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Sun Partners with Leading Network Interface Providers for Next-Generation ATCA Solutions

Best-in-Breed Signaling Technologies Enable High Performance, High Bandwidth Wireless and Broadband Services 

CANNES, FRANCE - 3GSM Worldwide Congress (Booth C6, Hall 1) - February 14, 2005 - Sun Microsystems, Inc. (Nasdaq:SUNW) unveiled further details of its next-generation NetraTM ATCA (Advanced Telecom Computing Architecture) blade platform strategy today by announcing partnerships with leading network interface providers, including Ulticom, Adax and NMS Communications. These partnerships strengthen Sun's offering by integrating best-in-breed, high-performance signaling products into its Netra ATCA blade platform, supporting both SolarisTM and Carrier-Grade Linux operating systems, to accelerate development and delivery of new telecom services for the rapidlygrowing wireless and broadband markets.

"By bringing together Sun's ATCA blade platform with leading network interface providers, our network equipment provider customers can quickly develop and deploy next-generation, high-bandwidth 3G wireless and broadband services for service providers worldwide," said Raju Penumatcha, VP of Netra Systems and Networking (NSN), Sun Microsystems.

Adax Signaling Solutions

Adax will be qualifying and delivering their HDCII SS7 and ATMII products on Sun's Netra ATCA blade platform, supporting both Solaris and Carrier-Grade Linux environments. Adax offers a complete set of products that covers all signaling protocols and many hardware formats to provide the perfect solution for any signaling requirement, including SS7, ATM and IP networks.

"Adax products are based on open-systems standards, modular designs and common application program interfaces (APIs), "said Andrew Sproul, Product Marketing Manager, Adax. "When we partner with reliable carrier-grade hardware, such as Sun's Netra blade servers, we can protect customer investments with a flexible and portable platform to 2.5 GPRS, 3G, 3GPP2 and beyond."

Ulticom's Signalware® Solutions

Ulticom will be qualifying and delivering its Signalware product family on Sun's Netra ATCA blade platform, supporting both Solaris and Carrier-Grade Linux operating systems, for next-generation, high-bandwidth telecom services. Ulticom's Signalware infrastructure products provides carrier-grade signaling such as SS7, Signaling Transport (SIGTRAN) and Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) for fixed, mobile and converged network solutions. Ulticom's Signalware solution provides high-availability and distributed open computing to make ATCA-based solutions ideal for network equipment that requires converged computing, control and storage capabilities.

"Signalware's introduction on ATCA has provided network equipment providers with the dual benefits of cost effectiveness and improved time-to-market for many applications, such as Radio Network Controllers (RNC) and Softswitches, which were previously built on proprietary hardware platforms," said Osman Duman, Vice President of Marketing, Ulticom. "Leveraging open, standards-based computing platforms like Sun's Netra ATCA blade servers allow service providers the flexibility to deploy revenue-generating services that can easily adapt to the evolving marketplace needs."

NMS Communications OpenAccess™ Solutions

Reinforcing its commitment to ATCA, NMS Communications is moving its core OpenAccess™ technology to ATCA and will be delivering these products on Sun's Netra ATCA servers, supporting both Solaris and Carrier-Grade Linux operating systems. Most importantly, NMS will launch later this year a new generation of OpenAccess products built for the ATCA platform.

"NMS has a longstanding commitment to providing its customers with leading-edge solutions that are open, standards-based and deliver carrier-grade performance," said Jon Sieg, Vice President of Platform Solutions Business, NMS Communications. "For years, we've partnered with Sun to ensure our OEM customers have future-proofed, flexible, high-performance solutions. As the demand for mobile communications services grows, customers can continue to count on the NMS-Sun partnership to quickly bring to market their most demanding and innovative applications."

Sun's NEBS-Compliant Products

As a leader in Telecom Data Server products (12/04 Instat/MDR Teledatacom Server report), Sun delivers a comprehensive line of NEBS Level 3 certified Netra rack and PICMG (PCI Industrial Computer Manufacturers Group) standard blade servers with the proven, highly-reliable Solaris™ operating system. These NEBS-certified platforms are used by 9 out of 10 leading network equipment providers, delivering highly-reliable telecom network infrastructure for wireless, wireline and broadband networks worldwide. Sun's ATCA blade platform, supporting both Solaris and Carrier-Grade Linux operating systems, will extend Sun's Netra product family, offering an ideal choice for next-generation, high-bandwidth wireless and broadband services.

For more information on Sun's Netra servers, please visit: http://www.sun.com/netra .

About Sun Microsystems, Inc.

Since its inception in 1982, a singular vision -- "The Network Is The Computer™" -- has propelled Sun Microsystems, Inc. (Nasdaq: SUNW) to its position as a leading provider of industrial-strength hardware, software and services that make the Net work. Sun can be found in more than 100 countries and on the World Wide Web at http://sun.com .

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Sun, Sun Microsystems, the Sun logo, Solaris, Netra, and The Network Is The Computer are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and other countries.

FOR MORE INFORMATION :

Agnes Hu
Ogilvy Public Relations for Sun Microsystems
(415) 677-2830
agnes.hu@ogilvypr.com