BT Launches IVPN service for large organisations

New 21CN service available for global enterprise customers

BT today announced the launch of its BT Intelligent Virtual Private Network (iVPN) service in 172 countries, allowing global organisations to better manage and improve the performance of their IT network and business applications, and reduce technical and operational costs.

The development of BT iVPN was made possible by BT’s investment in its 21st Century Network (21CN) global platform. 21CN is BT’s global, software driven customer network platform that introduces a new, simpler portfolio of next generation services.

With BT iVPN, businesses can:

 Reduce their technical running costs and improve productivity, by managing and prioritising traffic over their IT network across the world, running mail, voice, video and other business applications more efficiently and ultimately maximising return on investment.
 Drive operational cost savings through faster implementation, fewer manual interventions, less interruption to service, and with local support in local language.
 Have increased confidence in a secure and resilient service, offering better network availability, automated delivery assurance, real time reporting, plus proactive and automated incident notification - giving control and flexibility to users.

Following trials with customers in the industrial and financial services industries, BT is combining iVPN with other BT services such as internet based access, application optimisation, voice management, video conferencing, unified communications, data centres, call centres, security and mobility, working alongside customers to build solutions that unlock value across their business.

Neil Sutton, vice president of Global Propositions and Capabilities, BT Global Services, said: “BT’s goal is to improve efficiency, value and customer experience for customers across all our services. The launch of BT iVPN is a significant step towards achieving this, building on the strength of our award winning global multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) service. Organisations look for a trusted provider with a track record of reliable service to provide their networked services. BT was ranked first for customer satisfaction with global data VPN providers in a September 2008 Telemark survey of 700 customers. The launch of BT iVPN demonstrates our commitment to provide an innovative portfolio of solutions, and our commitment to improve our customer’s experience”.

The launch of BT iVPN has been favourably commented by industry analysts. Sandra O´Boyle, Research Director, Business Telecom Services Europe at Current Analysis said: “BT iVPN is on the right track in terms of improving MPLS VPN service delivery, local language support and providing site to site SLAs across regions for BT’s global customers. For customers this translates into tangible benefits such as more accurate billing, faster provisioning times and resolution of any site performance issues.”

The benefits of BT’s IVPN, and the relationship with BT have been summarised by Norbert Kuddes, IS Technical Development Manager, Duni AB as follows:

“We needed a trusted partner with high performance services and excellent customer support to outsource our communication requirements to. With BT we got all of that. The recent improvements BT made which have resulted in the new iVPN, allow us to concentrate on our core business”.

Duni is Europe’s leading operator for table-setting and take-away packaging, the Duni brand is sold in more than 40 markets and enjoys a number one position in Central and Northern Europe.

For more information on BT iVPN please visit http://www.globalservices.bt.com/iVPN