Global Crossing Wins Contract to Supply UK WAN to FirstGroup

LONDON, Oct. 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Global Crossing (Nasdaq: GLBC), a leading global IP solutions provider, has been selected by the UK's largest transport operator, FirstGroup, to supply a secure Wide Area Network (WAN) to its UK operations.  The 8.2 million pounds sterling, four-year contract will see Global Crossing implement a fully managed data network over more than 700 sites.

The WAN is critical to FirstGroup and will link its many dispersed sites across the UK.

Key elements of the solution will be Global Crossing's Managed Security Service and implementation project management.  Having recently completed another 800-site network deployment over a six-month period, also in a complex rail environment, Global Crossing's experience and expertise in this area is a key differentiator.

Glenn Bladon, Group Head of IT Services at FirstGroup, said: "Global Crossing has strong experience in the transport industry running tested and proven networks.  We believe that the extension of our partnership with Global Crossing will have a positive impact on our business and the way we are able to deliver our services to customers, manage our network, and increase reliability and safety."

Global Crossing already provides a managed voice solution to FirstGroup as part of a dedicated industry-wide service catering to nearly 50,000 users.  The addition of the UK WAN will also enable FirstGroup to capitalise on the potential benefits of moving to a converged IP platform in the future.

"We are delighted to be expanding our partnership with FirstGroup.  The transport sector is vitally important for us and a key part of our heritage and network capability," said Ted Higase, Managing Director of EMEA at Global Crossing.  "This is the second multimillion pound transport contract that we have won over the last eight months and further demonstrates the success of Global Crossing's Transport Sector Network strategy to drive efficiencies and savings – similar to Government's transformational Public Sector Network project."

This contract reflects Global Crossing's advancing presence in the UK Transport sector, through the implementation of low risk, advanced IP solutions to ensure its customers can provide safe, timely transportation services UK-wide.  Global Crossing currently supplies network services to more than 90 percent of UK rail companies.  

For more information on Global Crossing's solutions visit: http://www.globalcrossing.com/EMEA/enterprise/enterprise_landing.aspx

ABOUT FIRSTGROUP

FirstGroup plc is the leading transport operator in the UK and North America with revenues of over 6 billion pounds a year.  We employ more than 130,000 staff and transport some 2.5 billion passengers a year.

The Group operates one quarter of the UK passenger rail network, with a balanced portfolio of intercity, commuter and regional services, carrying over 280 million passengers a year.

• We are the UK's largest rail operator with four passenger franchises – First Capital Connect, First Great Western, First ScotRail and First TransPennine Express – and one open access operator, First Hull Trains.
• We operate the London Tramlink network on behalf of Transport for London carrying 28 million passengers a year.

Headquartered in Cincinnati, FirstGroup America Inc. operates across the US and Canada.  The Group's contract businesses include Yellow School Buses (First Student), Transit Contracting and Management Services (First Transit), Vehicle Fleet Maintenance and Support Services (First Services).

The Group is Britain's largest bus operator running more than one in five of all local bus services.  A fleet of some 8,500 buses carries approximately 3 million passengers a day in more than 40 major towns and cities.  We also operate Greyhound UK providing regular services each way between London and Bournemouth, Portsmouth and Southampton.

Greyhound is the only national provider of scheduled intercity coach services in the US and Canada. Based in Dallas, Greyhound provides scheduled passenger services to approximately 3,800 destinations carrying approximately 20 million passengers a year.

ABOUT GLOBAL CROSSING

Global Crossing (NASDAQ: GLBC) is a leading global IP and Ethernet solutions provider with the world's first integrated global IP-based network.  The company offers a full range of data, voice and collaboration services with an industry leading customer experience and delivers service to approximately 40 percent of the Fortune 500, as well as to 700 carriers, mobile operators and ISPs.  It delivers converged IP services to more than 700 cities in more than 70 countries around the world.

Global Crossing (UK) Telecommunications Ltd. provides a full range of managed telecommunications services in a secure environment ideally suited for IP-based business applications.  The company provides managed voice, data, Internet and e-commerce solutions to a strong and established commercial customer base, including more than 100 UK government departments, as well as systems integrators, rail sector customers and major corporate clients.  In addition, Global Crossing UK provides carrier services to national and international communications service providers.

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

This press release contains statements about expected future events and financial results that are forward-looking and subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially, including; increased competition and pricing pressures resulting from technology advances and regulatory changes; competitive disadvantages relative to competitors with superior resources; the impact on the business of an economic downturn or recession; dependence on a number of key personnel; potential weaknesses in internal controls of acquired businesses, and difficulties in integrating internal controls of those businesses with GCUK's internal controls; the concentration of revenue in a limited number of customers, and the rights of such customers to terminate their contracts or to simply cease purchasing services thereunder; the influence of the company's parent, and possible conflicts of interest of the parent or of certain of GCUK's directors and officers; our ability to raise capital through financing activities; exposure to contingent liabilities; and other risks referenced from time to time in GCUK's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. GCUK undertakes no duty to update information contained in this press release or in other public disclosures at any time.

GEN/PR1

SOURCE Global Crossing