Stolt-Nielson Transport Group Signs Five-Year, Multimillion-Dollar Agreement For Equant IP VPN Services
Announcement posted by Equant 20 Nov 2001
Leading transportation services provider will link its 30 business units worldwide via a fully managed solution
Equant (NYSE: ENT) (Euronext Paris: EQU) has signed a five-year, multimillion-dollar agreement with Stolt-Nielsen Transportation Group Ltd., one of the worlds leading transportation service providers, for Equant IP VPN (virtual private network) and other advanced services.
The fully managed Equant IP VPN solution, utilizing Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) and backed by high performance service level agreements, will interconnect the US headquarters with 30 Stolt-Nielsen Transportation Group business units in North and South America, Europe, Africa and Asia. Industry-leading Equant IP VPN is the most widely deployed MPLS-based IP VPN solution, with availability in more than 125 countries. Because Equant offers more MPLS-enabled service routers than any carrier, it can place the switching technology closer to Stolt-Nielsen Transportation Groups sites and optimize the routing for greater any-to-any connectivity, flexibility and performance. Consequently, Equant IP VPN will provide Stolt-Nielsen Transportation Group employees with faster access to hosted applications and greater management flexibility for its growing e-business systems.
Stolt-Nielsen Transportation Group also selected a set of other key Equant services as part of its fully managed solution. Equant will manage IPSec Internet gateways to facilitate secure communication between Stolt-Nielsen Transportation Group suppliers and tele-workers, as well as Managed Firewalls. Stolt-Nielsen Transportation Group will also utilize Equant IP Dial services, with local dial access in 190 countries.
Equants IP VPN and other advanced IP services will enhance our overall development strategy, said Steve Kretsch, Stolt-Nielsen Transportation Groups chief information officer. As our company expands and organizational changes occur, the scalable Equant solution will adjust to support our growth.
The IP VPN market is booming as multinational corporations realize the benefits of this technology for their current and long-term global communications needs, said Richard Blaustein, head of Equant North America. Stolt-Nielsen Transportation Group is the latest of the many important companies in the transportation sector to choose Equant IP VPN to strengthen their strategic global business plans.
MPLS is one of the key technologies that can give major multinational companies the cost, connectivity and network-performance benefits that theyre most seeking in an IP VPN, said David Rohde, senior analyst with the Yankee Group. Among the available MPLS-based solutions, Equant IP VPN has played a pioneering role and assumed a leadership position in the industry.
Stolt-Nielsen Transportation Group joins more than 400 other major companies in all sectors that have opted for the cost effectiveness and simplified management of Equant IP VPN, with automatic any-to-any connectivity that easily supports office expansion and other organizational changes. Launched in August 1999, Equant IP VPN was the industrys first MPLS-based IP VPN solution. Frost & Sullivan recently recognized the No. 1 industry ranking of Equant IP VPN with its 2001 Global Marketing Strategy Award to Equant.
About Equant
Equant (NYSE: ENT) (Euronext Paris: EQU), which combines the resources of the former Equant and the former Global One, is a recognized industry leader in global IP and data services for multinational businesses, offering network, integration and managed services to global business. It has unmatched global reach with a seamless data network, connecting key business centers in 220 countries and territories, with local support in 145 countries. Building on 50 years of experience in data communications, Equant serves approximately 3,700 large business customers including nearly two-thirds of the worlds top 100 companies. Equant, a member of the France Telecom Group, meets the diverse needs of global companies with the industrys most extensive and proven portfolio of managed data network services. The combined Equant and Global One pro forma revenues were $2.76 billion in 2000.
About Stolt-Nielsen Transportation Group Ltd.
Stolt-Nielsen Transportation Group Ltd., a subsidiary of Stolt-Nielsen S.A., together with its alliance partners, provides the worlds leading network of transportation and storage services for bulk liquid chemicals, acids, edible oils and other specialty liquids. Through its logistics management systems and parcel tanker, tank container, terminal, rail and barge services, the company provides cost-effective solutions to meet the needs of its customers for single mode, multi-modal and full supply chain management services.
