EXFO Receives the 2011 Global Gigabit Ethernet Test Equipment Growth Excellence Award from Frost & Sullivan

The award acknowledges EXFO's excellence in capturing a commendable growth rate for the last three years in the Gigabit Ethernet test equipment market.

QUEBEC CITY, Jan. 19, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ - EXFO Inc. (NASDAQ: EXFO; TSX: EXF) announced today that it has been named recipient of Frost & Sullivan's 2011 Global Growth Excellence Award in the Gigabit Ethernet test equipment market. The award is presented to the company that has demonstrated leadership, innovation and excellence in capturing significant market share during the last three years.

Three key performance drivers factored in Frost & Sullivan's analysis. First is that all solutions developed by EXFO attempt to address unmet customer demands, while focusing on product quality and ease of use, in order to eliminate deployment challenges and reduce the operational expenditures (OPEX) of its customers. Second, EXFO provides one of the most powerful, extensive and all-inclusive product portfolios in the Gigabit Ethernet test equipment space, empowering field technicians to achieve simple, fast and cost-effective procedures. Finally, the company constantly strives to innovate and develop new products or upgrade its existing products, in order to optimize network and service performance.

According to a recent Frost & Sullivan independent analysis, although EXFO boasts a complete product portfolio in the Gigabit Ethernet test equipment space, unique features—such as simultaneous bidirectional testing and true one-way measurement—and regular introductions have further strengthened its range and contributed highly to the company's extraordinary achievements in this market. As a result, in 2010 the company recorded a leading growth rate of 22.3 % in the global Gigabit Ethernet test equipment market, and was acknowledged by Frost & Sullivan.

"Although innovation is a core value at EXFO, equally important is how we innovate—by focusing on true current and future needs of telecom service providers. Our Gigabit Ethernet growth rate testifies to the success of this customer-centric strategy," said Étienne Gagnon, EXFO's Vice-President of Product Management and Marketing. "EXFO played a pivotal role in the development and acceptance of the ITU-T Y.1564 standard, namely by being the first to support it through the EtherSAM test methodology. The FTB-860 NetBlazer Ethernet Tester and other recently introduced products have also gained fast market acceptance, and we are glad that our efforts were recognized by Frost & Sullivan's industry analysts."

"A key differentiator for EXFO is its market-driven approach, rather than a technology-driven approach. The company maintains close relationships with its customers in order to identify their specific requirements. Such an approach helps the company to develop custom-designed products and solutions that are in line with market requirements", said Prathima Bommakanti, Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst. "EXFO's strong focus on continuous innovation and its commitment to maximum customer satisfaction have been the key components to its success in the global Gigabit Ethernet test equipment market." To learn more about Frost & Sullivan's awards, visit www.awards.frost.com, or for details about EXFO's other industry recognitions, visit the Awards and Recognitions section on our website.

About EXFO
Listed on the NASDAQ and TSX stock exchanges, EXFO is among the leading providers of next-generation test and service assurance solutions for wireline and wireless network operators and equipment manufacturers in the global telecommunications industry. The company offers innovative solutions for the development, installation, management and maintenance of converged, IP fixed and mobile networks—from the core to the edge. Key technologies supported include VDSL2, ADSL2+, 3G, 4G/LTE, IMS, Ethernet, OTN, FTTx, and various optical technologies (accounting for an estimated 35% of the portable fiber-optic test market). EXFO has a staff of approximately 1800 people in 25 countries, supporting more than 2000 telecom customers worldwide. For more information, visit www.EXFO.com.

EXFO Brand Name
The corporate name of the company is EXFO Inc. The company requests that all media outlets and publications use the corporate name ("EXFO Inc.") or abbreviated name ("EXFO") in capital letters for branding purposes. EXFO would like to thank all parties in advance for their cooperation.