BT SETS BULLDOG ON SMEs

BT Wholesale today announces two extensions to its June 2002 strategic agreement on Symmetric Digital Subscriber Line (SDSL) with Bulldog Communications. The updated agreements will benefit both parties and are designed to pass on key advantages for small-to-medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK.

In the first extension, BT Wholesale has agreed to distribute Bulldog’s SDSL product, “Office Connect IP” to its existing customer base of service providers. In the second, BT Wholesale has embarked on a trial to integrate Bulldog’s access product from Bulldog’s enabled exchanges in to its own mainstream SDSL service. The new agreements will offer Bulldog a faster route to a larger customer base, and BT Wholesale an alternative delivery capability within the crucial London market.

“It makes good commercial sense for both companies to work together in providing SDSL services,” explains Stuart Horwood, managing director, BT Wholesale Markets. “Through this alliance, more SMEs will get what they need, and both Bulldog and BT Wholesale will be able to make the most of any opportunities. This is a great example of how BT is increasingly working in co-operation with other operators on the UK to utilise their products and services and build them into its own product range.”

The extensions enable both parties to cater to SMEs’ demand for simultaneous ‘upstream’ and ‘downstream’ broadband-calibre communications. While SDSL will have a shorter ‘last mile’ range than low bandwidth ADSL, it is a complimentary service depending on the individual SME needs. For example, it is apt for SMEs in the field of computer aided design, or for any SME needing to: send and receive large amounts of data at the same time; link local area networks using virtual private network technology; or allow internet application hosting services e.g. web or email servers on the SME premises. As the service can fulfil the needs of up to 200 users, it potentially can see an SME through all its communications and online marketing needs during the critical early years of trading.

It will also be a cost effective option for the SME, suitable for a range of applications such as VoIP, and will be offered at 500k, 1 meg and 2 meg speeds.

Richard Greco, CEO of Bulldog, commented, “We’re delighted to be able to augment BT Wholesale’s SDSL portfolio through adding both a wider product range and greater geographical reach. We’re also particularly pleased that the 10:1 SDSL product is being so fully integrated into BT’s own product portfolio. It really is a powerful combination.”

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Notes to Editors

About BT Wholesale
BT Wholesale is the part of BT Group, which provides comprehensive network services and solutions within the UK. Its customers number more than 500 communication companies, fixed and mobile network operators and service providers, including the two other principal BT businesses: BT Retail and BT Global Services.

It offers connectivity to every corner of the UK and its strategy is to continue upgrading its network for next generation services, including broadband, and the converging multi-media future. Its assets in the UK include BT's fibre and copper networks, the core telecommunications network and local exchanges.

The BT Wholesale portfolio includes a comprehensive range of wholesale and service provider products. These include ADSL, convergence, transit, bulk delivery of private circuits, frame relay and ISDN connections, as well as added value services."

About Bulldog
Bulldog has a leading-edge DSL network specifically designed to deliver the highest quality broadband experience to direct residential customers, and value-added broadband solutions for wholesale and reseller partners. Bulldog is a DSL specialist; the company provides specialist technology expertise to its partners and customers.

Deploying the latest and most advanced DSL technology, Bulldog offers the broadest selection of DSL products and services commercially available in the market today and is continually expanding its state-of-the art network.

Customers can visit Bulldog’s website www.bulldogdsl.com to order products and services online that are available today, and pre-register for others coming soon. For enquiries by phone, please call 0845 452 0052 (local rate).

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BT WHOLESALE THWARTS SILO MANAGEMENT TO CREATE MORE LOTTERY MILLIONAIRES

- ISDN2 contract with Camelot, Global Crossing underpins new national lottery network –

BT Wholesale today completes a nationwide upgrade of Camelot’s network of 25,000 lottery machines to ISDN2. The £70 million, seven-year contract won in March 2002, enables Camelot to offer a wider range of lottery games nationally. The project, completed with Global Crossing as the intermediary, required BT Wholesale to completely revamp its internal processes to suit the brief, including product classification, lead times, day-to-day planning and implementation, and full logistical back-up to hardware, technical support and customer service. The success of the project has given senior BT Wholesale management cause to reconsider how new business is approached, and is likely to pave the way for similarly ambitious deals in the future.

“As soon as Global Crossing approached us early last year we turned our entire method of project implementation on its head”, explains Greg Forde, client director, International Fixed Sector, BT Wholesale. “Part of our business strategy is to break down barriers between BT Wholesale and the rest of the organisation so that more value can be offered via our collective infrastructure and intellectual property. This deal did just that – every single detail of the entire project was planned on storyboards, with everyone involved in the project attending the first planning meetings. The 25,000 installations were treated as a brand new product classification, and our lead times for it were altered to ensure we could complete the paperwork and keep our promises to retailers hosting the machines. It’s the first time we’ve done anything like this but, given the success, it won’t be the last”.

Legal guidelines in the UK meant that BT Wholesale can only correspond with network operators or telecoms organisations. Global Crossing therefore offered the contract on Camelot’s behalf, with Global Crossing retaining a separate contract. BT Wholesale had to establish ‘Chinese walls’ within its own organisation, as well as non-disclosure agreements between BT Wholesale and parts of BT Retail (in addition to Global Crossing and Camelot) in order to fulfil the contract. It is the first time BT as a whole has worked in this way, and also the first time that BT Wholesale engineers have used third-party hardware to complete a project. BT Wholesale devised a tailored training programme – covering both customer service and technical issues - for all 1,100 engineers working on the project, which had to be passed and certified before each was allowed to visit one of the 25,000 sites. Engineers were supported in the field firstly by a BT Wholesale help desk, and secondly by further technical support from Camelot and Global Crossing. From arranging an appointment to have an engineer visit a site to switching the machine to ISDN2 took no more than 20 days.

Following BT Wholesale’s contract win, a pilot began in April 2002 and the project in full during August 2002. Communication from each lottery machine in branches of Tesco’s, W.H. Smith and other retailers throughout the country is now carried via internal cabling to a BT ISDN2 line, through the BT network, and back to the TV studio at Camelot that holds the lottery draw machines. ISDN2 has proved to be the most cost-effective network option in terms of repair, maintenance and management, and the network contract was originally offered as part of the Lottery Commission’s directive to maintain fair competition for bidding network operators.

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Notes to Editors

BT Wholesale:
BT Wholesale is the part of BT Group which provides comprehensive network services and solutions within the UK. Its customers number more than 500 communication companies, fixed and mobile network operators and service providers, including the two other principal BT businesses: BT Retail and BT Global Services.

It offers connectivity to every corner of the UK and its strategy is to continue upgrading its network for next generation services, including broadband, and the converging multi-media future. Its assets in the UK include BT's fibre and copper networks, the core telecommunications network and local exchanges.

The BT Wholesale portfolio includes a comprehensive range of wholesale and service provider products. These include ADSL, convergence, transit, bulk delivery of private circuits, frame relay and ISDN connections, as well as added value services.