Ericsson signed seven-year managed services deal with Italy's FASTWEB

Ericsson to transform and manage Data Center, including hardware and software, operating systems and storage
FASTWEB to enjoy enhanced quality services with a lower environmental impact
Enables operator to increase automation, optimize power consumption
FASTWEB, the Italian operator owned by the Swisscom Group, has signed a seven-year managed services contract with Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC), which includes data-center consolidation and transformation, as well as managed operations for its IT infrastructure. With this, FASTWEB will introduce advanced IT architecture and state of the art technology and benefit from increased automation, with a lower environmental impact, more flexibility and capacity and evolved services capabilities.

The contract covers consulting and systems integration, transformation, management and maintenance of FASTWEB's Data Center. Through hardware transformation, using Ericsson's consulting and systems integration services, the operator two data centers will be consolidated, allowing FASTWEB to use its IT infrastructure more efficiently, enhance its time to market and to lower its environmental footprint.

Mario Mella, Chief Technology Officer, FASTWEB says: "This is an important step for FASTWEB and choosing the right partner was essential. Ericsson's solution had the right mix of innovation, latest technology and controlled approach. We will be able to benefit from a more scalable and powerful platform, supporting enhanced services."

Valter D'Avino, Vice President & Head of Managed Services, Ericsson, says: "FASTWEB is an exciting partner for us because it provides services beyond traditional telecom. Ericsson continues to expand its professional services into new areas such as IT and broadcasting. With several industries converging - telecom, media, and internet - the technology is becoming more complex and our mission is to manage the complexity and ensure the provision of streamlined, customer-oriented, quality services."

In mature markets such as Italy, where mobile penetration is already high, reducing churn is a top priority. By offering managed services, operators can secure a competitive advantage and gain the opportunity to focus even more on quality of service, as well as additional sales and marketing activities such as the introduction of new multimedia services. With more than 57,000 services professionals working worldwide, the size of Ericsson's organization enables a scale of operations beyond what a single operator can achieve.
NOTES TO EDITORS

About FASTWEB

FASTWEB, with 1.65 million customers, is one of the main telecommunications providers in Italy. FASTWEB currently operates in more than 1.000 Italian cities with a network of more than 32,000 kilometers of cables. FASTWEB uses a unique technological model combining the extensive use of the Internet Protocol (IP) for voice, data and video transmission both via optical fiber and xDSL technology. The company provides customers with a wide range of integrated services (voice - fixed and mobile, data and video) on a single wire. FASTWEB also offers advanced competitive services to all business segments - Public authorities, large companies, small and medium enterprises, professionals, sohos, universities and research institutes. In 2007 Swisscom launched a public tender offer on FASTWEB's shares acquiring the absolute majority. Swisscom subsequently bought out the minority shareholders after making a voluntary tender offer in September 2010.

About Ericsson's Managed Services offering

Ericsson has the telecom industry's most comprehensive managed services offering. It ranges from designing, building, operating and managing day-to-day operations of a customer's network, including end-user services and business-support systems, to hosting service-layer solutions and providing network coverage and capacity on demand. As the undisputed leader in managed services, Ericsson has officially announced more than 100 contracts for managed services with operators worldwide since 2002. In all current managed services contracts, Ericsson is managing networks that together serve more than 900 million subscribers worldwide.

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Ericsson is the world's leading provider of communications technology and services. We are enabling the Networked Society with efficient real-time solutions that allow us all to study, work and live our lives more freely, in sustainable societies around the world.

Our offering comprises services, software and infrastructure within Information and Communications Technology for telecom operators and other industries. Today more than 40 percent of the world's mobile traffic goes through Ericsson networks and we support customers' networks servicing more than 2.5 billion subscribers.

We operate in 180 countries and employ more than 100,000 people. Founded in 1876, Ericsson is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden. In 2011 the company's net sales were SEK 226.9 billion (USD 35.0 billion). Ericsson is listed on NASDAQ OMX, Stockholm and NASDAQ, New York stock exchanges.

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