|
Global Crossing's Converged IP Solutions Support Global Expansion of World's Largest Confectionery
- Managed IP VPN service will now connect Arcor's operations in 15 countries.
- Five-year agreement extends companies' long-standing relationship.
Florham Park, NJ - July 18, 2006 -- Global Crossing (NASDAQ: GLBC) announced today that the world's largest confectionery company, Arcor, signed an extended, multiyear agreement to use Global Crossing's fully managed Internet Protocol Virtual Private Network (IP VPN) to converge its worldwide data, voice and videoconferencing traffic into a single platform. The level of convergence Arcor is obtaining over Global Crossing's robust global IP VPN platform includes complex applications, such as JD Edwards (AS/400 and JD Edwards One World), supply chain management as well as their front and back office functions creating a seamless business environment across all of their operations. Under the five-year agreement, Arcor is incorporating nine more countries into Global Crossing's converged IP VPN service, allowing a centralized, fully integrated communication between locations across the Americas, Asia, Europe and Africa.
The agreement expanded Global Crossing's existing relationship with the confectionery giant, which began in 2001 with a Frame Relay solution and expanded to IP-based services, initially supporting the convergence of data, voice and video in six markets. With more than 18,000 employees around the world, Arcor is now efficiently interconnecting 15 countries into Global Crossing's MPLS-based IP VPN service including Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, South Africa, Spain, Uruguay, the United States and Venezuela.
"As we continue to grow our business internationally, we must rely on a global, strategic partner like Global Crossing that can deliver a highly secure, reliable and scalable network," said Oscar Botto, Arcor's chief information technology officer. "One of our priorities is leveraging top notch technologies to help advance our business -- and the solutions provided by Global Crossing enabled us to migrate to an IP-based environment and converge our essential applications efficiently around the globe."
Global Crossing is also providing Arcor with Managed Solutions, a full, end-to-end lifecycle support for IP VPN to ensure that the solution is designed, installed, managed and maintained 24x7. In addition, the IP VPN managed services provide significant overhead cost savings, such as communications and travel expenses. Furthermore, having Global Crossing manage their converged IP network simplifies the confectionery's solution and enables them to focus on managing their core business.
"I am delighted to see leading companies like Arcor increasingly rely on Global Crossing to support their expansion across the globe so that they can concentrate on what they do best," said José Antonio Ríos, Global Crossing's international president and chief administrative officer. "This is a true statement of Global Crossing's leadership in deploying fully-managed converged IP technologies."
This agreement underscores the explosive growth of demand for converged IP services around the globe and in Latin America. In 2005, Global Crossing saw its number of converged IP customers triple, with IP VPN traffic growing more than 300 percent. The convergence of data, voice and video onto a single IP-based platform yields simplicity in network design and administration, as well as connectivity, billing and customer care.
Designed to run over the company's extensive global optical network backbone, which operates at 99.999 percent availability, Global Crossing Managed IP VPN Service links global businesses and delivers content-rich multimedia services through a single, efficient connection, based on Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) technology. Global Crossing offers a truly converged end-to-end IP VPN solution for corporations worldwide, integrating video, voice and data services, and supporting industry-specific community extranets. In addition to secure data transport, the IP VPN offering provides access to VoIP, IP Video and other IP services, providing a complete platform for managing the transition to IP convergence.
"Arcor's decision to extend its relationship with us, underscores Global Crossing's commitment in providing an excellent customer experience and a flexible IP environment supporting global expansion," added José Luis Kruyff, vice president, enterprise sales for Global Crossing Latin America and South Florida. "We work closely with enterprises, just as we have done with Arcor over the years, in designing and implementing solutions tailored to meet their business requirements as they transition their network operations to IP at their own pace."
Global Crossing has significant presence in Latin America and the Caribbean with offices and operational facilities in 12 of the region's major cities. Global Crossing has more than 50 IP VPN points of presence (PoPs) in the region through its core network and strategic partnerships. Through its sub-sea and terrestrial cable systems, Global Crossing seamlessly connects South America, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean to the rest of its global network, delivering services to customers around the world. Costa Rica will be connected to the PAC system, which currently lands in Balboa, Panama, and Mazatlan and Tijuana, Mexico. With its regional network officially completed in 2001, Global Crossing now serves virtually all of Latin America's major carriers as well as many prestigious Latin American companies, research and educational networks, and global companies operating in the region. Such customers include Latin America's largest construction and engineering firm Odebrecht, Mexicana Airlines and Banco Santander International.
ABOUT GLOBAL CROSSING
Global Crossing (NASDAQ: GLBC) provides telecommunications solutions over the world's first integrated global IP-based network. Its core network connects more than 300 cities in 28 countries worldwide, and delivers services to more than 600 cities in 60 countries and 6 continents around the globe. The company's global sales and support model matches the network footprint and, like the network, delivers a consistent customer experience worldwide.
Global Crossing IP services are global in scale, linking the world's enterprises, governments and carriers with customers, employees and partners worldwide in a secure environment that is ideally suited for IP-based business applications, allowing e-commerce to thrive. The company offers a full range of managed data and voice products including Global Crossing IP VPN Service, Global Crossing Managed Services and Global Crossing VoIP services, to 36 percent of the Fortune 500, as well as 700 carriers, mobile operators and ISPs.
Please visit www.globalcrossing.com for more information about Global Crossing.
###
Statements in this press release about expected future events and financial results are forward-looking and subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially, including risks referenced from time to time in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Global Crossing undertakes no duty to update information contained in this press release or in other public disclosures at any time.
CONTACT GLOBAL CROSSING:
Press Contacts
Adriana Huerta
+ 1 305 808 5919
LatAmPR@globalcrossing.com
Kendra Langlie
Latin America
+ 1 305 808 5912
LatAmPR@globalcrossing.com
Analysts/Investors Contact
Laurinda Pang
+ 1 800 836 0342
glbc@globalcrossing.com
|