MERA Networks: Key 2006 Milestones

MERA Networks Receives TL 9000 Certification, Gets Nominated as a Rising Star of Global Outsorcing Top 100 Companies and Widens Expertise

Toronto, ON, Canada —  March 1, 2007. — MERA Networks, a forefront provider of offshore software R&D services to the world's leading telecom equipment and IT solutions vendors, has announced its key milestones of 2006.

MERA Becomes the First Russian Company to Receive TL 9000 Certification

In 2006 MERA NN's R&D Division based in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, successfully passed TL9000 certification audit for software engineering services. The audit was conducted by BSI Management Systems— the world's largest and oldest management systems registrar.

TL9000 is a specific standard based on ISO 9001:2000 with increased emphasis on quality system requirements for the design, development, production, delivery, installation, and maintenance of telecommunication products and services.

The acquisition of the TL 9000 is the result a great amount of preparatory work carried out at MERA to bring its quality management policy and practices in compliance with the Standard requirements. MERA has designed and documented a set of internal processes to ensure that its R&D operations comply with the guidelines set forth by the standard, and developed a solid framework for ongoing collection of TL 9000 metrics.

Operating in accordance with TL 9000 Standards, MERA solidifies its position as a world leader providing high quality software services to its telecom clients.

MERA Named Rising Star on the Global Outsourcing 100 List

MERA is named among 35 Rising Stars on the 2006 Global Outsourcing 100 list of the world's top outsourcing service providers selected by the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals (IAOP). The selection to the Global Outsourcing 100 was made by an evaluation team, comprised of IAOP member professionals, according to a variety of criteria, including revenue growth, number of employees, the skills and training of the workforce, the number of achieved technical and business certifications, the track record of the management team and the quality of customer service.

«We are extremely proud to be on The Global Outsourcing 100 list, which is a worldwide recognition of the supreme level of service that MERA offers to its clients,» Сommented Dmitry Ponomarev, President of MERA Group. «This is a recognition of MERA's role in the Telecom software outsourcing market, as well as our commitment to the use of cutting edge technology expertise and forefront project lifecycle management practices that bring value to the world's leading telecom solutions and equipment vendors.»

MERA expanded its technological expertise, geography and headcount

In 2006 MERA launched a number of new projects and strengthened its focus on delivering full life-cycle model services. 70% of its projects in 2006 were full life-cycle product development projects. On the whole MERA extended its technological expertise to the domain of support and maintenance of SGSN (Serving GPRS support node), BTS (Base Transceiver Station) and development of Fixed Mobile Convergence solutions. In 2006 MERA also expanded the geography of its services into the CALA region. The launch of new projects needs human resources, and in 2006 MERA has shown 30% growth in headcount.

MERA Plays a Key Role in Developing the Russian IT Industry

In 2006 MERA NN's R&D Division based in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, reinforced its positions in the Russian IT market through close cooperation with national and regional governments and active participation in a number of technology associations. In February 2006 The President of MERA Group Dmitry Ponomarev took a key role in organizing the RF State Council Session on information and communication technologies in Russia and was speaking at the roundtable discussion of the IT industry ran by V. Putin, the president of Russia,. This fact is a vivid testimony that MERA is recognized by the government as key player in the Russian IT industry.

About MERA Networks

MERA Networks is an international IT and telecom software development outsourcing company offering in-house and offshore software programming services for wireline and wireless communication systems, cellular and satellite systems, IP Telephony, digital signal processing, and embedded software. With 17+ years experience in offshore programming in the most rapidly developing sectors of the IT market, MERA Networks is a trusted source of offshore software development services that accompany the product at every stage of its life cycle, from design and development to sustenance and testing.

For further information about MERA Networks please refer to: http://www.meranetworks.com