Equant names 'Best global carrier' at 2002 World Communication Awards
Announcement posted by Equant 03 Oct 2002
Successful integration, financial stability and industry-leading products and customer care contributed to selection
Equant (NYSE: ENT) (Euronext Paris: EQU), an industry leader in global IP and data services for multinational businesses, yesterday was named Best Global Carrier by Emap Communications Group, the prominent telecoms publisher, and ECTA, the voice of the European telecoms market.
Among the factors that led to Equants selection was the integration in only one year of Equant and Global One, completing what many consider a uniquely successful merger of two major global telecommunications companies. Equants financial stability and recognized viability in todays turbulent telecommunications marketplace, as well as its leadership in IP VPN convergence solutions and award-winning customer care programs also contributed to the selection.
Equant is one of the outstanding champions of international communications. They have a belief in the global networked economy, and they are putting that conviction into their business plan, said David Molony, editor in chief of Emap Communications Group.
Accepting the award on behalf of Equant, Chief Operating Officer Daniel Caclin said: In what has been the most difficult year for telecoms in more than a decade, we are proud to have been named Best Global Carrier of 2002 by Emap Communications Group and ECTA. I also would like to recognize our more than 10,000 employees worldwide who have worked so diligently over the last year to bring the highest quality products and services to our customers.
In a period marked by failed telecom alliances and bankruptcies, Equant is increasingly viewed by customers, analysts and the media as a safe haven. Equant was ranked as the most stable and viable global service provider in an Aug. 9, 2002 report by Giga Information titled Financial and Leadership Crises in Telecommunications: Recommendations for Enterprise Clients. The report surveyed U.S. and international service providers with facilities in 35 or more countries on at least four continents, based on three factors: current and near-term financial outlook, quality of executive leadership and employee morale, as measured by employee churn or layoffs.
In addition, Equants world-class customer care program brought it top honors in both of this years IP customer satisfaction surveys by U.K.-based Telemark Consultants Ltd. In April, Equant won eight Telemark Gold Awards and placed first in 14 of the surveys 32 categories, including a first in network reliability, the category judged most crucial by customers. In August, Equant again topped the Telemark list, being named Best in Class among all global carriers.
Equants leadership in IP services also has been recognized by various analyst groups. Over the last year, Frost & Sullivan gave Equant three major market engineering/product innovation awards for Equant IP VPN, Equant Voice for IP VPN, and Equants new IP Telephony service. Launched in 1999, Equant IP VPN was the industrys first MPLS-based solution and today is the most extensively deployed, with availability in more than 140 countries. More than 600 major customers have ordered more than 14,000 Equant IP VPN ports, a far greater number than any similar competing service. For the last two years, Equant Voice for IP VPN has been the leading global platform for IP convergence services. The latest of these services, Equant IP Telephony, was launched in February as the industrys first desktop-to-desktop, carrier-grade IP telephony solution with global availability in more than 60 countries.
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 600 global businesses. Equant, a member of the France Telecom Group, consistently leads industry surveys in corporate user satisfaction
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EDITORS NOTE The Aug. 9, 2002 report by Giga Information Group titled Financial and Leadership Crises in Telecommunications: Recommendations for Enterprise Clients is available on Equants Web site at www.equant.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 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
Among the factors that led to Equants selection was the integration in only one year of Equant and Global One, completing what many consider a uniquely successful merger of two major global telecommunications companies. Equants financial stability and recognized viability in todays turbulent telecommunications marketplace, as well as its leadership in IP VPN convergence solutions and award-winning customer care programs also contributed to the selection.
Equant is one of the outstanding champions of international communications. They have a belief in the global networked economy, and they are putting that conviction into their business plan, said David Molony, editor in chief of Emap Communications Group.
Accepting the award on behalf of Equant, Chief Operating Officer Daniel Caclin said: In what has been the most difficult year for telecoms in more than a decade, we are proud to have been named Best Global Carrier of 2002 by Emap Communications Group and ECTA. I also would like to recognize our more than 10,000 employees worldwide who have worked so diligently over the last year to bring the highest quality products and services to our customers.
In a period marked by failed telecom alliances and bankruptcies, Equant is increasingly viewed by customers, analysts and the media as a safe haven. Equant was ranked as the most stable and viable global service provider in an Aug. 9, 2002 report by Giga Information titled Financial and Leadership Crises in Telecommunications: Recommendations for Enterprise Clients. The report surveyed U.S. and international service providers with facilities in 35 or more countries on at least four continents, based on three factors: current and near-term financial outlook, quality of executive leadership and employee morale, as measured by employee churn or layoffs.
In addition, Equants world-class customer care program brought it top honors in both of this years IP customer satisfaction surveys by U.K.-based Telemark Consultants Ltd. In April, Equant won eight Telemark Gold Awards and placed first in 14 of the surveys 32 categories, including a first in network reliability, the category judged most crucial by customers. In August, Equant again topped the Telemark list, being named Best in Class among all global carriers.
Equants leadership in IP services also has been recognized by various analyst groups. Over the last year, Frost & Sullivan gave Equant three major market engineering/product innovation awards for Equant IP VPN, Equant Voice for IP VPN, and Equants new IP Telephony service. Launched in 1999, Equant IP VPN was the industrys first MPLS-based solution and today is the most extensively deployed, with availability in more than 140 countries. More than 600 major customers have ordered more than 14,000 Equant IP VPN ports, a far greater number than any similar competing service. For the last two years, Equant Voice for IP VPN has been the leading global platform for IP convergence services. The latest of these services, Equant IP Telephony, was launched in February as the industrys first desktop-to-desktop, carrier-grade IP telephony solution with global availability in more than 60 countries.
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 600 global businesses. Equant, a member of the France Telecom Group, consistently leads industry surveys in corporate user satisfaction
###
EDITORS NOTE The Aug. 9, 2002 report by Giga Information Group titled Financial and Leadership Crises in Telecommunications: Recommendations for Enterprise Clients is available on Equants Web site at www.equant.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 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