Dulles, VA. January 15, 2003 – Encore Networks today announced a reseller agreement with Management Data Systems International (MDSI). Through this agreement, MDSI will sell, service, and support Encore's line of IP over frame products, legacy protocol data FRADs and broadband VPN security products, including Encore's industry leading VPN security appliance, the BANDIT™.

Headquartered in Atlanta, MDSI is a value-added reseller of communications products from a wide range of networking companies including Adtran, Cisco, 3Com, Nortel, Verilink, Tellabs, RAD Data Communications, and Motorola. MDSI provides communications products and services specifically aimed at enhancing network productivity and growth in vertical markets like retail, transportation, and financial institutions. For the carrier market, MDSI offers a full suite of data network products including Frame Relay, private line, and Internet services, and can provide the products and circuits necessary to roll out entire networks. Serving Fortune 500 customers in the United States, Canada, Europe, South America, and the Caribbean since 1990, MDSI provides its customers additional services including project management, inventory management, and 24-hour technical support.

"MDSI prides itself in providing large enterprise customers with either end-to-end connectivity or assistance with just one element of their network," stated Lisa McDonald, Vice President of Sales MDSI. "Encore's BANDIT™ fits into this company philosophy perfectly because of its seamless and transparent fit into customers' networks. It allows network users to maintain existing IP addresses with no disruption during the conversion to VPN, whether they are located in remote offices, branch offices, or the company headquarters."

Encore Networks' BANDIT™ is a secure broadband access router, ideally suited for branch offices, that combines Virtual Private Network (VPN) security, remote diagnostics, dial backup, and extended network management tools in a single compact device. The BANDIT™ offers the best combination of price and performance as an all-in-one solution for IP routing, VPN, firewall security, legacy data protocols, and diagnostics, combined with SNMP based network management for carrier, enterprise, and small business customers.

Bill Grant, Vice President of Broadband Access Solutions for Encore Networks said, "MDSI has built a reputation for providing only the highest quality networking solutions that are unique and often customized to meet large enterprise customer needs. Their policy of equipment redeployment and Inventory-On-Demand allows for quick, easy network deployment without the pains of expensive forklift upgrades."

In addition to the BANDIT™, this agreement covers Encore's complete line of voice over packet products including Integrated Access Devices (IADs), which support the transmission of voice, data, video, and fax over either Frame Relay or IP networks. The IADs include FRADs, which combine legacy data protocols and IP over frame links. Ideally suited for enterprise users, these products provide extensive IP and legacy protocol support.