Colt meets demand for simpler networks with new Ethernet Private Network
Aimed at companies with three or more sites, E-PN is an alternative to IP VPN for businesses who want to manage their network themselves, enabling them to run all their sites as though they were a single, unified entity. With E-PN, businesses can expect to reduce the total cost of ownership (TCO) of their wide area data network by as much as 30 per cent. This is because bandwidth can be bought in small increments (between 2Mbps and 600Mbps), equipment costs are lower and minimal new networking knowledge is required as Ethernet skills are already widespread within IT departments.
“We have seen consistent double-digit growth in our Ethernet business for a number of years as more and more medium and large businesses turn to Ethernet to simplify their wide area networks and drive down costs,” said Dr Alireza Mahmoodshahi, chief technology officer at COLT. “We are already seeing real demand for E-PN – a complement to our existing any-to-any service, Switched Ethernet VPN, which is for businesses with very high bandwidth needs. E-PN combines all the cost and simplicity benefits of Ethernet, with the flexibility to scale the network, buy bandwidth in increments and prioritise critical business applications. Ethernet is well on its way to becoming the de facto wide area networking technology of the future.”
One of the first customers of COLT’s E-PN is CEGEDIM, which develops exclusive databases and high value added software solutions for healthcare professionals and health insurance providers.
Frédéric Callard, Network & Telecom Director at CEGEDIM said, “We are using COLT’s E-PN to connect our 16 sites across Europe. We needed a very robust core network to underpin our CRM application for pharmaceutical labs. As a very high quality any-to-any network, E-PN is far easier for us to manage than multiple individual links, and it costs less.”
COLT has also added a number of new features to its entire Ethernet portfolio to increase the flexibility of its services. These include class of service, the ability to choose between more connection speeds and enhanced resilience. The new additions maintain the company’s reputation for delivering a greater depth and breadth of Ethernet services than any other European provider.
Angela Salmeron, senior analyst in IDC’s business network services group, said: “By 2011, one in four European companies over 250 employees will use a wide area Ethernet service, resulting in a market worth $3 billion. Ethernet is a compelling proposition for users of Layer 2 network services, but is also a viable alternative to IP VPNs for customers that require high-bandwidth or fully-meshed networks. As the technology develops and the market matures, Ethernet will appeal to an increasingly wide range of companies and will bring high bandwidth to companies of all sizes”.
In 2006, COLT won the Metro Ethernet Forum European Service Provider of the Year award for ‘Outstanding Innovation’ as well as Frost & Sullivan’s Customer Leadership Award for Ethernet, both in recognition of COLT’s commitment to driving forward the evolution of Ethernet. The new E-PN product compliments COLT’s existing Ethernet portfolio, which includes point-to-point, point-to-multipoint as well as an any-to-any service for businesses with very large bandwidth needs. All services are available on a metro, national and international basis in 13 countries using COLT’s fibre network, extended by DSL and off-net partnerships.
Notes to editors
More information about COLT’s Ethernet services can be found at www.colt.net/ethernet. The website provides more information on the benefits of Ethernet, the ability to calculate potential total cost of ownership savings and have your say on a blog.
About COLT
COLT is a leading European provider of business communications. COLT specialises in providing data, voice and managed services to midsize and major businesses and wholesale customers. It has more than 50,000 customers across all industry sectors. COLT owns and operates a 13-country, 20,000km network that includes metropolitan area networks in 32 major European cities with direct fibre connections into 10,000 buildings and 13 COLT data centres.
COLT Telecom Group S.A. is listed on the London Stock Exchange (COLT). Information about COLT and its services can be found at www.colt.net.
For more information, please contact:
Henny Valder
COLT
Tel: + 44 (0) 20 7947 1610
Email: [email protected]
