Expand Eases Network Traffic Congestion For South Africa Automobile Leader, McCarthy Online; ACCELERATORs Enable 400% Network Performance Gains for Large Motor Retail Organization

    ROSELAND, N.J.--April 22, 2002--Expand Networks, a leader in the field of bandwidth optimization technology, today announced that McCarthy Online, a subsidiary of the McCarthy Retail Group, has deployed Expand Networks' ACCELERATORs to quadruple its network capacity and throughput in its extensive network.
    McCarthy Motor Holdings has 86 years experience in serving customers, offering freedom of choice from over 20 different motor vehicle makes, both new and used. The strategy of developing electronic selling via McCarthy Call-a-Car (CAC) provides customers with convenience, professional service and advice as well as a wide selection of used and new motorcars.
    "We needed a solution for slow Internet and email access. With Expand Networks' ACCELERATOR 4000s, we did not have to make choices between which data types, applications or users to support and prioritize. All our users get a performance boost on the applications they depend on, regardless of whether it is Exchange, ERP, Thin Client, or the Intranet," said Wynand Kunkel, IT Manager, McCarthy On-Line. "Our network throughput has since increased by 400% and we have seen massive improvement in all types of enterprise traffic."
    The ACCELERATORs are built on Expand's patented ECT Technology. ECT is an application-independent technology that focuses on increasing network capacity available to all enterprise applications: IP, non-IP, web, and non-web. The ACCELERATORs operate on all network traffic on both ends of the Wide Area Network (WAN) - central as well as remote sites. They remove repeat data patterns from the network with important bandwidth savings. The end result is an increase in network capacity, throughput and speed of 100 to 400+ percent, which ultimately translates to average payback periods of 6 - 12 months. More than 4000 ACCELERATORs are deployed in over 200 customers worldwide.
    "Expand's ACCELERATORs have been gaining wide acceptance in the market as an aggressive cost-cutting technology. The value of the technology with its compelling 6-12 month ROI has made it applicable to all industries, in all markets," said Zohar Pearl, CEO, Expand Networks. "We are pleased to extend the benefits of the ACCELERATORs to McCarthy Online, by proving our performance gains for yet another vertical market - the automotive industry."
    "Limited availability and high cost of bandwidth prompted McCarthy Online to depend on our Wide Area Network (WAN) expertise to recommend an alternative solution to meet their bandwidth needs," said Rian Botha, CEO, Optimizing Systems. "With a web-based interface and transparent deployment, Expand's ACCELERATORs provided McCarthy Online with an immediate solution that leveraged its existing infrastructure while saving on recurring monthly Telco costs." Optimizing Systems, a leading solutions provider for Expand Networks in South Africa, works closely with South Africa-based international companies requiring cost-effective connectivity from South Africa to the rest of the world.

About Expand Networks
    Expand Networks pioneered the development of Enterprise Caching Technology which increases network speed, capacity and throughput by 100 to 400 percent or more. Expand Networks offers a reliable, cost-effective and easy-to-deploy solution to the strain created on networks by mission-critical applications such as Intranet, Extranet, B2B, ERP, CRM, Thin Client and the Web. By accelerating the deployment of new services and applications and offering sophisticated monitoring and management capabilities, Expand Networks improves the end-user experience and reduces the Total Cost of Ownership. Clients include leading organizations such as Motorola, Texas Instruments and the United States Department of Defense. Expand Networks is headquartered in Roseland, New Jersey and Tel Aviv, Israel with offices throughout the United States and in the United Kingdom, France and Italy. The company's sales force is augmented by a global network of Value Added Resellers. To learn more, visit www.expand.com or call (888) 892-1250.
    Expand Networks, ACCELERATOR 6800, ACCELERATOR 4800, ACCELERATOR 4000, ACCELERATOR 2800, ACCELERATOR 2750, and ACCELERATOR 1800 are trademarks of Expand Networks, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

About McCarthy Online
    McCarthy On-Line is the newest division of McCarthy Retail. Established to manage and develop all e-commerce related efforts for the group, McCarthy On-Line has set itself the goal of being South Africa's leading Internet Internet content, transaction and fulfillment group. McCarthy On-Line owns three different trading brands and manages a fourth. Whilst McCarthy On-Line manages McCarthy Call-a-Car, it is the owner of other well-known trading brands - MegaShopper and Eliance. Visit www.mconline.co.za for more information.

About Optimizing Systems
    Optimizing Systems is growing at a remarkable pace. The team has a thorough understanding of bandwidth related issues having specialized in this since 1998. Optimizing delivers focused bandwidth management and value-added services which enables their clients to optimize the use of their mission critical applications and to transform their networks into high performance systems. By offering services tailored to clients specific needs, they endeavor to add value to their business and reduce the cost of owning and managing your connectivity infrastructure. Visit their website for further information at www.optimizingsystems.co.za.