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NTPA News O2 Deploys Netopia's NBBS Software for Automated Provisioning and Assurance of Broadband Services

EMERYVILLE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Netopia, Inc. (Nasdaq:NTPA), a market leader in broadband service assurance solutions, announced O₂ Germany, a leading mobile telecommunications provider in Germany, is using Netopia’s TR-069 Netopia Broadband Server (NBBS) service management platform to manage and support the deployment of broadband customer premises equipment (CPE) being rolled out as part of a new service launched in November 2006.

O₂ has approximately 11 million mobile customers in Germany, and for the first time is moving beyond mobile into fixed broadband and converged services. O₂ selected Netopia’s NBBS platform to assist with this move for its scalability, robust architecture, and ability to support CPE from multiple vendors. By using Netopia’s NBBS platform to manage the deployment of DSL gateways and related IP equipment, to provision associated services such as voice over IP (VoIP), to manage and support its growing installed base of CPE, O₂ can realize significant cost savings, grow revenues from new broadband offerings, and ensure their customers enjoy an easy broadband service installation experience.

NBBS supports a number of DSL Forum specifications, including TR-069 for centralized remote management of CPE and TR-104 for VoIP service management. Its standards-based architecture, coupled with its scalability to support millions of devices, makes it ideally suited for O₂’s growth targets and future service extensions.

“We wanted to introduce a broadband service in Germany that would be easier to deploy and more reliable for our customers,” said Peter Hlawna, manager of user equipment engineering for O₂ Germany. "The NBBS solution helps our customers experience an easy connection to our service. When the equipment is delivered to their home they simply plug it in and their service is configured without manual intervention. This ’zero touch’ configuration is a key part of our proposition to customers and it reduces our support efforts significantly.”

The zero-touch installation process means that customer-specific service parameters, such as those required to enable VoIP, are provisioned to the CPE when an O₂ subscriber connects an O₂ router for the first time. NBBS remotely manages a seamless initialization and configuration of the CPE’s embedded software without the need for any subscriber intervention. Thereafter, O₂’s network operations and support agents can use NBBS to manage and support the CPE network - from troubleshooting an individual gateway to pushing firmware updates system-wide, from gathering real-time statistics to enabling new services, and more.

“We are excited about O₂ Germany’s selection of NBBS for the centralized management of their new, growing broadband service,” said Jeff Porter, vice president of software sales at Netopia. “NBBS simplifies the configuration, activation, and remote management of DSL gateways and IP equipment over broadband networks, giving service providers like O₂ the framework for an easy expansion of their service offerings.”

Only Netopia offers a range of carrier-class software solutions to assure the delivery of broadband services from the gateway to the desktop. NBBS delivers a subscriber activation and gateway management solution, and eCare, Netopia’s on-demand remote support center application, lets help-desk professionals show customers how to manage desktop systems and peripherals through desktop-to-desktop remote control.

About Netopia

Netopia, Inc. delivers broadband service assurance solutions through high-performance broadband customer premises equipment and carrier-class remote device management and support software. Netopia's broadband gateways feature advanced technology, high reliability, and remote manageability to assure delivery of triple-play and IPTV services. Netopia’s service assurance software platforms empower carriers, service providers, and enterprises with remote device management, centralized support, and value-added services to speed deployment of innovative new broadband applications across home and business networks. Netopia has established strategic distribution relationships with leading carriers and broadband service providers, including AT&T, BellSouth, Covad Communications, eircom, Swisscom, and Verizon.

Headquartered in Emeryville, Calif., Netopia's common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol "NTPA". Netopia has entered into a definitive agreement with Motorola, Inc, under which Motorola will acquire all of the outstanding shares of Netopia’s common stock. The acquisition is subject to customary regulatory approval and the approval of Netopia’s stockholders, who will meet to vote on the acquisition on February 6, 2007. Further information about Netopia can be obtained via phone at (510) 420-7400, fax at (510) 420-7601, or on the Web at www.netopia.com.

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