Equant Implements Three-Year Global IP VPN Deal With Australia's Largest Biopharmaceuticals Company, CSL Limited
Announcement posted by Equant 11 Sep 2002
CSL Limited links global sites with MPLS-based Equant IP VPN
Equant (NYSE: ENT) (Euronext Paris: EQU), an industry leader in global IP and data service for multinational businesses, has implemented the first phase of a three-year IP VPN service agreement with CSL Limited (ASX: CSL), Australias largest biopharmaceuticals company.
CSL operates its bioplasma, pharmaceutical, biosciences and animal health businesses globally and has substantial manufacturing facilities in the United States, Europe and Australia. As it expands, CSL requires a network that will allow it to integrate acquisitions into the business quickly and seamlessly. The any-to-any connectivity capabilities of Equant IP VPN give CSL the flexibility it needs for this type of expansion.
The first stage of the implementation, completed July 1, linked CSLs Melbourne, Australia; Bern, Switzerland; and Boca Raton, Fla. Sites, creating a triangle of data centers. At this stage, approximately 30 percent of CSL staff communicate over the Equant network. In the next phase, up to 45 more sites will be connected across Europe, Australia and the United States.
CSL researchers can share information quickly and securely over the IP VPN network, enabling the company to bring new products to market faster and more cost effectively. Multi-Protocol Label Switching technology provides traffic prioritization capabilities for IP, data, voice and video traffic, helping CSL to reduce business costs, expand access to enterprise resource management tools, and run new IP-enabled applications.
Fadi Rizk, chief information officer, CSL Limited, said: The key benefit is that Equant IP VPN is a managed, business-class network service that provides a secure and reliable IP-based network with the ability to prioritize traffic. This allows CSL to subscribe to a single, unified connection for our corporate intranet requirements without having to increase bandwidth.
Equant is also providing CSL with Internet Direct, which provides optimized Internet access for Web browsing and access by remote workers using their local Internet service. Internet Direct will also provide a platform for CSL to incorporate its partners into an extranet to improve product distribution and reduce the associated costs.
Richard Knott, managing director, Equant Australasia, said: This deal clearly illustrates Equants capability to support the needs of a fast-growing global company such as CSL Limited. Our IP VPN solution for CSL is another example of Equants ability to meet the communications needs of the biopharmaceuticals industry, which is known for its challenging technology requirements.
About Equant
Equant (NYSE: ENT) (Euronext Paris: EQU) is a recognized industry leader in global data and IP network and integration services for multinational businesses. The Equant network has unmatched seamless reach, connecting key business centers in 220 countries and territories, with local support in 191 countries. Building on more than 50 years of experience in data communications, Equant serves thousands of the worlds top companies with the industrys most extensive portfolio of managed network services, including the market-leading IP VPN used by more than 550 global businesses. Equant, a member of the France Telecom Group, consistently leads industry surveys in corporate user satisfaction.
About CSL Limited
CSL Limited is a publicly traded company with a listing on the Australian Stock Exchange and a current market capitalization of approximately $4 billion. CSL develops, manufactures and markets human and veterinary products of biological origin. Its products include pharmaceutical products derived from human plasma, human and veterinary vaccines, diagnostics and cell culture reagents.
CSLs headquarters are located in Parkville, Victoria, Australia with major subsidiaries located in the U.S., Switzerland, the U.K. and New Zealand. In Australia, CSL is the leading investor in pharmaceutical research and development and one of the largest employers in the pharmaceutical industry.
###
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.
CSL operates its bioplasma, pharmaceutical, biosciences and animal health businesses globally and has substantial manufacturing facilities in the United States, Europe and Australia. As it expands, CSL requires a network that will allow it to integrate acquisitions into the business quickly and seamlessly. The any-to-any connectivity capabilities of Equant IP VPN give CSL the flexibility it needs for this type of expansion.
The first stage of the implementation, completed July 1, linked CSLs Melbourne, Australia; Bern, Switzerland; and Boca Raton, Fla. Sites, creating a triangle of data centers. At this stage, approximately 30 percent of CSL staff communicate over the Equant network. In the next phase, up to 45 more sites will be connected across Europe, Australia and the United States.
CSL researchers can share information quickly and securely over the IP VPN network, enabling the company to bring new products to market faster and more cost effectively. Multi-Protocol Label Switching technology provides traffic prioritization capabilities for IP, data, voice and video traffic, helping CSL to reduce business costs, expand access to enterprise resource management tools, and run new IP-enabled applications.
Fadi Rizk, chief information officer, CSL Limited, said: The key benefit is that Equant IP VPN is a managed, business-class network service that provides a secure and reliable IP-based network with the ability to prioritize traffic. This allows CSL to subscribe to a single, unified connection for our corporate intranet requirements without having to increase bandwidth.
Equant is also providing CSL with Internet Direct, which provides optimized Internet access for Web browsing and access by remote workers using their local Internet service. Internet Direct will also provide a platform for CSL to incorporate its partners into an extranet to improve product distribution and reduce the associated costs.
Richard Knott, managing director, Equant Australasia, said: This deal clearly illustrates Equants capability to support the needs of a fast-growing global company such as CSL Limited. Our IP VPN solution for CSL is another example of Equants ability to meet the communications needs of the biopharmaceuticals industry, which is known for its challenging technology requirements.
About Equant
Equant (NYSE: ENT) (Euronext Paris: EQU) is a recognized industry leader in global data and IP network and integration services for multinational businesses. The Equant network has unmatched seamless reach, connecting key business centers in 220 countries and territories, with local support in 191 countries. Building on more than 50 years of experience in data communications, Equant serves thousands of the worlds top companies with the industrys most extensive portfolio of managed network services, including the market-leading IP VPN used by more than 550 global businesses. Equant, a member of the France Telecom Group, consistently leads industry surveys in corporate user satisfaction.
About CSL Limited
CSL Limited is a publicly traded company with a listing on the Australian Stock Exchange and a current market capitalization of approximately $4 billion. CSL develops, manufactures and markets human and veterinary products of biological origin. Its products include pharmaceutical products derived from human plasma, human and veterinary vaccines, diagnostics and cell culture reagents.
CSLs headquarters are located in Parkville, Victoria, Australia with major subsidiaries located in the U.S., Switzerland, the U.K. and New Zealand. In Australia, CSL is the leading investor in pharmaceutical research and development and one of the largest employers in the pharmaceutical industry.
###
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.