SNCF—number one in Europe for transport and associated services—will implement new systems for video surveillance and ticketing. BT is integrating a new network infrastructure from 3Com to support the deployment and exploitation of these new services.

SNCF expects that the new solution will help reduce costs of installation and use without reducing the performance of the LAN. The contract has a renewal option for two extra years.

BT is working with SNCF's IT teams to install and maintain all the network equipment and the management tool which will allow the French railway company to manage its network infrastructure from end to end. BT teams will also provide training for the SNCF teams in charge of the network infrastructure.

"At the end of the selection process, we opted for the solution which met our technical and economic criteria," says Jean-Louis Millard, who is responsible for telecoms procurement at SNCF. "In choosing 3Com and BT, we are changing the way we look at the future of part of our network and telecommunications infrastructure. This evolution should allow us to reach our business objective: quality of service, which is an absolute priority for all our activities."

"The scope and nature of this contract encourages BT in France to pursue our objective of transforming into a long-term partner of multi-site enterprises for their IT and telecommunications infrastructures," says Olivier Huart, president of BT in France.

"3Com clearly demonstrated that our products have superior price/performance, and offer faster return on investment. We believe our solutions will enable SNCF to deploy new value-added services," added Bernard Etchebarne, regional sales director, South Europe, 3Com.

About SNCF
SNCF (Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Français - French National Railway) is a French public enterprise with its headquarters in Paris. Its functions include operation of rail services for passengers and freight, and maintenance as well as signalling of rail infrastructure owned by RFF (Réseau Ferré de France). It employs about 180,000 people. The rail network consists of about 32,000 km of route, of which 1,800 km is high-speed line and 14,500 km is electrified. About 14,000 trains are operated daily.

About BT
BT is one of the main providers worldwide of communication solutions and services, active in 170 countries. BT principally offers local, national and international telecommunications services for customers at home, at work or on the move; high performance Internet services and products; and fixed/mobile convergence products and services. BT operates mainly across 4 divisions: BT Global Services, Openreach, BT Retail and BT Wholesale. For the period ending 31 March 2008, revenues for BT Group plc rose to 20.704 billion pounds sterling, with profits of 2.506 billion pounds sterling before tax.

About 3Com Corporation

3Com Corporation is a $1.3 billion global converged network infrastructure supplier that helps customers achieve business success by delivering solutions that provide exceptional value. The company's enterprise networking portfolio provides best-in-class performance, efficiency and reliability and delivers unparalleled return on investment. With TippingPoint, 3Com is a leading provider of network-based intrusion prevention systems that deliver in-depth application protection, infrastructure protection, and performance protection. For further information, please visit www.3com.com, or the press site www.3com.com/pressbox.

Copyright © 2009 3Com Corporation. 3Com, the 3Com logo, H3C and TippingPoint are registered trademarks of 3Com Corporation or its wholly owned subsidiaries in various countries around the world. All other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective holders.

For more information, contact:

Kevin Flanagan
3Com Corporation
508-323-1101
Email: kevin_flanagan@3com.com