Dulles, VA. February 3, 2003 – February 3, 2003— Encore Networks, a leading developer of integrated network security products, today announced the appointment of Abir Hnidi as Vice President and Chief Technology Officer. Hnidi, formerly with Santera Systems, joined Encore in August 2002, and led the product development of Encore's Virtual Private Network (VPN) BANDIT™ family of routers and network security appliances. Hnidi brings more than 13 years of technical and product management experience to the Encore executive team.

"Abir has played a key role in the development of a number of Encore's foundation products, and has been instrumental in our entry into the VPN security market," stated Peter Madsen, Encore's President and Chief Executive Officer. "As the network security market continues to evolve, I look forward to working closely with Abir to continue Encore's tradition of developing cutting-edge technology and translating it into market-defining products."

Prior to his appointment at Encore, Hnidi was Assistant Vice President, Systems Engineering with Santera Systems & Accelerated Networks. He also spent several years at Lucent Technologies/Ascend Communications where he held several key technical positions, lastly as Director of Technology Architecture in the Carriers group. Abir has also served as a consultant to several Venture Capitalists providing technical advice on technology direction and competitive landscape.

"As a technologist, I cannot imagine a more exciting role than guiding Encore's strategy in the rapidly growing and challenging VPN routing and network security market," stated Mr. Hnidi. "As the industry evolves, I am eager to position Encore's flagship product line with large enterprise accounts and service providers accelerating Encore's growth in these segments. I believe Encore has the potential for explosive growth, and I am exited about the opportunity to help scale the business."