Bentley's Communications Products Help Hellas Online Speed Delivery of 450-Kilometer Fiber Network in Athens.

Bentley Fiber Overcomes Productivity Problems Caused by Lack of Software Interoperability, Design Workflows Tied to Paper-Based Transactions, Errors, and Out-of-Data Information

BALTIMORE -- Bentley Systems, Incorporated today announced that Attica Telecom, a telecom provider recently acquired by hellas online, a leading fixed telephony and broadband operator in Greece, has selected and deployed Bentley's communications software solution to design and build a 450-kilometer fiber network in Athens and other major cities in Greece, including Thessaloniki. The new network, which features a ring-based topology, will consist of more than 8,000 kilometers of fiber optic cable. The fiber optic rings are built out with spokes to key buildings and the conduit architecture is designed to handle a growing business through the addition of sub-conduits and incremental fiber optic cables after the initial build. Attica Telecom chose Bentley's communications solution, including Bentley Fiber and Bentley Inside Plant, because of its ability to interoperate, help plan infrastructure of this scale, ensure design and build phases are executed at the lowest possible cost, provide easy access to all project data via a repository-based system, and create streamlined workflows.

Attica Telecom had started the design process with a number of different desktop applications, including Microsoft Access, Visio, Excel, and static CAD drawings. It soon became clear that this was not a productive approach. As Mr. Dimitris Nikas, head of GIS and fiber optic documentation at Attica Telecom, explained, "Initially we worked with a series of products that were not interoperable and most of the design workflows required printouts and paper-based transactions to move things forward. This soon became unworkable because of the errors introduced into the process and because it was almost impossible to keep the data up to date across all of these programs and file types."

Attica Telecom searched for a solution that would deliver cable information, access point information, duct information, splice enclosure information, building enclosure information, documentation of the fiber distribution panels, full documentation of the inside plant inventory, and customer information. In addition, it wanted to display this information graphically and make it readily available to all of the designers and construction engineers on the project.

The system also needed to be repository-based, allowing comprehensive data queries with easy data import and export tools. Moreover, it had to have the capability to support the correlation of logical events with a physical location.

"We chose the Bentley communications solution because the products are based on mature, tried-and-trusted technology," said Mr. Nikas. "In addition, there was no need for any form of custom development - all we needed to do was configure the products to handle our data. As soon as we had installed the products and completed the initial setup, we were able to begin importing the existing data from our Access database and from Visio. At that point we were ready to go."

All design work for the network is now done using Bentley Fiber and Bentley Inside Plant. Bentley Fiber, in particular, is used by many members of the hellas online team, from designers to field engineers and those dealing with customer issues.

hellas online has plans to deploy additional products in the Bentley communications solution, including Bentley Geo Web Publisher for Communications. This product presents maps and diagrams in a Web browser environment for nontechnical users like customer service representatives. It also will deploy the ProjectWise collaboration system to take advantage of its comprehensive workflow and documentation management capabilities.

About hellas online

hellas online is a leading fixed telephony and broadband operator in Greece. In April 2007, it acquired Attica Telecom, a Greek telecommunications service provider founded by a group of construction companies in 2001. The acquisition expanded hellas online's network by encompassing Attica Telecom's extensive, privately owned fiber optic network. The company is progressing toward its corporate goal of developing an extensive, modern, and secure telecommunications infrastructure, and consequently becoming the largest alternative fixed telephony and broadband services provider in Greece.

hellas online offers leased line services to incumbent fixed and mobile telecommunications service providers and also to Internet service providers (ISPs). The company offers leased PDH/SDH services, leased Ethernet services, Lambda services for disaster recovery and business continuity, SHDSL Ethernet services, SHDSL TDM services, ADSL broadband, and Internet via Ethernet. Previous hellas online projects have included designing and building a fiber network for the Athens Metropolitan Traffic Surveillance System and a fiber infrastructure for the Ministry of Public Administration, which connects all the major public buildings in Athens. For more information, visit www.hol.gr.

About BE Conference

BE Conference 2008 - BEst Practices for Sustaining Infrastructure is being held May 28-30 at the Baltimore Convention Center in Baltimore, Md. At this two-and-half-day event, decision makers and senior practitioners from infrastructure organizations around the globe, including owner-operators and AEC firms, will share innovative best practices using Bentley solutions. Conference sessions address the needs of executives, managers, architects, engineers, designers, builders, and other infrastructure professionals and include user-led content and programs dedicated to 13 "solutions communities." The highly focused agenda of BE Conference 2008 enables attendees to explore innovative ways to increase productivity, improve project quality, and reduce the costs and risks associated with sustaining infrastructure.

For more information about BE Conference, visit www.bentley.com/BEconference.

About Bentley Systems, Incorporated

Bentley is the global leader dedicated to providing comprehensive software solutions for sustaining infrastructure. Architects, engineers, constructors, and owner-operators are indispensable in improving our world and our quality of life; the company's mission is to improve the performance of their projects and of the assets they design, build, and operate. Bentley sustains the infrastructure professions by helping to leverage information technology, learning, best practices, and global collaboration - and by promoting careers devoted to this crucial work.

Founded in 1984, Bentley has more than 2,800 colleague, offices in more than 50 countries, annual revenues surpassing $500 million, and since 1993, has invested more than $1 billion in research, development, and acquisitions. Nearly 90 percent of the Engineering News-Record Top Design Firms are Bentley subscribers, and a 2008 Daratech study ranked Bentley as the world's #2 provider of geospatial software solutions.

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Bentley, the "B" Bentley logo, BE, Bentley Geo Web Publisher, and ProjectWise are either registered or unregistered trademarks or service marks of Bentley Systems, Incorporated or one of its direct or indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries. All other brands and product names are trademarks of their respective owners.