Equant wins "best global carriers" and "best managed service" titles at world communucations awards
Announcement posted by Equant 10 Oct 2003
Company is first to be named Best Global Carrier two years in a row by EMAP Communications Group and ECTA
SYDNEY (Oct. 9, 2003) - Equant (NYSE: ENT) (Euronext Paris: EQU), an industry leader in global IP and data services for multinational businesses, won two prestigious awards at the annual World Communication Awards (WCA) ceremony in London Monday: "Best Global Carrier" and "Best Managed Service."
Equant, which was also named "Best Global Carrier" in 2002, is the first service provider to win back-to-back "Best Global Carrier" awards from the Emap Communications Group and the European Competitive Telecom Association (ECTA). The WCA judges selected Equant's flagship IP VPN service, the first MPLS-based service in the marketplace, as the best of the dozens of managed services available during 2003.
On Equant winning Best Global Carrier, the WCA judges said: "Equant is stable and consistent in this market and continues to grow its customer base and to outperform the competition. [Equant is] a worthy winner in this category. Equant wins recognition from customers, industry analysts and the media for its market leadership in new global data and managed communication solutions."
On Equant IP VPN winning Best Managed Service, WCA judges said: "Equant IP VPN is the industry's widest-reaching MPLS-based IP VPN solution. It is the most global service, with a good use of VoIP. It's one of the most innovative solutions and with some really strong testimonials from excited users."
The 80 percent increase in Equant IP VPN customers - from 500 in April 2002 to 900 in July 2003 - highlighted the outstanding international acceptance for its innovative convergence solutions. Equant's success in understanding and meeting individual customer requirements was also shown in its "Best in Class" ranking for the third consecutive year in Telemark Services' prestigious IP customer satisfaction survey
"It is truly an honor to have won these two major awards from Emap Communications Group and ECTA," said Daniel Caclin, president and CEO of Equant. "During a year in which multinational businesses have been extremely cost-conscious and demanding, our more than 10,000 dedicated employees worldwide remained sharply focused on each customer's specific requirements. The results in terms of major new contract wins, renewals, and awards such as these two at WCA certainly reflect their hard work and commitment." About Equant
Equant (NYSE: ENT) (Euronext Paris: EQU) is a recognised industry leader in global data and IP network and integration services for multinational businesses. The Equant network has unmatched seamless reach, connecting key business centres in 220 countries and territories, with local support in more than 165 countries. Building on more than 50 years of experience in data communications, Equant serves thousands of the world's top companies with the
industry's most extensive portfolio of managed network services, including the market-leading IP VPN used by 900 global businesses as of June 30, 2003. 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.
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This release may contain projections or other forward-looking statements related to Equant that involve risks and uncertainties. Readers are cautioned that these statements are only predictions and may differ materially from actual future results or events. Readers are referred to the documents filed by Equant with the SEC, specifically the most recent filing on SEC Form 20-F, which identify important risk factors that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, including, among other things, risks relating to Equant's history of operating losses, the unpredictability of growth in Equant's markets, changing technology, uncertain and changing regulatory restrictions, Equant's international operations, dependence on suppliers, network security issues, competition, and volatility of Equant's stock price and risks relating to the combination with Global One. All forward-looking statements are based on information available to Equant on the date hereof, and Equant assumes no obligation to update such statements.
Editor's Notes
In the last 12 months, Equant has continued to win recognition from customers, industry analysts and the media for its global leadership and innovative business solutions. Major customers that have signed up for Equant IP VPN in 2003 include financial institutions migrating to the SWIFTNet network representing 200 orders in 36 countries, as well as multinational corporations such as: Acer Inc., Baker & McKenzie, Dresser Inc., Electrolux, Esselte, JCB, Keuhne & Nagel, JT International, Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Swedish Foreign Ministry and Sea Containers. On the analyst front, Frost & Sullivan recognised Equant as the leading IP VPN provider in Europe, The Yankee Group placed Equant highest among nine global enterprise providers in Europe, and Gartner's Magic Quadrant continued for the third consecutive year to place Equant in the Leader Quadrant.
Equant has led the market in innovative, fully managed IP VPN services for the last four years. Working with Cisco, it launched in August 1999, the industry's first MPLS-based IP VPN solution. Today, it is available in more than 140 countries and serves more than 950 major corporations with 23,000-plus sites - numbers that dwarf similar competing services. Equant has also been first to market with several IP VPN convergence features. In February 2000, Equant launched the first MPLS-based Voice for IP VPN service, which is now available in 85-plus countries and has been adopted by 100-plus multinational companies. In February 2002, Equant introduced Equant IP Telephony as the industry's first desktop-to-desktop, carrier-grade IP telephony solution with global availability. On May 15, 2003, Equant introduced the first IP video conferencing solution with a video-specific class of service on a fully convergent private global network. Earlier in the year, it was the first global provider to introduce GPRS Access for VPNs and also led with DSL VPN Access in seven countries.
