Explorer Christopher Columbus proved years ago that the world was not flat and travelers from around the world have been rounding the globe ever since. 

 

Fast forward to the 21^st century:  Today’s service providers face increased pressure to extend their services around the globe, versus across current "flat" regions, due to the ever-increasing demands from enterprise customers for cost-effective solutions that meet the business needs of their international site expansions.  While Chris Columbus is, unfortunately, no longer available to help with this navigation, service providers have learned that the best solution to circling the globe is through a "Fast Track" partnership with Global Crossing.

 

Global Crossing Fast-Track Services™ deliver enterprise solutions for service providers enabling increased speed-to-market and revenue realization by expanding geographic reach, offering a broadened range of converged IP services, and providing a unified customer experience to enterprise end users around the world. With this strategic solution, service providers avoid the costly expenditures and long lead times generally associated with service expansion.  By utilizing Global Crossing’s iMPLS services to provide a network-to-network interconnection, all sites, whether on Global Crossing’s network, or the service provider’s network, become one private IP VPN.   While the focus of Fast-Track is IP Services, the portfolio also includes On-Site Support, Private Line, and ATM/Frame with the addition of VoIP Services expected later this year and Managed Services in 2006.  According to Camille Mendler, director of telecom strategies in Europe for Yankee Group, European service providers could really speed time to revenue by using Global Crossing’s Fast Track offer. Fast Track is a unique combination of features including rapid delivery of next-gen IP services on a truly global basis, as well as extensive management and integration capabilities to price, bid and deliver solutions according enterprises’ individual needs. It’s a committed and structured approach to partnering that goes beyond a classic master services agreement – this is a new model, offering extensive online support tools, including e-bonding.

 

The IP market is gaining momentum due to real, not hyped, enterprise demand.  In the past few years, IP VPN and VoIP services were traditionally viewed as a goal of business planning with implementation being held for “next year.”  Yet “next year” seemed to move back from one year to the next. Now, however, as more and more businesses not only plan, but implement IP Services, the hype has become reality. 

 

Yet, even with the increased demand, under today's tight capital expense budgets, carriers must remain cost conscious and continue to seek partnerships that help improve their margins.  Global Crossing Fast-Track Services allow service providers to quickly address the needs of growing enterprises, increasing new service revenue and margin dollars more quickly than waiting for network build-outs that may never come to fruition.  Global Crossing Fast-Track Services launched late 2004, gained rapid momentum in 2005 as service providers realized Global Crossing could help improve results through the flexible offering. 

 

Global Crossing Fast-Track Services options include Signature Services™, which allow service providers to market these network services under their own brand (white label) to their customers, while Alliance Services™ enable service providers to co-brand the network services with Global Crossing.  Henning Dransfeld, research director at OVUM, had this to say: “A service provider offering retail VPN services can choose a number of options for extending its service beyond its own network. Among the various options, OVUM views direct white label interconnection as the fastest growing market opportunity at present, where total demand for wholesale IP VPN services will grow by more than 400 percent between end of 2004 and 2008.”

 

Another integral part of Fast Track Services, is Global Crossing’s self-service portal uCommand® providing customers 24x7 self-service autonomy. This secure, private Web-based network management tool allows customers to order services, monitor their networks, create utilization reports, establish end-user accounts, obtain access pricing, and view monthly billing reports. Fast-Track partners also enjoy exclusive uCommand features like access to the Global Crossing Service Inquiry tool - a direct connection to our operations team for large capacity or off-net location quotes, and the ability to brand uCommand screens that allow secure end user access to view network statistics.  Another important uCommand feature includes the option to download access quotes directly into your pricing system.  Our development teams work together to create a simple API program to enable this feature, additional eBonding options will be added in 2006.

 

Global Crossing currently works with partners in North America, Europe, Asia, and Latin America – the global diversity of the program speaking volumes to the need for service providers to improve global reach.  The service offers additional value through the complementary On-site Support Services in which procurement, installation, and trouble fix maintenance of customer premise routers are offered in regions lacking the support staff.

 

Global Crossing Fast Track Services™.  Available today; designed to grow and scale to meet the demands of the future.  Even Columbus would be proud.