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 Form 20-F and the submission on Form 6-K containing the shareholders circular, 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 Equants history of operating losses, the unpredictability of growth in Equants markets, Equants rapid growth, changing technology, uncertain and changing regulatory restrictions, Equants international operations, dependence on suppliers, network security issues, competition, and volatility of Equants 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.
The fully managed Equant IP VPN solution, utilizing Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) and backed by high performance service level agreements, will interconnect the US headquarters with 30 Stolt-Nielsen Transportation Group business units in North and South America, Europe, Africa and Asia. Industry-leading Equant IP VPN is the most widely deployed MPLS-based IP VPN solution, with availability in more than 125 countries. Because Equant offers more MPLS-enabled service routers than any carrier, it can place the switching technology closer to Stolt-Nielsen Transportation Groups sites and optimize the routing for greater any-to-any connectivity, flexibility and performance. Consequently, Equant IP VPN will provide Stolt-Nielsen Transportation Group employees with faster access to hosted applications and greater management flexibility for its growing e-business systems.
Stolt-Nielsen Transportation Group also selected a set of other key Equant services as part of its fully managed solution. Equant will manage IPSec Internet gateways to facilitate secure communication between Stolt-Nielsen Transportation Group suppliers and tele-workers, as well as Managed Firewalls. Stolt-Nielsen Transportation Group will also utilize Equant IP Dial services, with local dial access in 190 countries.
Equants IP VPN and other advanced IP services will enhance our overall development strategy, said Steve Kretsch, Stolt-Nielsen Transportation Groups chief information officer. As our company expands and organizational changes occur, the scalable Equant solution will adjust to support our growth.
The IP VPN market is booming as multinational corporations realize the benefits of this technology for their current and long-term global communications needs, said Richard Blaustein, head of Equant North America. Stolt-Nielsen Transportation Group is the latest of the many important companies in the transportation sector to choose Equant IP VPN to strengthen their strategic global business plans.
MPLS is one of the key technologies that can give major multinational companies the cost, connectivity and network-performance benefits that theyre most seeking in an IP VPN, said David Rohde, senior analyst with the Yankee Group. Among the available MPLS-based solutions, Equant IP VPN has played a pioneering role and assumed a leadership position in the industry.
Stolt-Nielsen Transportation Group joins more than 400 other major companies in all sectors that have opted for the cost effectiveness and simplified management of Equant IP VPN, with automatic any-to-any connectivity that easily supports office expansion and other organizational changes. Launched in August 1999, Equant IP VPN was the industrys first MPLS-based IP VPN solution. Frost & Sullivan recently recognized the No. 1 industry ranking of Equant IP VPN with its 2001 Global Marketing Strategy Award to Equant.
About Equant
Equant (NYSE: ENT) (Euronext Paris: EQU), which combines the resources of the former Equant and the former Global One, is a recognized industry leader in global IP and data services for multinational businesses, offering network, integration and managed services to global business. It has unmatched global reach with a seamless data network, connecting key business centers in 220 countries and territories, with local support in 145 countries. Building on 50 years of experience in data communications, Equant serves approximately 3,700 large business customers including nearly two-thirds of the worlds top 100 companies. Equant, a member of the France Telecom Group, meets the diverse needs of global companies with the industrys most extensive and proven portfolio of managed data network services. The combined Equant and Global One pro forma revenues were $2.76 billion in 2000.
About Stolt-Nielsen Transportation Group Ltd.
Stolt-Nielsen Transportation Group Ltd., a subsidiary of Stolt-Nielsen S.A., together with its alliance partners, provides the worlds leading network of transportation and storage services for bulk liquid chemicals, acids, edible oils and other specialty liquids. Through its logistics management systems and parcel tanker, tank container, terminal, rail and barge services, the company provides cost-effective solutions to meet the needs of its customers for single mode, multi-modal and full supply chain management services.
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 Form 20-F and the submission on Form 6-K containing the shareholders circular, 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 Equants history of operating losses, the unpredictability of growth in Equants markets, Equants rapid growth, changing technology, uncertain and changing regulatory restrictions, Equants international operations, dependence on suppliers, network security issues, competition, and volatility of Equants 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.