Global Crossing (NASDAQ:GLBC) has signed nine partnership
agreements with European operators for Fast-Track Services(TM),
signaling rapid progress with the implementation of the company's
indirect channel strategy in Europe.
Global Crossing Fast-Track Services(TM) enables service providers
to offer end-to-end global data and converged solutions to their
enterprise customers, while avoiding the high expense and long lead
times generally associated with international service expansion.
Global Crossing European managing director, Pieter Duijves, said:
"The rapid progress we've made since January with creating
Fast-Track partnerships is a strong endorsement of our indirect channel
strategy in Europe and indicates we have something unique to offer.
Participating service providers have been quick to appreciate how the
reach of our network and depth of Global Crossing's IP service
portfolio can help them to satisfy their customers' international
requirements."
"European service providers could really speed time to revenue
by using Global Crossing's Fast Track offer," said Camille
Mendler, research director at Yankee Group in Europe. "Fast Track
is a unique combination of features including rapid delivery next-gen IP
services on a truly global basis, as well as extensive management and
integration capabilities to price, bid and deliver solutions according
to enterprises' individual needs. It's a committed and
structured approach to partnering that goes beyond a classic master
services agreement -- this is a new model, offering extensive online
support tools, including ebonding."
Partners gain access to international connectivity to 500 cities
for the delivery of IP VPN, dedicated Internet access, frame relay, ATM
and international private line services. The Fast-Track Services
portfolio will be expanded to include voice over IP and collaboration
services.
One of Global Crossing's new partners is Linxtelecom, an
international communications company offering quality solutions to
carriers and operators connecting Russia, the Baltic States and Poland
with the Nordics, Western Europe and the US.
"Fast-Track rapidly adds a new dimension to our international
services capability with minimal investment," said Erik Jennes,
executive vice president for marketing and sales, Linxtelecom.
"Many of our enterprise clients have a high requirement for
international connectivity. Using Global Crossing's reach and IP
service capability, we can get to a greater number of global
destinations without the complexity of negotiating agreements with
multiple carriers around the world."
Global Crossing offers two go-to-market options: Global Crossing
Signature Services(TM) and Global Crossing Alliance Services(TM).
Signature Services allow service providers to market these network
services under their own brand to their customers, while Alliance
Services enable service providers to co- brand the network services with
Global Crossing.
A strong feature of Fast-Track Services is global on-site support
for installation, maintenance and trouble fixing of customer equipment.
"We take the hassle out of delivering converged IP services across
the world to 500 cities with a degree of flexibility few operators can
match," added Duijves. "We will interconnect with partners in
a way that optimizes their existing network topology and service
requirements, allowing them to use Global Crossing for the parts they
need to address new market opportunities."
The creation of a Fast-Track Services partner community in Europe
is being replicated around the world. A total of 25 partnerships have
been established in Latin America, the US, Canada, China and India,
where Global Crossing interconnects with Sify, the country's
premier Internet and network services provider.
A strong feature of Fast-Track Services is the automation of
back-office systems. These have been designed to encapsulate all the
information and processes a partner needs to respond quickly and
efficiently to bids. Partners have access to a number of key pre- and
post-sales systems to ensure information they need is kept up to date
and is easy to access. The Fast-Track Partner extranet provides secure
and unlimited access to sales and marketing information on product and
services, pricing tools, network statistics, white papers, a proposal
builder and promotions.
In addition, Global Crossing's Web-based account management
tool, uCommand, can be rebranded and provided to partners'
customers. uCommand is primarily a post-sales online tool that gives
customers direct access to a wide range of information including product
performance reporting, service ticket management, network visibility,
account control and online invoices. Partners can use uCommand to price
local loops, monitor the use of a customer's dedicated circuits and
services, track the status of existing orders and use real-time network
statistics to manage their customers' data networks.
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 and 30 countries worldwide, and
delivers services to more than 500 major cities, 50 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 more than 40
percent of the Fortune 500, as well as 700 carriers, mobile operators
and ISPs.
For more information, visit http://www.globalcrossing.com or call
800/836-0342 or call 973/937-0146.
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