Taqua Systems Opens ATM Development Facility in Cheshire, Conn.

Business/Technology Editors

HYANNIS, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 27, 2000

Former Lucent Engineer to Lead Group Focused on Accelerating

and Delivering Next-Generation Switching Technologies to

Telecommunications Service Providers

Taqua Systems, Inc., a leading provider of next-generation Class 5 access switching platforms for voice and data convergence, today announced the opening of a new development facility in Cheshire, Conn. The new development group will be focused on accelerating and delivering Taqua's Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM)- based next-generation switching capabilities to the global telecommunications service provider market.

Taqua's Cheshire-based ATM Development Group will be led by Christopher Romanoff, who joins Taqua from Lucent Technologies. The ATM Development Group will initially be staffed with nine accomplished technical professionals with experience working for several start-up and established organizations focused on ATM development, including Sahara Networks' broadband access product line.

"The ability to recruit a cadre of experienced ATM engineers to establish the new Cheshire-based development group is a testament to the outstanding potential of Taqua and its flagship product - the Open Compact Exchange(TM) (OCX)," said Robert Steinkrauss, president and chief executive officer of Taqua Systems, Inc. "The ATM Development Group will enable Taqua to accelerate the development and availability of its ATM-based products, providing Taqua with a competitive edge in the burgeoning packet-based switching market."

Today's announcement represents the latest expansion for Taqua. Earlier this year, the Company announced the expansion of its Hyannis, Mass. corporate headquarters campus, which includes the construction of a new operations and manufacturing facility. Last month, Taqua opened a new 46,000 square foot software development and customer service facility in the internationally known Telecom Corridor(R) of Richardson, TX.

Taqua Open Compact Exchange (OCX)

Taqua's OCX creates an entirely new model for delivering telecommunications services - one which dramatically reduces initial and overall cost of ownership, while realizing the promise of voice/data network convergence. A true, carrier-class Class 5 switching system, the OCX is based on a groundbreaking hardware and software architecture that transforms legacy proprietary, centralized switching environments into a next-generation network of distributed, intelligent, highly available switches. The OCX also employs the Taqua Open Programmable Interface (TOPI), the industry's most open Application Programming Interface (API), enabling carriers to develop their own unique enhanced services quickly and cost-effectively. By placing true Class 5 access switch functionality at the edge of the network, the OCX removes cost-of-entry barriers and increases service flexibility for telecommunications carriers, including Competitive Local Exchange Carriers (CLECs) and Independent Telephone Operating Companies (ITOCs).

About Taqua Systems, Inc.

Taqua Systems, Inc., the Emerging Force in Telecommunications(TM), was founded in February 1998 to develop a new generation of cost-effective, Class 5 access switching platforms with capabilities for merging voice and data networks. Taqua's Open Compact Exchange (OCX) offers breakthrough performance to service providers in an economical, easy-to-deploy solution. Headquartered in Hyannis, Massachusetts, Taqua Systems is led by an experienced team of telecommunications professionals from companies such as Lucent Technologies, Bell Laboratories, Nortel Networks, Siemens, Alcatel/DSC and GTE. Taqua Systems is a founding member of the International Softswitch Consortium. The privately held company has received venture capital funding from Amerindo Investment Partners, Bessemer Venture Partners, Bowman Capital Management, Charles River Ventures, Columbia Capital, Dain Rauscher Wessels, Elijah Asset Management, Hambrecht & Quist, Pivotal Asset Management, Soros Private Equity Partners and Vulcan Ventures.

For additional information, please contact Taqua at 508-778-8808 or visit Taqua on the World Wide Web at http://www.taqua.com.

Taqua, OCX and The Emerging Force in Telecommunications are trademarks of Taqua Systems, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.