Equant, which was also named "Best Global Carrier" in 2002, is the first service provider to win back-to-back "Best Global Carrier" awards from the Emap Communications Group and the European Competitive Telecom Association (ECTA). The WCA judges selected Equant's flagship IP VPN service, the first MPLS-based service in the marketplace, as the best of the dozens of managed services available during 2003.
On Equant winning Best Global Carrier, the WCA judges said: "Equant is stable and consistent in this market and continues to grow its customer base and to outperform the competition. [Equant is] a worthy winner in this category. Equant wins recognition from customers, industry analysts and the media for its market leadership in new global data and managed communication solutions."
On Equant IP VPN winning Best Managed Service, WCA judges said: "Equant IP VPN is the industry's widest-reaching MPLS-based IP VPN solution. It is the most global service, with a good use of VoIP. It's one of the most innovative solutions and with some really strong testimonials from excited users."
The 80 percent increase in Equant IP VPN customers - from 500 in April 2002 to 900 in July 2003 - highlighted the outstanding international acceptance for its innovative convergence solutions. Equant's success in understanding and meeting individual customer requirements was also shown in its "Best in Class" ranking for the third consecutive year in Telemark Services' prestigious IP customer satisfaction survey
"It is truly an honor to have won these two major awards from Emap Communications Group and ECTA," said Daniel Caclin, president and CEO of Equant. "During a year in which multinational businesses have been extremely cost-conscious and demanding, our more than 10,000 dedicated employees worldwide remained sharply focused on each customer's specific requirements. The results in terms of major new contract wins, renewals, and awards such as these two at WCA certainly reflect their hard work and commitment." About Equant
Equant (NYSE: ENT) (Euronext Paris: EQU) is a recognised industry leader in global data and IP network and integration services for multinational businesses. The Equant network has unmatched seamless reach, connecting key business centres in 220 countries and territories, with local support in more than 165 countries. Building on more than 50 years of experience in data communications, Equant serves thousands of the world's top companies with the
industry's most extensive portfolio of managed network services, including the market-leading IP VPN used by 900 global businesses as of June 30, 2003. 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.
###
This release may contain projections or other forward-looking statements related to Equant that involve risks and uncertainties. Readers are cautioned that these statements are only predictions and may differ materially from actual future results or events. Readers are referred to the documents filed by Equant with the SEC, specifically the most recent filing on SEC Form 20-F, which identify important risk factors that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, including, among other things, risks relating to Equant's history of operating losses, the unpredictability of growth in Equant's markets, changing technology, uncertain and changing regulatory restrictions, Equant's international operations, dependence on suppliers, network security issues, competition, and volatility of Equant's stock price and risks relating to the combination with Global One. All forward-looking statements are based on information available to Equant on the date hereof, and Equant assumes no obligation to update such statements.
Editor's Notes
In the last 12 months, Equant has continued to win recognition from customers, industry analysts and the media for its global leadership and innovative business solutions. Major customers that have signed up for Equant IP VPN in 2003 include financial institutions migrating to the SWIFTNet network representing 200 orders in 36 countries, as well as multinational corporations such as: Acer Inc., Baker & McKenzie, Dresser Inc., Electrolux, Esselte, JCB, Keuhne & Nagel, JT International, Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Swedish Foreign Ministry and Sea Containers. On the analyst front, Frost & Sullivan recognised Equant as the leading IP VPN provider in Europe, The Yankee Group placed Equant highest among nine global enterprise providers in Europe, and Gartner's Magic Quadrant continued for the third consecutive year to place Equant in the Leader Quadrant.
Equant has led the market in innovative, fully managed IP VPN services for the last four years. Working with Cisco, it launched in August 1999, the industry's first MPLS-based IP VPN solution. Today, it is available in more than 140 countries and serves more than 950 major corporations with 23,000-plus sites - numbers that dwarf similar competing services. Equant has also been first to market with several IP VPN convergence features. In February 2000, Equant launched the first MPLS-based Voice for IP VPN service, which is now available in 85-plus countries and has been adopted by 100-plus multinational companies. In February 2002, Equant introduced Equant IP Telephony as the industry's first desktop-to-desktop, carrier-grade IP telephony solution with global availability. On May 15, 2003, Equant introduced the first IP video conferencing solution with a video-specific class of service on a fully convergent private global network. Earlier in the year, it was the first global provider to introduce GPRS Access for VPNs and also led with DSL VPN Access in seven countries.