Excel Telecommunications Answers the Call for State-of-the-Art Networking with Pre-Owned Gear and Alternative Maintenance from Network Hardware Resale.

Secondary Network Market Leader Gains Traction with Large Inventory of Refurbished Cisco Equipment & NetSure Hardware Maintenance Program

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. -- Network Hardware Resale (NHR), the leading provider of pre-owned and new networking equipment, today announced that Excel Telecommunications Inc., one of the nation's largest independent providers of next-generation and traditional communications products and services, is leveraging quality, pre-owned Cisco and Juniper equipment from NHR along with the company's NetSure[TM] alternative hardware maintenance to meet growing requirements for network expansion and expedited technical support.

Based in Irving, Tex., Excel provides long distance, international, local and pre-paid telephone services nationwide. The telecommunications service provider maintains the nation's largest Feature Group D network, which enables customers to choose their long distance network and use the same number of digits no matter which carrier they use. NHR plays a key role in making sure the telco can provide a high degree of best-in-class services from its core network, which is distributed across 11 switching centers throughout the country.

Excel invests heavily in Cisco and Juniper equipment to power its rapidly expanding network. The company also relied on Cisco SMARTnet maintenance to protect its core equipment and provide technical assistance. After encountering delays in obtaining critical replacement equipment from traditional OEM procurement channels, Excel turned to NHR to avert potential network downtime. With more than $200 million in equipment inventory, NHR was able to deliver the equipment Excel needed overnight--at prices up to 90 percent off OEMs' list.

According to Jim Connolly, senior network manager for Excel Telecommunications, NHR has eased equipment upgrades and replacements for even the most crucial parts of Excel's network. "Fast turnaround is crucial for us," he says. "The faster we get what we need, the faster we can put the products in our production network. That means no bandwidth limitations for our customers, which makes everyone happy."

Excel also has taken advantage of NHR's NetSure alternative hardware maintenance program to protect previous-generation and end-of-life equipment. With NetSure, Excel can make one call for maintenance on both its Cisco and Juniper equipment--even if the gear was not originally purchased from NHR. To date, Excel estimates a 60 percent savings over comparable SMARTnet coverage. Additionally, the company projects that its total savings from purchasing top-quality, like-new network equipment from NHR exceed $750,000.

According to Mike Sheldon, president and CEO of NHR, finding an alternative source for expedited equipment procurement and affordable maintenance are growing concerns for many companies, especially during tough economic times. "There's never been a better time to rethink traditional network procurement and technical support," he explains. "NHR is committed to relieving budget pressure during this downturn in the economy by delivering unprecedented savings on equipment purchases and maintenance support, without compromising on quality, reliability and responsiveness."

About Network Hardware Resale

Network Hardware Resale (NHR) is a leading provider of high-performance, pre-owned Cisco, Extreme and Juniper networking equipment. The company also is an authorized reseller and distributor of resilient, massively scalable networking gear from Force10 Networks. Founded in 1986, the Santa Barbara, Calif.-based organization has been recognized by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest growing private companies in the United States for four consecutive years. NHR provides global sales and technical support from its California, Dallas metro, New York City metro, Amsterdam, London and Singapore locations. More than 10,000 organizations worldwide purchase quality networking equipment from NHR, including Global 1000 companies, small and mid-sized enterprises, government entities, educational institutions, healthcare organizations and telecommunications service providers. For more information, visit www.networkhardware.com.