Bull Demonstrates its Support for Microsoft Windows 2000 As a Front-line Microsoft Partner in Products and Services.

Business/Technology Editors

PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 17, 2000

Marking the official launch by Microsoft of Windows 2000(R), Bull, as a front-line Microsoft partner, today detailed its support for Windows 2000 throughout its product ranges and service offerings. These actions deliver on a strategic alliance Bull and Microsoft announced in October 1999 relative to Windows 2000 solutions, and are part of Bull's expanding investment in Microsoft's capabilities and products.

Bull's EXPRESS5800 servers, family of smart card-based products, and secure e-infrastructure software from its BullSoft division all will support the new Windows 2000 environment. Similarly, Bull's services divisions also will provide support for Windows 2000 implementations.

The broad agreements between Bull and Microsoft are a commitment to quality of the server systems solutions integrated by Bull on Windows NT then Windows 2000 server platforms for their present and future mutual customers. Bull's agreement with Microsoft also makes it an OEM and a first-line Windows 2000 server supplier. Bull pledges to have 1,000 engineers certified by Microsoft and will also create a fully staffed Competence Center dedicated to the Microsoft BackOffice platform.

Bull is Committed to Windows 2000 Throughout its Product and Service Offerings

As part of its support for Windows 2000, Bull's Infrastructure &Systems division will pre-load, support and optimize Windows 2000 on its current and future range of EXPRESS5800 servers. This will include the IA64 line expected during 2000 as well as the Datacenter version of Windows 2000, designed for servers using at least eight processors. Bull's support of Windows 2000 Datacenter will include 24x365 support, along with associated services specifically designed for this version of Windows 2000.

Bull's Smart Card &Terminals division has already announced plans to market a Microsoft Windows 2000 version of its Crypto Safe Internet security solution introduced at the Cartes'99 Expo in Paris. The new version of Crypto Safe will support the rich range of smart card-related features included in Windows 2000. BullSoft, Bull's worldwide software division, also has announced that its OpenMaster(R) and AccessMaster(R) e-infrastructure and secure enterprise management software products will deliver support for Windows 2000 in phases beginning this year. BullSoft will build on its proven capabilities for managing existing Microsoft services and products, leveraging the management services of Windows 2000. BullSoft is a member of Microsoft's MSDN ISV and Windows 2000 Readiness Programs.

Heavy Investment Around Windows 2000

Under an exclusive agreement, Bull and Microsoft have optimized the performance of Windows 2000 for thin clients on server EXPRESS5800 systems. The performance results of the terminal services optimization work under Windows 2000 is described in a white paper, which is available from: www.microsoft.com/windows2000/library/technologies/terminal/ tscaling.asp.

Bull's Consultancy and Systems Integration division offers a range of capabilities based on Windows 2000 to its clients, including thin-client, Exchange, SQL and DNA. In addition, package offers, such as secure messaging systems, agency networks, secure workstation, ERP and CRM, are being marketed to the Finance, Public and Utilities sectors in order to provide easily deployable infrastructure and application solutions to leverage new technologies created by the Internet economy.

Bull's Customer Services division offers a complete range of services covering the full Windows 2000 deployment cycle: implementation (consolidation, migration, deployment, installation), infrastructure support (maintenance, hot-line support, high availability) and infrastructure operations (on-site or remote administration, performance, security). Bull can thus provide a complete solution to meet customers' goals in IT growth, performance and availability. These capabilities and services are spread across the whole of Europe thanks to 30 MCSP (Microsoft Certified Solution Provider) offices designed to help clients set up and deploy their projects locally.

&uot;The release of Windows 2000 is an important milestone in our strategic partnership with Microsoft,&uot; said Cyrille du Peloux, Bull's CEO. &uot;Indeed, Windows 2000 fully comes up to the expectations of our customers, who need to deploy reliable, efficient and easily manageable infrastructures. As a front-line Microsoft partner, Bull will be able to help our customers make the most of Windows 2000 by extending our products and services based on this new environment.&uot;

About Bull

Bull is an international IT group based in Europe with operations in nearly 100 countries. In 1999 Bull had revenues of $4.3 billion (3.8 billion euros), including nearly 60% outside France, its country of origin. Bull offers a wide range of systems, infrastructure software and IT services, through focused innovation, alliances with the best partners and its own integration expertise. In its industry, besides GCOS mainframes, Bull is recognized for innovative products: the Escala family of UNIX servers, the NT EXPRESS5800 range, smart cards and software such as OpenMaster and AccessMaster for secure management of systems and networks. In IT services, Bull is ranked in Europe as the fifth largest systems integrator and maintenance and support services. Information on Bull is available at: http://www.bull.com.

OpenMaster and AccessMaster are trademarks of Bull S.A. in the U.S. and other countries.

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