Q9 Networks Inc., Tuesday, February 12th, 2002.

Q9 Networks Inc., the leading Canadian provider of managed Internet infrastructure services, is pleased to announce it has agreed to purchase the Exodus Communications, Inc. Canadian Internet data centre located in Brampton, Ontario. This advanced hosting facility is the largest Internet data centre in Canada.

Q9, which opened a state-of-the-art data centre in downtown Toronto in September 2000, has been experiencing significant customer growth. The purchase will facilitate Q9's requirement for additional space and will allow the company to offer its customers a broader choice of locations in Ontario.

Customers located outside the downtown core or that require large amounts of physical space, can now take advantage of an advanced, high security data centre that accommodates virtually any size footprint, without sacrificing the leading-edge managed services and deep Internet expertise for which Q9 has come to be known.

Customers choosing to co-locate their equipment in the newly acquired data centre will receive the same industry-leading SLA-backed, 100 percent network and power uptime guarantees currently provided by Q9.

The new facility will be fully integrated into Q9's extensive, high availability network that connects directly to multiple Internet backbones. The facility will also allow Q9 to expand its highly secure disaster recovery service with additional geographic diversity.

Like all Q9 data centres, the new centre has been engineered for 100 percent uptime, with redundant power feeds, HVAC, and advanced fire protection systems. Multiple layers of security, including video surveillance, security officers and biometric authentication systems, will protect the facility itself.

"This is an important step forward for Q9," says Osama Arafat, CEO, Q9 Networks. "Adding the largest Internet data centre in Canada to our downtown Toronto facility and our soon-to-open Calgary, Alberta operation further strengthens our position as the Canadian market leader in managed Web hosting services.

"Our intention has always been to expand in the Toronto area as demand for our services intensified," adds Arafat. "This acquisition enables us to meet that demand much faster than if we were to build a second location ourselves. The data centre is a technologically advanced facility that, with our superior network architecture and complete suite of managed services, will provide an unbeatable combination for customers requiring mission-critical hosting solutions."

Q9's sole focus on Internet infrastructure allows it to hire, retain and train highly certified experts in Internet-specific disciplines. Key services are backed with SLA guarantees for installation times and problem identification and response. These factors enable customers to outsource mission-critical systems to Q9 with complete confidence.

Q9's service level agreements (SLAs) guarantee 100 percent network uptime. All Q9 and customer systems are monitored from the Q9 Network Operations Centre (NOC) 24 hours a day, seven days a week. NOC experts are also available to customers on an around-the-clock basis to resolve issues and provide advice. Q9 delivers unparalleled service through an extensive suite of customer care products and services, including a Web-based portal that provides complete visibility into customer equipment and Q9 services.