Equant Rated "Best In Class" For IP Services In Telemarks's Latest Customer Satisfaction Survey
Announcement posted by Equant 21 Aug 2002
Equant (NYSE: ENT) (Euronext Paris: EQU) has earned top honors among global telecommunications carriers in the Telemark corporate IP user satisfaction survey for the second time this year.
Telemark Consulting Ltd., a U.K.-based specialist market intelligence firm for the telecommunications industry, conducts an IP survey twice a year to benchmark leading global network service providers against each other and against local postal, telegraph and telephone (PTT) organizations in 32 customer-critical areas of performance.
In results published today, Equant again achieved the highest overall satisfaction rating for the performance of its international business IP services and was rated best performer in the Network Operations group of services, ranked by customers as the most important component of managed networks.
Equant achieved outstanding scores for Network Reliability and Secure Data Transfer, and led the field overall in customer support and meeting customer requirements. In Telemarks previous IP survey in April, Equant also earned top honors with six Telemark Gold Awards and the highest performance score in 14 service categories.
Bankruptcies, scandals and global recession have knocked down customer confidence, sending shock waves through the telecommunications industry, said Telemark Director Janet Watkin. Since its IP offerings are increasingly perceived as best of breed and direct competition for these services has decreased, Equant looks set to capture a bigger share of the available spend.
Jack Norris, head of Equant Customer Service and Network, said: We are pleased that Telemarks independent research again confirms that our customers value our ability to deliver reliable and secure global IP services. Giving our customers the highest level of service remains our top priority, and our unique IP portfolio, including the industry-leading Equant IP VPN and Voice for IP VPN solutions, helps them gain a competitive edge in the global marketplace.
Equant maintains Global Customer Service Centers on five continents to support customers 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in more than 30 languages. These state-of-the art centers in Atlanta, Cairo, London, RiodeJaneiro and Sydney are augmented by local support in 145 countries and territories. The heart of Equants world-class customer care service is its personal focus, with Equant customer service managers meeting one-on-one with customers each month to discuss network performance measured against service level agreements. These customer service managers constantly seek to improve customer network performance, plan capacity requirements and ensure prompt change management. They provide ongoing, expert technical assistance that differentiates Equant from its competitors.
In addition, Equant has invested more than $20 million over the last 18 months in new customer support programs and tools. Through this investment program, Equant is leveraging the latest technology for customer relationship management, integrated fault reporting, performance management, knowledge management and e-reporting. Equant also has continued to upgrade WebVision, the proprietary Web-based customer monitoring tool first introduced four years ago.
About Equant
Equant (NYSE: ENT) (Euronext Paris: EQU) is a recognized industry leader in global IP and data services for multinational businesses, offering network, integration and managed services to global business. The network has unmatched seamless global reach, connecting key business centers in 220 countries and territories, with local support in more than 145 countries and territories. Building on more than 50 years of experience in data communications, Equant serves thousands of the worlds top companies. Equant, a member of the France Telecom Group, meets the diverse needs of global companies with the industrys most extensive portfolio of managed data network services.
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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 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 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.
Telemark Consulting Ltd., a U.K.-based specialist market intelligence firm for the telecommunications industry, conducts an IP survey twice a year to benchmark leading global network service providers against each other and against local postal, telegraph and telephone (PTT) organizations in 32 customer-critical areas of performance.
In results published today, Equant again achieved the highest overall satisfaction rating for the performance of its international business IP services and was rated best performer in the Network Operations group of services, ranked by customers as the most important component of managed networks.
Equant achieved outstanding scores for Network Reliability and Secure Data Transfer, and led the field overall in customer support and meeting customer requirements. In Telemarks previous IP survey in April, Equant also earned top honors with six Telemark Gold Awards and the highest performance score in 14 service categories.
Bankruptcies, scandals and global recession have knocked down customer confidence, sending shock waves through the telecommunications industry, said Telemark Director Janet Watkin. Since its IP offerings are increasingly perceived as best of breed and direct competition for these services has decreased, Equant looks set to capture a bigger share of the available spend.
Jack Norris, head of Equant Customer Service and Network, said: We are pleased that Telemarks independent research again confirms that our customers value our ability to deliver reliable and secure global IP services. Giving our customers the highest level of service remains our top priority, and our unique IP portfolio, including the industry-leading Equant IP VPN and Voice for IP VPN solutions, helps them gain a competitive edge in the global marketplace.
Equant maintains Global Customer Service Centers on five continents to support customers 24 hours a day, seven days a week, in more than 30 languages. These state-of-the art centers in Atlanta, Cairo, London, RiodeJaneiro and Sydney are augmented by local support in 145 countries and territories. The heart of Equants world-class customer care service is its personal focus, with Equant customer service managers meeting one-on-one with customers each month to discuss network performance measured against service level agreements. These customer service managers constantly seek to improve customer network performance, plan capacity requirements and ensure prompt change management. They provide ongoing, expert technical assistance that differentiates Equant from its competitors.
In addition, Equant has invested more than $20 million over the last 18 months in new customer support programs and tools. Through this investment program, Equant is leveraging the latest technology for customer relationship management, integrated fault reporting, performance management, knowledge management and e-reporting. Equant also has continued to upgrade WebVision, the proprietary Web-based customer monitoring tool first introduced four years ago.
About Equant
Equant (NYSE: ENT) (Euronext Paris: EQU) is a recognized industry leader in global IP and data services for multinational businesses, offering network, integration and managed services to global business. The network has unmatched seamless global reach, connecting key business centers in 220 countries and territories, with local support in more than 145 countries and territories. Building on more than 50 years of experience in data communications, Equant serves thousands of the worlds top companies. Equant, a member of the France Telecom Group, meets the diverse needs of global companies with the industrys most extensive portfolio of managed data network 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, 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.