Cisco Signs Global Service Multinational Agreement With Equant.

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 18, 1999--

Equant (NYSE: ENT), a leading provider of seamless international data network services, has signed a strategic global support agreement with Cisco Systems Inc. Under the agreement, Equant's integration services division will deliver, install and provide support for Cisco products purchased by their customers that want global or local support from a single vendor.

The agreement, known as the Cisco LOC Program, enables Cisco's customers to buy their products and services--including equipment, installation, and operational support--in one central location for delivery to one or more locations worldwide. To support these customers, the program utilizes Equant's technical assistance center (TAC) and the delivery capabilities of Equant to provide warranty, installation and contracted services at all customer locations. Flexibility within the program also allows end users to utilize the Cisco TAC, if required.

"This agreement is a clear endorsement of Equant's technological depth and the geographic breadth of our capabilities," said Jean Yves Charlier, president of Equant's integration services division. "By delivering this service, we will be a true part of Cisco's delivery efforts."

The LOC Program means that Cisco customers have the power of Cisco's support organization behind their systems, as well as a local company that is able to provide the local support and value added services that will ensure the ultimate success of their product investment.

"There are a number of benefits to this arrangement, for us as well as for our customers," said Clayton Reed, vice president, customer advocacy, Cisco. "To begin with, the same local Equant engineers that install the product are there to support it throughout the world - and they are able to communicate with customers in their local language. In addition, Equant's wide range of value-added services complements our products, ensuring that customers achieve the maximum benefit from their hardware investment. In addition to all this, we have the assurance of knowing that we are working with an experienced company that can be as flexible, as knowledgeable and as available as our customers need them to be."

About Equant

Equant (NYSE: ENT)(Paris Bourse: EQU) operates the world's largest data network in terms of geographic coverage, which extends to key business centers in over 220 countries and territories. Using its network, Equant has established itself as a leading provider of managed data network services, end-to-end, for multinational businesses worldwide--including over 20 percent of the Global 1,000. Equant also provides network design and integration services; equipment installation; maintenance and support services; and software development. See www.equant.com for more information.

About Cisco

Cisco Systems is the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet. Cisco's networking solutions connect people, computing devices and computer networks, allowing people to access or transfer information without regard to differences in time, place or type of computer system. Cisco provides end-to-end networking solutions that customers use to build a unified information infrastructure of their own, or to connect to someone else's network. An end-to-end networking solution is one that provides a common architecture that delivers consistent network services to all users. The broader the range of network services, the more capabilities a network can provide to users connected to it.