ECT continues its strategic expansion by opening up indirect sales channels Munich, July 15th, 2006 With the appointment of Andr von Appen as Vice President Indirect Sales, European Computer Telecoms Group (ECT) is widening the foundations for its strategic development. Through its direct sales channels in Europe alone, ECT has achieved outstanding growth and high profitability in the past three years. By creating a division for indirect sales, ECT is now accelerating its entry into the global market. As a member of ECTA's new Management Board, Andr von Appen will work closely with world-leading infrastructure partners to manage the indirect selling of ECT solutions to fixed-line and mobile network operators.

Besides setting up ECTA's Indirect Sales division, Andre von Appen will be putting together an international team of specialists. The team will encompass a full range of job functions including sales, pre-sales, project management, implementation and post-sales  needed to ensure that infrastructure partners and their customers receive first-rate support across the entire value chain. In the future, dedicated ECT experts will be on hand to assist partners with the preparation of tenders and to accompany partners to important meetings with their customers. In addition, ECT succeeded recently in closing a strategic partnership deal with a major global infrastructure vendor.
In just over 12 years, Andre von Appen has had a remarkable career. After receiving an engineering degree in telecommunications with distinction from Dortmund's University of Applied Sciences, he embarked on his career track by working for ABB's data networks division in project management, consulting and sales. He then joined Siemens Nixdorf as a key account manager in LAN/WAN networks and applications. Andre went on to work as a channel account manager at 3COM in the strategic development of international
infrastructure partners, which included players like Siemens and IBM. Under his supervision, these companies generated some of the highest sales among 3COM partners.
Subsequently, he moved to Marconi Channel Markets, initially as Channel Sales Manager Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), a post in which he drove forward and shaped the Europe-wide development of a partner base for data networks, access and optical solutions. His successes continued in 2002 when he took over management of the company's operations as Director Sales CEE. It was at this time that he switched the sales model over to vertical solutions, a move that scored unique successes in the area of mobile operators, carriers and enterprise solutions.

The geographical focus of ECTA's indirect sales activities will rest on the high-growth regions Central and South America, India and Eastern Europe. ECT will market all of its solutions in these regions, but the primary emphasis will be on highly profitable ring back tone solutions and prepaid services. Once the new Indirect Sales division has started up successfully, ECT plans to allow it to operate as an independent company.

Says von Appen, commenting on his new appointment: Given ECTA's considerable successes in Europe, there is enormous potential in terms of business opportunities for our high-quality value-added services in fixed-line and mobile communication markets outside Europe. ECTA's important strategic step into the global arena will allow me to draw on my many years of experience in partner business to explore and tap into this potential to create value for our partners and customers.

About the European Computer Telecoms Group (ECT)
Established in 1998, ECT develops and enables value-added voice services for leading fixed and mobile operators worldwide.
Our parent company, the European Computer Telecoms AG, is an unlisted German public company with world-class engineering and production facilities in Munich, Germany. Within Europe, our local direct sales and maintenance services are provided by wholly-owned subsidiaries in England, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Poland. We also
work closely with value-added resellers, global integrators and OEM partners worldwide.
ECT is first and foremost a company of entrepreneurs which is reflected in our outstanding business development. The products we implement for our customers are judged on the basis of their commercial performance, and within our company, we also pay strict attention to that most important business criterion: profitability. In 2004, we earned 4.4
million euros before tax, interest and depreciation with consolidated net retained profits of over 4.5 million euros and approximately the same amount of money in liquid funds at the close of the year. To ensure transparency for our customers, we publish our audited consolidated accounts annually and we expect our annual report for 2005 to show
total revenue of nearly 20 million euros with even higher earnings and retained profits. In 2004 and 2005, ECT received the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 Award as one of Germany's fastest-growing technology companies. The ECT Group currently encompasses 125 employees.

For further press information:
European Computer Telecoms AG
Axel Schaefer
Director Marketing
Westendstrasse 160
80339 Munich
Germany
Tel.: (0049) 89/ 55 29 47 911
Fax: (0049) 89/ 55 29 47 - 111
E-Mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

For more information about ECTA, please click here