Industry's First IPsec-based VPN Offered Through Tier 1 ISP and Using Cisco Products
BURLINGTON, Mass. - December 18, 2000 - Genuity Inc. (NASDAQ: GENU), a Tier 1 provider of Internet infrastructure, and Cisco Systems, Inc., the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet, today announced the newest member of Genuity's VPN family of managed security services. Powered by VPN-optimized Cisco routers, the new service line will be named VPN Service for Cisco. This new service is the first IPsec-based virtual private network service deployed on industry-leading Cisco 7200 and 2600 modular multiservice routers and delivered over the quality of Genuity's Tier 1 Backbone. Designated as a Cisco Powered Network service, it is designed to suit the needs of customers seeking to establish secure, economical VPN connections between corporate headquarters, company branches, customers, suppliers, and business partner locations.
"As more companies are moving their mission-critical business applications to the Internet, we're seeing an increased demand for a managed Cisco IPsec-based VPN service on a Tier-1 network." said Susan Scheer, director of Service Provider Marketing for Cisco. "With this new jointly developed VPN service, the two companies have combined Genuity's next-generation backbone and extensive experience in Internet security and management with Cisco's premier router and VPN technology to provide customers a secure, cost-effective way to connect corporate facilities with branch offices and strategic external partners."
VPN Service for Cisco offers dedicated single-site to single-site VPNs and single-hub to multi-spoke VPNs where geographically separated sites can establish secure communication channels through the Internet via the VPN gateway routers. The service is ideal for businesses that are embracing their customers, suppliers and partners by extending access to them through encrypted communications.
"Teaming with Cisco was a logical decision and will help enhance our leadership position in the managed VPN and Internet security services marketplace," said John Summers, director of VPN and Security Services for Genuity. "As companies increasingly move to more cost-effective, secure, and outsourced, WAN solutions, the offering of our new VPN Service for Cisco will ensure customers the secure, managed, affordable Internet connections they expect and require."
Highlights of VPN Service for Cisco
VPN Service for Cisco offers all major components of a secure virtual private network deployed on Cisco's VPN-optimized 2620 and 7204vxr routers, and is designed to optimize secure data transmission via the Internet. The service uses the IPsec protocol as the standard tunneling protocol to secure all data transmissions, and industry-standard DES/3DES, shared secret encryption to scramble the data during transport.
VPN Service for Cisco guarantees high performance by providing excellent service level agreements when the customer is "on-net" using Genuity's Internet AdvantageSM managed connectivity services. Available with T1 and T3 connections, the on-net connectivity and the VPN-optimized routers are fully managed and monitored 24x7x365 by Genuity's' seasoned network and security professionals. VPN Service for Cisco is also available "off-net" to customers without Genuity's Internet Advantage managed connectivity services. In this off-net offering, the service pertains to the monitoring and management of the VPN-optimized router only.
Genuity also brings the industry's most experienced professional installation and delivery teams, network operations and field service personnel, and technical support staff.
Availability and Pricing
Genuity's VPN Service for Cisco is available on December 18, 2000 in the U.S. and starts at $600 per VPN-enabled router per month. To learn more about Genuity's full line of managed access, connectivity, security and VPN services, visit Genuity on the Internet at: http://www.genuity.com/services/index.htm?hp or call 1-800-GENUITY.
