SASKTEL INTERNATIONAL SELLS SOFTWARE, PROVIDES EXPERTISE TO NORTHWESTEL

May 16 2001

SaskTel International has signed a CDN$760,000 contract to provide its MARTENS® Suite of Service Fulfillment OSS (Operational Support System) products and related services to NorthwesTel. NorthwesTel is a Northwest Territories-based diversified communications provider, and is the latest addition to SaskTel International's client list that includes companies in Oregon, Louisiana, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Alaska, Ontario and Newfoundland.

"Our MARTENS Suite is a highly functional, user-friendly OSS solution that enables companies such as NorthwesTel to provide their customers with the highest level of service in today's competitive telecommunications market," said Garry Simons, President of SaskTel International. "Our customer base is far-reaching into Canada and the USA. Selling our goods and expertise around the world compliments our investment program in SaskTel's overall diversification strategy." Since 1987, SaskTel's revenue and proceeds from outside Saskatchewan have totaled more than $422M.

"It is often difficult to find software that does what one needs it to without modification or customization. Northwestel considers MARTENS to be a very good fit with our plant management needs. We look forward to working with SaskTel International on the implementation," said Jody Woodland, Program Manager Systems Implementation, NorthwesTel.

The MARTENS Suite is a fully integrated customer service provisioning, activation and assurance OSS solution for local access providers in all types of markets. Among other benefits, MARTENS allows telecommunications service providers to achieve totally automated, flow-through provisioning for all customer services, seamless instant service/service-on-demand capabilities via a service activation module, and a repair management product totally integrated with the provisioning process. For more on MARTENS, visit SaskTel International's web site at www.sasktelinternational.com.

"Our products are quickly becoming the premier solution for telecommunications service providers, requiring a technically advanced suite of products that are reliable and easily managed," said Simons.

SaskTel International provides engineering consulting, project management, and software solutions around the world. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of SaskTel, the leading full service communications company in Saskatchewan, offering complete wireline, wireless, Internet and e-business solutions over a state-of-the-art, digital network. The web site for SaskTel is www.sasktel.com.