BT activates new node in Chennai

Enhance global capabilities for multinational customers in India.

BT today (March 26, 2007) announced the activation of a new multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) node in Chennai, India. As part of BT’s 21st Century Network (21CN) programme, the new node establishes BT’s IP backbone in India and further expands services available to BT’s customers.

Chennai’s importance as a core landing point for sub sea cables enhances BT’s diversity into and out of India from Asia, thus improving the availability of applications and multimedia services to BT’s corporate clients. An additional node in Bangalore and a new node in Hyderabad are also scheduled to go live this month, with other new nodes due for launch this year in Mumbai, Pune and Kolkata.

The investment in new nodes demonstrates BT's commitment to its multi-national customer base, especially those with significant operations in India and Indian corporations which have operations worldwide. These customers are demanding a globally consistent set of services with high levels of accuracy, cost-efficiency and reliability wherever they do business. The expansion of BT’s own MPLS network into India also enables more companies to maximize the benefits from BT’s networked IT capability in the areas of convergence, CRM and security around the globe.

Andy Green, CEO of BT Global Services, said: "An increasing number of multinational companies are expanding their operations in India and a rising number of local Indian corporations are becoming global. We are investing in new nodes to provide our customers in India with enhanced global connectivity.

These nodes will provide seamless, reliable access to and from the Indian facilities of these companies, connecting them to markets and operations across the world. Customers in India will benefit from improved performance and increased resiliency at the same time."

The Honourable Mr. Dayanidhi Maran, Minister of Communication and IT, Government of India, said: "The addition of a new node in Chennai will further enable the Indian IT and BPO industries and other corporations to utilize BT’s world-class connectivity services. I am very pleased that BT is committed to its 21CN program in India, which provides us with the best and latest networked IT capability. This will further promote investment into India and enhance business opportunities for Indian companies operating overseas."

BT's global 21CN is expanding quickly, adding a new city around the world every week. BT believes its next-generation network to be the broadest, richest and most resilient in the world, enabling companies and organisations to instantly trade across the globe with high speed and great resilience. In the past three years, BT in Asia Pacific has invested more than US$100 million in expanding its regional network. In February 2006, BT announced a US$21 million investment in a global IP-based voice platform which will see the current legacy TDM network replaced by an MPLS-based network across over 30 countries worldwide. A significant portion of this is planned to be invested in India.

Source : Equity Bulls

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