HOUSTON - March 28, 2005 - NextiraOne, LLC, a Platinum Equity company has strengthened its position as one of Nortel's most prominent allies in the high-end enterprise marketplace. By applying its technical skills, experience and service quality to Nortel implementations, NextiraOne has maintained its Nortel Elite Advantage Partner status. The designation is the highest reseller designation granted by Nortel. NextiraOne is one of only 14 such channel partners in North America.

As an Elite Advantage Partner, NextiraOne offers clients a comprehensive business solution that incorporates voice, data and application capabilities that allow clients to collaborate more effectively, improve productivity and control infrastructure costs.

"We are thrilled that Nortel has recognized NextiraOne's efforts to achieve global coverage," said Ernie Wallerstein, Jr., senior vice president of sales and marketing for NextiraOne. "We believe this designation further affirms the strength of our relationship with Nortel, and it helps us support our clients globally with the highly effective solutions Nortel has to offer."

In addition to this preferred status in the United States, NextiraOne has achieved Gold Partner status in several of the countries in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region. In fact, NextiraOne, LLC EMEA is positioned as the fourth largest reseller for Nortel. The company gained this position within only a year's time, quickly becoming a powerful force within the EMEA marketplace.

"Nortel developed its Partner Advantage program to ensure that customers would receive outstanding products and services at all times," said Nortel Director of Channel Marketing Perry McDonald. "Nortel is pleased that NextiraOne has met the stringent guidelines required to maintain its Elite Advantage status."

To achieve and maintain the Elite Advantage status, NextiraOne undergoes a yearly audit from the appointed Nortel auditor, QMI. As part of that audit, QMI assesses NextiraOne's ability to service Nortel clients. The audit qualifies the processes NextiraOne uses in the network operation center (NOC) and in the field to perform installations and provide support and maintenance.

In addition to the audit process, NextiraOne must collect specific technical certifications for pre-sales and support. Also, the company is required to carry the full breadth of Nortel's voice, data and applications solutions.

About NextiraOne
NextiraOne North America is a leading provider of integrated enterprise network, IP telephony, voice and data solutions and services that enable effective business communications. Built on a foundation of telecommunications industry experience dating back to the 1970s, the company's expertise ranges from planning to the implementation, support and management of traditional, IP and converged voice and data communications networks. NextiraOne also provides solutions featuring best-in-class technologies from leading manufacturers and vendors. The company offers consultation and solutions development ranging from contact center applications to network professional services. The NextiraOne companies enjoy a rich history that has been woven from the fabric of Williams Communications Solutions, Milgo Solutions, Racal-Datacom, Timeplex and Executone. For more information, please visit www.NextiraOne.com.

NextiraOne is owned by Platinum Equity (www.platinumequity.com), a global acquisition firm specializing in the strategic operation of mission-critical services and solutions businesses according to a unique M&A&O^SM model of value creation.

Contact:
Sadie McCrary
Media Relations Representative
M/C/C for NextiraOne
972-480-8383 ext. 222
Sadie_McCrary@mccom.com