Leading global law firm extands IP VPN contract with Equant for additional three years
Announcement posted by Equant 01 Aug 2003
Baker & McKenzie's fully managed IP solution provides scalability, network optimization and cost savings
Equant (NYSE: ENT) (Euronext Paris: EQU), a recognized industry leader in global IP and data service for multinational businesses, recently won a three-year, $6.2 million contract extension to continue managing an IP VPN solution for Baker & McKenzie.
A leading global law firm, Baker & McKenzie was founded more than 50 years ago and has 3,000-plus attorneys worldwide and 66 offices in 36 jurisdictions, including offices in each of the world's major money centres.
Baker & McKenzie was an early adopter of IP VPN, selecting Equant in July 2001 to manage its migration from frame relay. Since implementing a global IP VPN, Baker & McKenzie has seen several key benefits of the Equant IP VPN solution.
"Equant has allowed us to make a successful and cost-effective transition to IP," said Craig Courter, chief technology officer, Baker & McKenzie. "Equant provides a truly global managed IP VPN solution to match our global needs and we look forward to continued cost-savings with our renewedrelationship."
Since implementing Equant IP VPN, Baker & McKenzie has been able to:
* Tap into Equant's unparalleled geographic footprint. Wherever Baker & McKenzie expands its business globally, Equant is able to meet its needs, with the most extensive IP network available. Equant IP VPN is currently available in more than 140 countries and is used by Baker & McKenzie at more than 57 sites in North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific and the Middle East. And the "any-to-any connectivity" feature of Equant IP VPN ensures that new locations are easily added to the network.
* Prepare for the future of voice and data convergence. The IP VPN network has laid the groundwork for Baker & McKenzie to take full advantage of all the benefits of voice and data convergence.
* Audit their network on an ongoing basis to ensure quality of service. Equant's Professional Services experts prepared an extensive audit of Baker & McKenzie's network to guarantee optimization. Ongoing audit exercises and monitoring on a per site basis of circuit utilization and response times ensures that Baker & McKenzie continues to have the network best suited for
their current applications.
* Ensure the highest level of security. Because Equant IP VPN runs on Equant's private network and not on the public Internet, Baker & McKenzie can feel confident in the security of its network and the information running over it.
* Contain costs. Since switching to IP VPN, Baker & McKenzie has been able to realise significant cost savings. Because IP VPN is a future-proof technology, Baker & McKenzie will reap additional future savings when adding new applications to the network.
"This recent contract renewal underscores Equant's leadership position in the global IP VPN space," said Bruce W. Smith, head of Markets & Sales, Equant North America. "We have proven to Baker & McKenzie not only the benefits of an IP VPN solution, but also the importance of partnering with a truly global company like Equant."
About Equant IP VPN
Launched in August 1999, Equant IP VPN was the industry's first MPLS-based IP VPN solution and is the most extensively deployed service today, with availability in more than 140 countries. Over the last three years, Equant has steadily expanded the convergence capabilities of its IP VPN platform, first with Equant Voice for IP VPN, which has been adopted by 90 of Equant's 800 IP VPN customers. In February 2002, Equant launched IP Telephony as the industry's first desktop-to-desktop, carrier-grade IP telephony solution with global availability in more than 75 countries.
In September 2002, Equant announced Video for IP VPN - the first service with a dedicated IP Class of Service for high-quality videoconferences on the same connection as voice and data traffic. Last December, Equant added the industry's first Modular VPN feature set, enabling its IP VPN customers to create communities within their solution. In February 2003, Equant announced the availability of DSL Access for VPN. On May 13, 2003, Equant became the first global solutions provider to enable customers to securely connect remote or traveling employees to their corporate VPNs via GPRS access, and. 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
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 800 global businesses as of May 13, 2003. Equant, a member of the France Telecom Group, was named Best Global Carrier 2002 at the World Communication Awards and consistently leads industry surveys in corporate user satisfaction.
About Baker & McKenzie
Global law firm Baker & McKenzie was established over 50 years ago and has 66 offices in 36 countries. The Firm established a truly global presence, with an office in each of the world's major money centres, more than 25 years ago. Worldwide, Baker & McKenzie has 615 partners, 3,254 qualified lawyers and a total of over 4,407 legal professionals. The Chairman of the International Firm is Christine Lagarde. Global revenue for FY02 exceeded US$1.06 billion. More information about Baker & McKenzie can be found at www.bakernet.com
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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, Equant's rapid growth, 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.
