SGS selects equant to deploy new messaging solution
Announcement posted by Equant 22 Sep 2004
Under a three-year contract, SGS chooses MS Exchange 2003 Messaging Platform implemented, hosted and managed by Equant for 15,000 users worldwide
Equant (NYSE: ENT) (Euronext Paris: EQU) has signed a three-year contract with SGS, the leading company in the verification, testing and certification industry, to implement, host and manage a worldwide messaging system.
This messaging contract, signed in partnership with Microsoft, demonstrates Equants strategy to develop global, customised and integrated communications services. Equant currently delivers managed messaging solutions to more than 800,000 worldwide corporate users, leveraging the skills of its 500 IT specialists available all over the world.
Before turning to Equant, SGS, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, had a legacy messaging system based on servers deployed worldwide. Equant responded to SGS request to review their messaging system with a consultative approach where Equant recommended alternative options based on the future business needs of SGS.
After a careful evaluation, SGS selected Equant to provide a fully-centralised managed messaging solution based on Microsoft Exchange Server 2003. The key benefits of the new SGS messaging system are:
Rationalisation: Reduction of the e-mail servers from more than 300 to two MSExchange Server Farms hosted at Equants data centers in France and in the U.S. As a result, SGS Mail users will get a worldwide, unified and guaranteed service level.
Cost effectiveness: A fixed price per mailbox makes costs predictable.
State of the art technology: MS Exchange 2003 represents the latest software technology. It includes many advanced features such as cache mode and compression, which optimise the network usage and mobility.
Scalability: The centralised messaging solution will allow SGS to integrate new users quickly and easily in conjunction with the evolution of the company.
SGS will see the benefits of this migration through better end users satisfaction and effectiveness, said Stefan Schnydrig, SGS CIO. After having analysed the market through a formal RFP, SGS identified Equant as the preferred global messaging services provider. Their strong technical expertise combined with a very industrialised solution was key to convince SGS to outsource its Messaging infrastructure to Equant.
This successful contract demonstrates Equants positioning in high value services area, confirming Equants transformation strategy into a service company, said PhilippeKoebel, Equants senior vice president of Sales and Marketing, Europe, Middle East and Africa.
Note to Editors
Equant is the leader in managed messaging today because it:
- represents 800,000 corporate mailbox and directory accounts on Microsoft Exchange, Lotus Notes-Domino and Sun One systems
- provides end-to-end management of more than 2,500 customer racks in 7 hosting centres totalling 5,000 m2; Asia Pacific is supported by a state-of-the-art centre in Sydney
- fully manages more than 1,100 firewalls running Nokia, Checkpoint and Netscreen technologies
- is in charge of managing 5,000 servers across its hosting centres, partner data centres and customer premises. These servers operate a broad range of platforms including Windows, Unix and Linux, running applications from Oracle, Microsoft, IBM, BEA, Citrix and Broadvision
About SGS
SGS, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, is the global leader in the inspection, verification, testing and certification industry. SGS operates globally under the SGS brand. SGS operates a network comprised of more than 1,000 offices and laboratories and 37,000 employees with a presence in well over 120 countries. The core services offered by SGS can be divided into three categories:
Verification services. SGS inspects and verifies the quantity, weight and quality of traded goods. Inspection typically takes place at transshipment.
Testing services. SGS tests product quality and performance against various health, safety and regulatory standards. SGS operates state of the art laboratories on or close to customers premises.
Certification services. SGS certifies that systems or services meet the requirements of standards set by governments, standardization bodies (e.g. ISO 9000) or by SGS customers. SGS also develops and certifies its own standards.
For more information please visit www.sgs.com .
About Equant
Equant (NYSE: ENT) (Euronext Paris: EQU) is a recognized industry leader in global communications infrastructure services for multinational businesses. Equant combines its network expertise including unmatched seamless network reach in 220 countries and territories and local support in approximately 165 countries with its expanded services capabilities to provide global, integrated and customized communication services to enable its customers key business processes. Equant serves thousands of the worlds top companies, with the industrys most extensive portfolio of communications services and network solutions, including the market-leading IP VPN used by nearly 1,300 global businesses. Equant, a subsidiary of France Telecom, was named Best Global Carrier 2003 and Best Managed Service 2003 at the World Communication Awards and consistently leads industry surveys in corporate user satisfaction.
