LOS ANGELES (April 22, 2003) – Platinum Equity, LLC, a leader in acquiring and operating mission-critical businesses, announced today the appointment of telecommunications executive Michael S. Ruley as President and CEO of NextiraOne, LLC, Platinum’s market-leading communications network solutions provider.

Mr. Ruley, 43, has most recently been president of market sales operations for XO Communications Inc., a national communications services provider. Prior to XO he held various senior executive positions at Teleport Communications Group and BPI Communications Inc., and has more than 15 years experience in communications and technology.

“We are delighted to welcome Mike Ruley to NextiraOne,” said Phil Norment, president of portfolio operations for Platinum Equity. “He brings a wealth of experience in building, growing and managing successful businesses, and he has a proven track record in establishing strong relationships with customers and alliances with vendors. Maintaining and expanding those relationships is a critical element in NextiraOne’s future growth.”

Based in Houston with annual revenue approaching $1 billion, NextiraOne LLC provides communications networking solutions and support services to enterprise customers in North America. Platinum also owns and operates a sister company in Europe, NextiraOne Europe S.L., that generates more than $1.2 billion a year in revenue.

As president and CEO of the North America business, Mr. Ruley succeeds Robert J. Wentworth, a senior Platinum executive who has served as NextiraOne’s CEO since 2001. Mr. Wentworth will resume his position as an executive vice president at Platinum with responsibility for strategic investment initiatives.

“Bob led the formation of NextiraOne as we acquired and integrated several complementary businesses, and he’s done a terrific job of positioning the company to be a leader in its market space,” Mr. Norment said. “He’s implemented key initiatives that provide a strong foundation, and set the stage for Mike to step in and develop a long-term plan for accelerating the company’s growth.”

“Bob’s contribution at NextiraOne signifies one of Platinum’s great strengths,” Mr. Norment added. “We have a strong team of in-house executives who can assume senior management positions during the important early stages of a company’s development.”

Mr. Ruley said: “I am confident that NextiraOne can grow its market share and continue developing as a leader in the network solutions and support services market. This is a world-class organization with an impressive array of capabilities, technical certifications and communications product expertise. When you combine that with the best-in-class technology solutions we offer customers through our strategic vendor alliances, it’s a winning combination. “

Platinum Equity created NextiraOne in 2001 by integrating several strategic acquisitions – including Racal-Datacom Inc., Timeplex Inc., Williams Communications Solutions and Claricom LLC – to form a single, market-leading provider of network solutions and services to enterprise customers. In 2002, Platinum created a sister company in Europe, NextiraOne Europe S.L., by acquiring the e-Business Distribution unit of Alcatel.

Based in Los Angeles, Platinum Equity is a global investment firm whose portfolio companies provide mission-critical products and services to enterprise customers, such as the voice and data networks those customers need to run their business.

Platinum typically invests in underperforming businesses that can benefit from the firm’s experience and capability in solving operations problems and improving profitability. Through this operations-intensive M&A&O^SM approach, Platinum also builds value by successfully integrating add-on acquisitions to build market leaders.

About Platinum Equity
Platinum Equity (www.peh.com) is a global acquisition firm uniquely specialized in the operation of mission-critical technology companies. Since its founding in 1995, Platinum has completed more than 40 privately funded transactions, leveraging a multi-billion-dollar revenue base derived from the continued growth of its portfolio. With operations in North America, Europe, Asia and South America, Platinum's portfolio of operation companies employ a workforce of more than 15,000 serving more than 600,000 customer sites worldwide.

About NextiraOne
Headquartered in Houston, TX and Paris, France, NextiraOne is a leading provider of network solutions and services. NextiraOne delivers world-class solutions and LifeCycle^SM services from planning and design, through the implementation, support, and management of voice, data, and converged communications networks. As a global service organization that carries an extensive portfolio of certifications and product expertise, NextiraOne provides best-in-class technologies from leading partners, such as Nortel Networks, Cisco Systems, and Alcatel. NextiraOne offers consultation and solutions development ranging from contact center applications to network infrastructure outsourcing. NextiraOne is owned by Platinum Equity (www.peh.com), a global organization specializing in the acquisition and strategic management of mission-critical companies. For more information, please visit www.NextiraOne.com.

Contact:

Mark Barnhill
Platinum Equity
(310) 712-1850
mbarnhill@peh.com