Black Box
NextiraOne Names Ted O'Neal Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer

HOUSTON - July 2, 2003 - NextiraOne, LLC, a Platinum Equity company, today announced the appointment of Ted O'Neal, a communications industry veteran, to the new position of Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer (CAO).

As executive vice president and CAO for NextiraOne, O'Neal will be responsible for corporate administrative and support functions. In this position, he will orchestrate the alignment of these functions with NextiraOne's overall business strategy and growth. O'Neal will be responsible for managing the legal, human resources, real estate and corporate communications teams. He joins NextiraOne from XO Communications, where he held various senior management positions during his tenure there. O'Neal received his undergraduate degree from Princeton University and his law degree from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.

"It's a pleasure to welcome Ted to the NextiraOne management team," said CEO Michael Ruley. "Ted brings a wealth of expertise within the industry to our management team, and his leadership and dependability in critical management areas enable the rest of us to better focus our efforts on serving and acquiring new customers."

About NextiraOne
Headquartered in Houston and Paris, NextiraOne is a leading provider of network solutions and services. NextiraOne delivers world-class solutions and LifeCycleSM 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.

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 40 privately funded transactions, leveraging a multi-billion-dollar revenue base derived from the continued growth of its portfolio. With an established infrastructure in North America, Europe, Asia and South America, Platinum employs a workforce of more than 15,000 serving over 500,000 customers worldwide.

Contact:

Shannon Sullivan
M/C/C Communications
972-480-8383
shannon_sullivan@mccom.com