Madge.connect and VITAL Network Services Sign Multi Year Partnership to Deliver Advanced, Global Support and Service for Token Ring Customers.

Business/Technology Editors

NAUGATUCK, Conn. and WEXHAM SPRINGS, U.K.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 17, 2000

VITAL Network Services LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of General DataComm Inc. (NYSE:GDC), and Madge.connect, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Madge Networks N.V. (NASDAQ NM:MADGF), have formed a strategic alliance to deliver advanced, global support and service for Token Ring customers. VITAL is a leading provider of service and support for converging networks, and Madge.connect is the industry's leading supplier of Token Ring technology for enterprise level applications. Under the agreement, VITAL will become Madge.connect's strategic support provider and will deliver a multi-tiered support and training solution for Madge.connect customers.

The alliance with VITAL allows Madge.connect to further build on its strategy of delivering next generation solutions that enable Token Ring customers to painlessly deploy IP-based applications at up to Gigabit speeds. Together, Madge.connect with VITAL will be able to offer a greater level of technical expertise and a wider range of services to build and support these business critical multi-vendor, multi-technology networks.

"This agreement will enable us to better meet the needs of Token Ring users around the world. In today's 24-hour world of e-commerce, network uptime is a business imperative. At the same time, networks have become increasingly complex and are rarely limited to just one technology or manufacturer. Customers are now looking for a single support solution for their entire network. To help us fulfill these requirements, we selected VITAL because of their excellent reputation and proven skills in supporting diverse worldwide networks and technologies. Madge.connect and VITAL share a common goal of delivering the highest levels of customer support and service," said Michael Wilson, CEO of Madge.connect.

Under the agreement, VITAL will support Madge.connect's entire enterprise network product line, which includes adapters, hubs, workgroup and backbone switches. VITAL will enhance and expand the support services already offered by Madge.connect to include installation, onsite support, remote monitoring/management, and professional services, such as network audits and consultancy. As part of the new strategic alliance, the majority of Madge.connect's current support organization along with its existing systems and processes will be integrated into VITAL's Global LAN Support organization. John Grubb, Madge.connect's Director of Technical Services, will join VITAL to head this operation as Vice President, Global LAN Support thus ensuring a seamless transition.

"We share with Madge.connect a common vision of the future of corporate networking. Together, our companies will continue to grow the technology and support that enables customers to expand their networked applications into a robust, high-performance environment supporting IP-based applications such as e-commerce. VITAL's multi-technology support skills will provide the overall service that will keep these networks operating at peak performance. We look forward to working with Madge.connect to deliver a total solution to its customers, which will allow them to better meet the challenges of the new networked economy," said VITAL president John Woods.

About Madge.connect

Madge.connect is a global supplier of advanced networking product solutions to large enterprises. As the market leader in Token Ring, Madge.connect is pioneering next generation networking solutions, which enable the painless deployment of 100Mbps and Gigabit speed IP-based applications within existing corporate networks while protecting customers' investments in Token Ring and ATM. As part of this strategy, Madge.connect provides a range of ISDN switching and IP-based video networking products for real-time multimedia communications across the network.

About Madge Networks N.V.

Founded in 1986, Madge Networks N.V. (NASDAQ NM: MADGF) is a global managed network services and product solutions provider specializing in mission-critical enterprise needs. The company's goal is to optimize the implementation of enterprises' voice, video and data networks with the ultimate aim of converging all networking needs on Internet Protocol (IP) solutions. The company's main business centers are at Wexham Springs, United Kingdom, and New York City and Dallas, TX. Madge Networks N.V., a company organized under the laws of the Netherlands, is the parent company of Madge.web Holdings B.V. and Madge.connect Holdings B.V. Information about Madge's complete range of products and services can be accessed on the World Wide Web at www.madge.com.

About VITAL Network Services

VITAL Network Services has been supporting advanced networks for more than 30 years and is one of the top global support providers, according to industry analyst firm Dataquest. VITAL's expertise spans converging data, voice and video networks, and products of the leading telecommunications vendors. Its services address the full life cycle of network operations, including planning, staging, maintaining, monitoring and optimizing performance. Its clients are private network operators, network equipment manufacturers, resellers, telcos, CLECs and ISPs. World headquarters for VITAL Network Services LLC, a subsidiary of General DataComm, Industries, Inc. (NYSE:GDC), is Naugatuck, CT, USA, which coordinates operations in more than 60 countries across six continents. For more information please call 888-248-4825 or visit www.vital-ns.com.

About GDC

GDC (www.gdc.com) is a leader in the design, development and manufacture of multiservice communications systems for service providers, private networks and enterprise businesses. GDC APEX(R) ATM broadband, multiservice packet voice and data products are used extensively within the world's largest, public next-generation networks. A broad range of advanced network access products provide DSL/Universal Access System solutions; frame relay probes, integrated analog, DDS, wideband and broadband network access products; all managed under a distributed, open SNMP network management framework. GDC is headquartered in Middlebury, CT, USA, and has an extensive network of subsidiaries and partners located throughout North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific Rim. All GDC products mentioned in this document are trademarks or registered trademarks of General DataComm, Inc., a wholly-owned operating subsidiary of General DataComm Industries, Inc.

Private Securities Litigation Reform Act Statement

Investors should take note that certain statements in this press release are forward-looking and may not give full weight to all of the potential risks (e.g., difficulty of developing and supporting high technology products, changing industry standards, competition, changed priorities and resource allocation resulting from these and other factors). Forward-looking statements in this press release include statements that refer to the enhancement and expansion of support services offered by Madge.connect, enabling Madge.connect Token Ring and ATM product users to maximise their total network availability and performance, enabling customers to expand their networked applications into a robust high performance environment, and other statements which are not completely historical. Actual results, actions or events could differ materially. For more information on risk factors, please refer to Madge's SEC filings.

Madge, the Madge logo and Madge.connect are trademarks, and in some jurisdictions may be registered trademarks of Madge Networks or its affiliated companies.