MONTREAL, QC and RICHARDSON, TX - Mar. 05, 2003 - AVESTOR and Valere Power today announced an agreement to co-market their joint battery and DC power technology in telecommunications applications. As part of the agreement, the companies will also jointly develop new products and technologies to better integrate their respective products.

AVESTOR's SE 48S70 Lithium -Metal-Polymer (LMP) battery provides superior performance and longer life than traditional valve -regulated lead-acid (VRLA) batteries, at one -third the size and one -fifth the weight. The first model is designed to provide power back-up for telecommunications equipment, which ensures that wired and wireless networks remain operational when the utility power grid fails.

Valere's Compact DC Power System is used to convert AC power to DC and distribute it to telecommunications equipment. It is based on a patented power conversion technology that provides up to 250 amps of DC power in a unit that is 60% smaller than competing products and which dissipates 35% less heat.

The combined solution is targeted at remote telecommunications equipment cabinets where it is 60% smaller than existing solutions, offers improved reliability and features advanced remote monitoring intelligence that reduces maintenance expenses.

"The combination of AVESTOR's battery and Valere's DC Power System is a natural fit. Both technologies offer a similar value proposition, more power in a smaller space combined with improved reliability. I cannot think of a better time than now to offer the telecommunications industry innovative solutions which reduce the cost of provisioning power to the network." Said Robert Gibney, Chief Marketing Officer for AVESTOR.

"A smaller, better managed power solution is essential to service providers today, many of whom are running out of space and have to choose between power systems or broadband and wireless networking equipment," said Andy Marsh, president and CEO of Valere Power. "We're glad to be a partner with AVESTOR and together set a new standard for power performance and remote management for the telecommunications industry."

Under the terms of this non-exclusive agreement, AVESTOR and Valere will co-market each other's products as a combined system through their sales forces and reseller channel.

The AVESTOR SE 48S70 battery is equipped with an integrated control and monitoring system that provides information that can improve the reliability of telecom systems. The Valere Compact DC Power system is equipped with advanced control and monitoring features that provide real-time status and configuration information to a network management application. The combination of these intelligence features will provide a single point of management and reduce the total operating cost of the system.

Valere Power was founded in January 2001 to develop innovative power solutions that reduce customers' operating expenses in a dvanced telecom and enterprise applications. Headquartered in Richardson, Texas, Valere has created high-efficiency DC power distribution systems that take less space, dissipate less heat and provide new remote management capabilities.

AVESTOR is the world leader in Lithium -Metal-Polymer battery technology. Since the beginning of its research and development operations in 1994, AVESTOR has obtained more than 70 patents covering critical aspects of its leading -edge technology. Its first commercial offering, the AVESTOR SE 48S70 will be available to the telecommunications industry in 2003. For more information, go to www.AVESTOR.com.