A leading global law firm, Baker & McKenzie was founded more than 50 years ago and has 3,000-plus attorneys worldwide and 66 offices in 36 jurisdictions, including offices in each of the world's major money centres.
Baker & McKenzie was an early adopter of IP VPN, selecting Equant in July 2001 to manage its migration from frame relay. Since implementing a global IP VPN, Baker & McKenzie has seen several key benefits of the Equant IP VPN solution.
"Equant has allowed us to make a successful and cost-effective transition to IP," said Craig Courter, chief technology officer, Baker & McKenzie. "Equant provides a truly global managed IP VPN solution to match our global needs and we look forward to continued cost-savings with our renewedrelationship."
Since implementing Equant IP VPN, Baker & McKenzie has been able to:
* Tap into Equant's unparalleled geographic footprint. Wherever Baker & McKenzie expands its business globally, Equant is able to meet its needs, with the most extensive IP network available. Equant IP VPN is currently available in more than 140 countries and is used by Baker & McKenzie at more than 57 sites in North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific and the Middle East. And the "any-to-any connectivity" feature of Equant IP VPN ensures that new locations are easily added to the network.
* Prepare for the future of voice and data convergence. The IP VPN network has laid the groundwork for Baker & McKenzie to take full advantage of all the benefits of voice and data convergence.
* Audit their network on an ongoing basis to ensure quality of service. Equant's Professional Services experts prepared an extensive audit of Baker & McKenzie's network to guarantee optimization. Ongoing audit exercises and monitoring on a per site basis of circuit utilization and response times ensures that Baker & McKenzie continues to have the network best suited for
their current applications.
* Ensure the highest level of security. Because Equant IP VPN runs on Equant's private network and not on the public Internet, Baker & McKenzie can feel confident in the security of its network and the information running over it.
* Contain costs. Since switching to IP VPN, Baker & McKenzie has been able to realise significant cost savings. Because IP VPN is a future-proof technology, Baker & McKenzie will reap additional future savings when adding new applications to the network.
"This recent contract renewal underscores Equant's leadership position in the global IP VPN space," said Bruce W. Smith, head of Markets & Sales, Equant North America. "We have proven to Baker & McKenzie not only the benefits of an IP VPN solution, but also the importance of partnering with a truly global company like Equant."
About Equant IP VPN
Launched in August 1999, Equant IP VPN was the industry's first MPLS-based IP VPN solution and is the most extensively deployed service today, with availability in more than 140 countries. Over the last three years, Equant has steadily expanded the convergence capabilities of its IP VPN platform, first with Equant Voice for IP VPN, which has been adopted by 90 of Equant's 800 IP VPN customers. In February 2002, Equant launched IP Telephony as the industry's first desktop-to-desktop, carrier-grade IP telephony solution with global availability in more than 75 countries.
In September 2002, Equant announced Video for IP VPN - the first service with a dedicated IP Class of Service for high-quality videoconferences on the same connection as voice and data traffic. Last December, Equant added the industry's first Modular VPN feature set, enabling its IP VPN customers to create communities within their solution. In February 2003, Equant announced the availability of DSL Access for VPN. On May 13, 2003, Equant became the first global solutions provider to enable customers to securely connect remote or traveling employees to their corporate VPNs via GPRS access, and. 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
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 800 global businesses as of May 13, 2003. Equant, a member of the France Telecom Group, was named Best Global Carrier 2002 at the World Communication Awards and consistently leads industry surveys in corporate user satisfaction.
About Baker & McKenzie
Global law firm Baker & McKenzie was established over 50 years ago and has 66 offices in 36 countries. The Firm established a truly global presence, with an office in each of the world's major money centres, more than 25 years ago. Worldwide, Baker & McKenzie has 615 partners, 3,254 qualified lawyers and a total of over 4,407 legal professionals. The Chairman of the International Firm is Christine Lagarde. Global revenue for FY02 exceeded US$1.06 billion. More information about Baker & McKenzie can be found at www.bakernet.com
###
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, Equant's rapid growth, 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.