Equant Interconnects 44 Barcardi Sites With Equant IP VPN
Announcement posted by Equant 31 May 2002
Four-year contract for Equant to interconnect 44 Bacardi sites worldwide has been implemented successfully
Equant (NYSE: ENT) (Euronext Paris: EQU) has implemented a 44-site, 21-country Internet Protocol (IP) network for Bacardi to interconnect its U.S., European and South American locations.
Equant is the exclusive international network provider for Bacardi, one of the worlds largest spirits companies. Under a four-year, multi-million dollar contract, Equant migrated all of Bacardis locations to Equant IP VPN. Equant IP VPN, which is available in 140 countries and territories, offers Bacardi flexible network management and simplified network administration.
Our ability to rapidly deploy applications that support current and future business needs is key to our ongoing success, said Ronald Stan, chief information officer, Bacardi. The great cost and performance advantages of Equant IP VPN help us meet the challenges of global competition.
In addition to Equant IP VPN, Equant also deployed IP Dial services to connect Bacardi mobile users globally into the companys intranet. Bacardi plans to take advantage of the convergence capabilities of Equant IP VPN, consolidating its voice, data and multimedia communications on a single network.
Bacardi is one of more than 500 companies worldwide that have opted for the industrys first and most extensively deployed IP VPN solution based on advanced Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) technology. More than 50 of these customers have already implemented convergent technologies such as VoIP and IP Telephony.
Equant IP VPN offers the scalability needed to support Bacardis expanding business requirements. The MPLS technology will enable the creation of extranets linking key worldwide stakeholders, such as suppliers and customers. MPLS traffic management ensures that business critical applications are prioritized to maintain peak performance.
To operate successfully, global companies such as Bacardi need to be able to rapidly deploy business-critical applications across entire organizations, said Michel Picaud, head of Equants Central & Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa region. Equant IP VPN gives Bacardi this capability and, consequently, a competitive advantage in the global marketplace.
About Equant IP VPN
Equant IP VPN is the recognized market leader among IP VPN services based on MPLS (Multi-Protocol Label Switching) technology. It stands at the heart of Equants unified product portfolio, offering multinational corporations a reliable, leading-edge platform for converged services such as voice over IP. It also enables universal access to network resources for both fixed-site and mobile users. Launched in August 1999, it was the industrys first MPLS based IP VPN solution and is the most extensively deployed such service today, with availability in 140 countries and territories. More than 500 major companies worldwide have opted for the cost effectiveness and scalability of Equant IP VPN, with automatic any-to-any connectivity to easily support expansion and other organizational changes. Frost & Sullivan recently recognized the No. 1 industry ranking of Equant IP VPN in its 2001 Global Marketing Strategy Award to Equant.
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 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. Equants 2001 revenues, on a pro forma basis, were more than $3 billion.
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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 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.
Equant is the exclusive international network provider for Bacardi, one of the worlds largest spirits companies. Under a four-year, multi-million dollar contract, Equant migrated all of Bacardis locations to Equant IP VPN. Equant IP VPN, which is available in 140 countries and territories, offers Bacardi flexible network management and simplified network administration.
Our ability to rapidly deploy applications that support current and future business needs is key to our ongoing success, said Ronald Stan, chief information officer, Bacardi. The great cost and performance advantages of Equant IP VPN help us meet the challenges of global competition.
In addition to Equant IP VPN, Equant also deployed IP Dial services to connect Bacardi mobile users globally into the companys intranet. Bacardi plans to take advantage of the convergence capabilities of Equant IP VPN, consolidating its voice, data and multimedia communications on a single network.
Bacardi is one of more than 500 companies worldwide that have opted for the industrys first and most extensively deployed IP VPN solution based on advanced Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) technology. More than 50 of these customers have already implemented convergent technologies such as VoIP and IP Telephony.
Equant IP VPN offers the scalability needed to support Bacardis expanding business requirements. The MPLS technology will enable the creation of extranets linking key worldwide stakeholders, such as suppliers and customers. MPLS traffic management ensures that business critical applications are prioritized to maintain peak performance.
To operate successfully, global companies such as Bacardi need to be able to rapidly deploy business-critical applications across entire organizations, said Michel Picaud, head of Equants Central & Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa region. Equant IP VPN gives Bacardi this capability and, consequently, a competitive advantage in the global marketplace.
About Equant IP VPN
Equant IP VPN is the recognized market leader among IP VPN services based on MPLS (Multi-Protocol Label Switching) technology. It stands at the heart of Equants unified product portfolio, offering multinational corporations a reliable, leading-edge platform for converged services such as voice over IP. It also enables universal access to network resources for both fixed-site and mobile users. Launched in August 1999, it was the industrys first MPLS based IP VPN solution and is the most extensively deployed such service today, with availability in 140 countries and territories. More than 500 major companies worldwide have opted for the cost effectiveness and scalability of Equant IP VPN, with automatic any-to-any connectivity to easily support expansion and other organizational changes. Frost & Sullivan recently recognized the No. 1 industry ranking of Equant IP VPN in its 2001 Global Marketing Strategy Award to Equant.
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 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. Equants 2001 revenues, on a pro forma basis, were more than $3 billion.
###
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.