22 April 2008

THUS plc today announced that it has extended its contract with the Fife and Tayside Metropolitan Area Network (FaTMAN), a consortium of further and higher education providers, for the provision of a high bandwidth Wide Area Network (WAN) ethernet service. The extension came on the back of delivering 100% service availability throughout 2007, exceeding already stringent service level agreements.

The THUS next-generation network (NGN) solution offers the consortium reliability and scalability, while enabling more efficient provision of administration and student support services. In addition it provides a gateway to improve collaborative working with the wider academic research community. The ethernet network will enable a variety of applications including internet activities, collaborative tools in support of e-science, video conferencing and connection to JANET, the UK’s Education and Research Network which connects educational networks across the UK and around the world.

FaTMAN was established in 1995 to allow the education community to collectively exploit the benefits new technology could bring and to build a solid foundation for collaborative research. At the time it was the first academic network of its kind in the UK to become operational. Today the high performance network supports learning, teaching, research and administration in further and higher education institutions across Fife, Angus and the City of Dundee. The provision of high speed internet enhances access for the academic community for both students and staff.

Malcolm Bain, Chairman of the FaTMAN Management Committee, commented: "Learning, teaching and research are important areas for Scotland and make extensive use of IT. Therefore we aim to provide a strong and reliable communications network for all our students and staff. They are using our network to make increasingly sophisticated use of new technologies with comprehensive access to an ever-growing set of online educational resources. In 2007, THUS consistently delivered 100% service reliability and then offered highly competitive pricing in our open tender exercise. So we are delighted to extend a relationship that combines high performance with excellent value for money."

Phil Male, Chief Operating Officer, THUS plc said: "The technical capability of our network ensures that we can meet stringent service level agreements and offer clients high levels of service availability. We are delighted that the performance of our network, coupled with our experience in the education sector, provides clients with the assurance they need to put their faith in our solutions."

For further information, please contact:

THUS Group plc
Owen Campbell Senior Product Communication Executive	+44 (0) 141 566 3361
Hotwire PR
Rebecca Honeyman	+44 (0) 20 7608 2500

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