Dulles, VA. March 12, 2003 – Encore Networks, Inc. today announced the opening of its Canadian Sales Office with the appointment of John Craig as Director of Canadian Sales & Business Development. Mr. Craig will direct Encore's sales of broadband Virtual Private Network (VPN) security appliances, IP legacy routers, signaling products, and Frame Relay Access Devices (FRADs) from Encore's Ottawa office. He will focus primarily on developing partnerships with VARs, carriers, systems integrators, and large enterprise customers, with an emphasis on the Canadian lottery, utilities, and industrial vertical markets.

Mr. Craig has held a variety of lead development and network architect positions in Canada with CrossKeys Systems Corporation and Nortel's Service Provider E-Business Broadband Access and MPLS/IP VPN group. He has worked closely with integrators and customers in Europe, the United States, and Canada. He holds a B.Sc Electrical Engineering from the University of Waterloo and obtained his Professional Engineering certification in August 2002. As Director of Canadian Sales and Business Development, he will concentrate on sales opportunities for Encore with selected carrier and service providers throughout Canada.

"John's extensive international experience in the communications marketplace makes him a great addition to our growing team," stated Bill Grant, Vice-President of Broadband Access Solutions. "John's understanding of the access infrastructure and how the BANDIT™ product line fits the various markets enables him to offer the winning combination of proven products and solid product knowledge to Canadian carriers and integrators. He is ideally suited to help carriers deploy revenue generating, managed VPN services in Canada."

"Encore's security and signaling products, along with the company's success in developing integrated solutions for the utility, lottery, and travel industries, make us a key provider of solutions Canadian carriers can offer to their enterprise customers," said Mr. Craig. "Canada's industrial base is in the process of shifting to IP-based control and management. We are poised to leverage Encore's legacy control and management products into service providers' managed Frame Relay and IP VPN networks."