Global Crossing Launches its First Phase of Network Centric Cloud Based Solutions

FLORHAM PARK, N.J., Feb. 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Drawing on its extensive expertise in global IP networking and collaboration services, Global Crossing (Nasdaq: GLBC) today introduced Global Crossing® Communications as a Service (CaaS), the first phase of its network-centric, cloud-based solution set.  CaaS provides an innovative, on-demand, "pay-as-you-grow" set of capabilities that simplify a business's audio conferencing experience from multiple services to a single-service, cloud-based model.  

CaaS is designed to deliver easy-to-use, integrated, customized communications options to an enterprise.  It creates a network-centric platform that combines the company's Global Crossing IP Virtual Private Network (IP VPN), Session Initiated Protocol (SIP) Trunking, and Global Crossing Ready Access® hosted audio conferencing services to provide a tailor-made collaboration experience.  Among other features, these combined capabilities support the functionality of Global Crossing Connect Mobile, which uses a standard application programming interface (API) to give end users the ability to join or host an audio conference from popular mobile devices by clicking on an icon.  This mobile application also syncs meetings with users' calendars.

"Global Crossing CaaS is integral to our global cloud solution strategy," said Anthony Christie, chief technology and information officer for Global Crossing.  "It is a logical extension of our competency in IP networking and collaboration, and addresses the needs of today's businesses that want to take advantage of network-centric cloud services, while reaping the benefits of a higher quality experience and more simplistic per-seat pricing model.  In subsequent releases we'll enhance CaaS to include video, telephony and IT services, including Instant Messaging, presence and email."

In addition to a higher quality experience enabled by the "on net" nature of the service, another attractive element of CaaS is that Global Crossing offers this service in a shared-seat billing model via a monthly fee.  This provides customers more simple and predictable billing versus per-minute pricing.  For the monthly shared-seat fee, users receive access to unlimited global audio conferencing minutes.  Shared-seat billing also lowers communications costs, increases overall communications efficiency and reduces the need to travel, resulting in smaller corporate carbon footprints.

Global Crossing is developing additional cloud solutions that will include virtual compute, storage and infrastructure capabilities, as well as a security offer that provides dynamic firewall, intrusion detection and email filtering.  Future additions to the family of solutions will include a hosted application development environment and hosted software applications to support strategic opportunities.  All of Global Crossing's cloud solutions leverage its global IP network for superior quality of service.

CaaS also is integrated into Global Crossing's award-winning uCommand® customer portal to provide seat-based utilization reporting to customers.  uCommand is Global Crossing's online account management tool that gives customers access to network management and services, real-time performance monitoring and network management capabilities.  

"The acceleration of cloud computing and new business models enable enterprises to achieve productivity improvements and greater cost efficiencies via advanced telecommunication service options," stated Dan O'Connell, Research Director at Gartner.  "Today's cloud-based applications are both flexibly priced and capable of being integrated into business processes to yield substantial benefit to enterprises."

Global Crossing already has proven the cost-savings value of CaaS through its own internal implementation of the solution set.  By implementing CaaS in each of its locations around the world, the company's annual telecommunications spend has decreased 30 percent.

ABOUT GLOBAL CROSSING

Global Crossing (Nasdaq: GLBC) is a leading global IP, Ethernet, data center and video solutions provider with the world's first integrated global IP-based network.  The company offers a full range of data, voice, collaboration, broadcast and media services delivered with superior customer service.  

Global Crossing provides services to enterprises (including approximately 40 percent of the Fortune 500); government departments and agencies; and 700 carriers, mobile operators and ISPs.  It delivers converged IP services to more than 700 cities in more than 70 countries, and has 17 world-class data centers in major business centers around the globe.

Please visit www.globalcrossing.com  for more information about Global Crossing.

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SOURCE Global Crossing