Equant (NYSE: ENT) (Euronext Paris: EQU) has signed a three-year contract with SGS, the leading company in the verification, testing and certification industry, to implement, host and manage a worldwide messaging system.
This messaging contract, signed in partnership with Microsoft, demonstrates Equants strategy to develop global, customised and integrated communications services. Equant currently delivers managed messaging solutions to more than 800,000 worldwide corporate users, leveraging the skills of its 500 IT specialists available all over the world.
Before turning to Equant, SGS, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, had a legacy messaging system based on servers deployed worldwide. Equant responded to SGS request to review their messaging system with a consultative approach where Equant recommended alternative options based on the future business needs of SGS.
After a careful evaluation, SGS selected Equant to provide a fully-centralised managed messaging solution based on Microsoft Exchange Server 2003. The key benefits of the new SGS messaging system are:
Rationalisation: Reduction of the e-mail servers from more than 300 to two MSExchange Server Farms hosted at Equants data centers in France and in the U.S. As a result, SGS Mail users will get a worldwide, unified and guaranteed service level.
Cost effectiveness: A fixed price per mailbox makes costs predictable.
State of the art technology: MS Exchange 2003 represents the latest software technology. It includes many advanced features such as cache mode and compression, which optimise the network usage and mobility.
Scalability: The centralised messaging solution will allow SGS to integrate new users quickly and easily in conjunction with the evolution of the company.
SGS will see the benefits of this migration through better end users satisfaction and effectiveness, said Stefan Schnydrig, SGS CIO. After having analysed the market through a formal RFP, SGS identified Equant as the preferred global messaging services provider. Their strong technical expertise combined with a very industrialised solution was key to convince SGS to outsource its Messaging infrastructure to Equant.
This successful contract demonstrates Equants positioning in high value services area, confirming Equants transformation strategy into a service company, said PhilippeKoebel, Equants senior vice president of Sales and Marketing, Europe, Middle East and Africa.
Note to Editors
Equant is the leader in managed messaging today because it:
- represents 800,000 corporate mailbox and directory accounts on Microsoft Exchange, Lotus Notes-Domino and Sun One systems
- provides end-to-end management of more than 2,500 customer racks in 7 hosting centres totalling 5,000 m2; Asia Pacific is supported by a state-of-the-art centre in Sydney
- fully manages more than 1,100 firewalls running Nokia, Checkpoint and Netscreen technologies
- is in charge of managing 5,000 servers across its hosting centres, partner data centres and customer premises. These servers operate a broad range of platforms including Windows, Unix and Linux, running applications from Oracle, Microsoft, IBM, BEA, Citrix and Broadvision
About SGS
SGS, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, is the global leader in the inspection, verification, testing and certification industry. SGS operates globally under the SGS brand. SGS operates a network comprised of more than 1,000 offices and laboratories and 37,000 employees with a presence in well over 120 countries. The core services offered by SGS can be divided into three categories:
Verification services. SGS inspects and verifies the quantity, weight and quality of traded goods. Inspection typically takes place at transshipment.
Testing services. SGS tests product quality and performance against various health, safety and regulatory standards. SGS operates state of the art laboratories on or close to customers premises.
Certification services. SGS certifies that systems or services meet the requirements of standards set by governments, standardization bodies (e.g. ISO 9000) or by SGS customers. SGS also develops and certifies its own standards.
For more information please visit www.sgs.com .
About Equant
Equant (NYSE: ENT) (Euronext Paris: EQU) is a recognized industry leader in global communications infrastructure services for multinational businesses. Equant combines its network expertise including unmatched seamless network reach in 220 countries and territories and local support in approximately 165 countries with its expanded services capabilities to provide global, integrated and customized communication services to enable its customers key business processes. Equant serves thousands of the worlds top companies, with the industrys most extensive portfolio of communications services and network solutions, including the market-leading IP VPN used by nearly 1,300 global businesses. Equant, a subsidiary of France Telecom, was named Best Global Carrier 2003 and Best Managed Service 2003 at the World Communication Awards and consistently leads industry surveys in corporate user satisfaction.