exceptions requiring manual intervention, which reduces intervals and lowers provisioning costs.

"We are extremely pleased to form this partnership with Granite Systems, a true leader in the service resource management space," said Rob Cook, CEO of Astracon. "Astracon complements Granite perfectly by using inventory-stored topology information for routing service through the network and by updating new network and service information back to Granite. We look forward to a long-term relationship that will yield strong results for both companies."

Granite Systems' Xpercom platform is a next generation SRM solution for telecommunication service providers worldwide. Xpercom's extensible data model enables carriers to manage a wide variety of resource technologies, from wireline to wireless, circuit to packet and advanced optical networks from a single common platform. Xpercom gives network managers the tools to:

-- Manage current inventories of network resources and capacity, down to a logical bandwidth, port, and channel level.

-- Define network configurations for complex equipment and circuit layout records.

-- Order and schedule future resources to meet expected demands.

-- Provide a database of record to other OSSs.

Xpercom's overview of network assets enables service providers to optimize their assets' utility.

Astracon's core activation technology, Connection Manager Release 3.0, manages the full lifecycle of end-to-end connections in complex broadband and IP networks. Astracon's service activation solutions, WholesaleConnect, RetailConnect and BusinessConnect, simplify processes by automatically:

-- Designing and activating optimal routing through the network.

-- Allocating network resources efficiently.

-- Supporting service-oriented requests instead of requiring

technology requests.

-- Allowing operators to view and query existing connections and service capabilities in real time.

"Our collaboration with Astracon fulfills another piece of the OSS equation, the need for an inventory-integrated service activation solution," explains John E. P. Borden, Jr., president and CEO of Granite Systems. "Developing these strategic partnerships with industry leaders such as Astracon strengthens Granite's ability to provide a full-spectrum of SRM solutions to communication service providers worldwide."

About Astracon Inc.

Astracon is the leader in high performance service activation OSS solutions for broadband and IP networks. Astracon WholesaleConnect, RetailConnect and BusinessConnect solutions activate, automate and accelerate service orders by harnessing the software's ability to create and maintain services connectivity across multi-vendor, multi-technology networks. Astracon is currently deployed in high volume, high production environments of the top tier of service providers - surpassing tens of thousands of connections daily. Astracon-Activated customers include British Telecom, Genuity, Telstra, Verizon, and WorldCom. OEM partners include ADC, Alcatel, Compaq, Lucent and Telcordia. The company is backed by venture capitalists and strategic leaders: Geocapital Partners, Australasian Media & Communications Fund, Bluestem Capital, Cisco Systems, Inc., Cross Atlantic Capital Partners, Edgewater Funds, and Telcordia. Astracon's worldwide headquarters are located in Denver, Colo., with regional headquarters in Europe and Asia Pacific. For further information, visit Astracon's website at www.astracon.com.

About Granite Systems, Inc.

Granite Systems provides Service Resource Management (SRM) software for carriers with wireless, wireline, optical and packet technology networks. Utilizing Granite Systems' Xng System(TM), carriers can manage inventories of network resources and capacity, define network configurations, order and schedule resources and provide a database of record to other operational support systems (OSSs). An Inc. 500 company in 2000, Granite Systems enables clients including AT&T Wireless, ATG, KPN Belgium, COLT Telecom, and Verizon to eliminate resource redundancy, improve network reliability and speed service deployment. Founded in 1993, Granite Systems is headquartered in Manchester, NH, with offices in Denver, CO; Miami, FL; London, U.K.; Nice, France; Paris, France; Prague, Czech Republic; Madrid, Spain; Rome, Italy; Copenhagen, Denmark and Singapore. Additional information about Granite Systems and its Xng System may be found at www.granite.com or by contacting [phone].