The News

MARCONI and CTS announce partnership agreement

24/02/2004

Marconi to integrate and distribute CTS microwave planning tool, CTS to distribute the Planet EV suite of products into targeted EMEA territories

Dallas, Paris, Cannes – 3GSM World Congress — February 24, 2004 — The Wireless business unit of Marconi Corporation plc (London: MONI and Nasdaq: MRCIY) and CTS today announced an agreement granting CTS exclusive rights to distribute the Planet® EV suite of products into select countries across Europe and Africa, with additional rights in the Middle East. In addition, Marconi will integrate and distribute CTS’ Ellipse Microwave software with Planet EV to its customers worldwide. The product and distribution channel synergies will provide the companies with increased customer access and support, and the market with improved wireless network planning functionality.

“We are very pleased to partner with a highly respected company such as CTS. This agreement leverages the technical and marketing capabilities of each company,” said Chip Wagner, head of Marconi’s Wireless Business Unit. “Marconi’s leading Planet EV network optimization solutions and CTS’ Ellipse Microwave tool are highly complementary. This greatly improves our ability to market into multiple world regions.”

The agreement provides Marconi and CTS customers with an easy upgrade path to best-in-class technology, while maintaining the highest level of support. The benefits will include more robust planning and optimization capabilities on a single, extensible platform.

“This agreement enables us to sell a broad range of Planet EV and integrated partner applications into sales territories and customers we know very well,” said Philippe Catherine, CEO of CTS. “It further allows us to strengthen our global market position in the microwave planning business. The advantages for our customers will be diverse and immediate.”

About CTS
CTS (Cril Telecom Software) designs, manufactures and delivers software to the telecommunication industry. CTS’ solutions and expertise focus on spectrum management, including frequency planning, administration and assignment, and network planning and optimisation.
CTS’ solutions address the industry’s players’ challenge of ensuring the most efficient operation of radio communication services with maximum end user service quality while optimising capital and operational expenditure. The company’s customer base includes many of the key players in the telecommunication market in more than twenty countries.
For further information, please visit: http://www.criltelecom.com/

About Marconi Corporation plc
Marconi Corporation plc is a global telecommunications equipment and solutions company headquartered in London. The company's core business is providing innovative and reliable optical networks, broadband routing and switching and broadband access technologies, and services. The company's customer base includes many of the world's largest telecommunications operators. The company is listed on the London Stock Exchange under the symbol MONI and on Nasdaq under the symbol MRCIY.

This press release contains forward-looking statements with respect to products, partners, customers, future growth and other matters. Please refer to the Form 20-F report, Form 10Q reports and 8-K reports filed by Marconi Corporation plc with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission for a discussion of risks that could cause actual results to differ materially from such statements.

Copyright © 2004 Marconi plc. All rights reserved. All brands or product names are trademarks of their respective holders.

Marconi Contact      CTS Contact
Name:   Jane Betters     Name: Christiane Labitzke
Title:   Manager, Marketing Communications  Title: Operational Marketing Manager
Phone:   +1 972 669 6320    Phone: +33 (0)1 58 17 04 74
Email:   jane.betters@marconi.com   Email: christiane.labitzke@criltelecom.com