ERICSSON HEWLETT-PACKARD TELECOMMUNICATIONS OPENS NEW BRAZILIAN OFFICE London, March 30 (TTNN-AsiaNet) - Ericsson Hewlett-Packard Telecommunications (EHPT) is opening a new office in Sao Paulo, Brazil to provide a strategic base from which to target the South American market. The opening of this office consolidates EHPT's position in this region, giving the company a permanent local presence with which to support its target customers: new and established telecom operators, both fixed and mobile. The regional office has already established strong local business links with several channel partners including Ericsson Telecomunicacoes SA, Hewlett-Packard Brazil SA, DBA Engenharia de Sistemas Ltda. and Schahin Cury Engenharia e Comercio Ltda. Joaquin Molina, Brazilian regional office manager, believes that the South American market is extremely promising in terms of high volume and expected growth. From this regional office, EHPT will be focusing strongly on targeting the Brazilian, Argentinean, Colombian, Chilean and Venezuelan markets. EHPT's new office located on the Avenue das Nacoes Unidas in the area known as Marginal Pinheiros. "Our decision to open this office is indicative of our determination to be a major presence in South America," commented Molina. "Our expertise lies in providing specialist applications for telecom operators, allowing them to improve customer service and network efficiency. South America is undergoing an exciting period of telecommunications development, and it is important that EHPT is on the spot to provide state-of-the-art solutions." The office currently employs over twenty people, comprising of both Brazilian and Swedish staff and EHPT aims to double the size of the office by the end of 1998 through the recruitment of local Brazilian staff. Ericsson Hewlett-Packard Telecommunications (EHPT) is an independent, world-class provider of application software and services to telecom operators and has installed nearly 400 operations support and business support systems in more than 60 countries. Its success is based on a thorough understanding of the convergence of telecom and computer networks. Founded in 1993 as a joint-venture owned 60% by Ericsson and 40% by Hewlett-Packard, it combines and enhances the strengths of these world-leaders to provide leading edge solutions. EHPT is based in Stockholm, Sweden, and employs 700 staff worldwide. CONTACT: Emma Coop or Claire Lamb, Berkeley PR, tel London +44 1189 882992, e-mail: [email protected] or Ann-Louise Ohrn, EHPT, tel Sweden +46 31 746 2907, e-mail:[email protected]