BOSTON, Mass., April 12, 2000 - HarvardNet, a leading provider of business-class DSL, broadband VPN and advanced Web hosting services, announced today that it has significantly expanded its digital subscriber line (DSL)-based RemoteConnect Broadband Network offering. By combining the performance and flexibility of HarvardNet access services, primarily BusinessSpeed DSL, with next-generation virtual private network (VPN) technology from Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO), RemoteConnect enables companies large and small to vastly improve wide-area connectivity and open up new business opportunities, while effectively managing costs.
"Regardless of size or location, our customers need to extend their corporate network so that communication, collaboration and e-commerce are more easily and securely facilitated," said Joe Bartlett, vice president of marketing at HarvardNet. "RemoteConnect does just that and, as a broadband solution, it also meets the demands of today's bandwidth-hungry applications and dynamic and decentralized business environment with vastly improved connectivity. We are pleased to be working with Cisco to offer an end-to-end VPN solution for our customers."
HarvardNet's RemoteConnect Broadband Network combines BusinessSpeed Internet access with Cisco's best-in-class, broadband VPN management and equipment to deliver secure, high-speed connections to the corporate network. HarvardNet's OC-level Tier One backbone and super-regional DSL service footprint provides industry-leading connectivity from Maine to Virginia, allowing customers to connect branch offices, business partners and home offices or telecommuters throughout the Northeast without sensitive data leaving HarvardNet's network.
"HarvardNet is on the leading edge of providing secure access over broadband connectivity," said Susan Scheer, director of service provider marketing for Cisco. "Cisco is collaborating with HarvardNet to deliver scaleable IPSec-based VPN services for remote access and branch office connectivity based on high-performance, reliable and secure Cisco routers."
"We selected the Cisco VPN product suite due to the extensive security options combined with a wide range of products available, allowing us to meet the broad range of our customers specific needs. Utilizing Cisco's next-generation VPN products enables us to provide our customers with a solution that combines best-in-class network functionality with highly secure VPN options," stated Larry Jarvis, CTO at HarvardNet.
The RemoteConnect solution offers distinct services, crafted to meet the needs of any business customer:
RemoteConnect Branch Office
DSL, and, where necessary, T1- or frame relay-based connectivity for employees or business partners working in remote branch offices. Replacing a shared frame relay cloud or dedicated point-to-point leased lines with HarvardNet's IP backbone gives corporations multiple options for connecting to the backbone.
The RemoteConnect architecture securely and cost-effectively extends the corporate network to business partner organizations, enabling the creation of a secure extranet.
RemoteConnect Home Office
DSL-based broadband connectivity for telecommuters and the "professional second shift", those workers who extend their day at night or on weekends by working from home.
The convenience of an "always-on" DSL connection that doesn't tie up a phone line makes broadband connectivity a compelling alternative to dial-up for any employee who spends more than a few hours per month working from home.
Providing remote users with high-speed, secure, private connections to corporate network resources over HarvardNet's network, the RemoteConnect solution delivers the following tangible benefits to customers:
Superior performance and reliability: Combines HarvardNet's market-leading DSL and Cisco's proven VPN equipment and software to extend the corporate LAN to remote users at high-speed connections. In addition, HarvardNet offers some of the most aggressive guaranteed levels of performance and network availability in the industry through its DSL service level agreement (SLA).
State-of-the-art security: Built upon the most complete IP security standard available, IPSec, RemoteConnect establishes an end-to-end encrypted and secure tunnel between the remote users and the corporate LAN. At no point is corporate data transmitted "in the clear" over HarvardNet's private IP backbone or the public Internet.
Ultimate flexibility: A scaleable solution designed to evolve and grow with a company, RemoteConnect scales smoothly from tens of users to tens of thousands of users.
- Cost-effective solution: Offers a significant reduction in overall remote access and Wide Area networking (WAN) transport costs.
Exceptional customer care: With the largest DSL service footprint in New England, HarvardNet is well-positioned to provide the highest levels of customer service and rapid response times.
About HarvardNet
A super-regional data CLEC offering business-class DSL, broadband VPN and advanced Web hosting services, HarvardNet serves businesses located in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States using its East Coast IP-based backbone network that connects markets from Maine to Virginia. For more information about HarvardNet, please visit http://www.HarvardNet.com.
