Internet Solutions (IS) will be the first service provider to utilise the 155Mbps STM1 configuration. An approach to Telkom has resulted in the supply of broadband international private leased-line services (IPLC) to IS on Afrolinque, the sub-marine fibre cable linking SA with Europe and the East.
"We are now in a position to offer our clients a faster and more reliable service than before," says Johann Pretorius, Chief Operating Officer of Internet Solutions.
The Afrolinque sub-marine fibre cable links SA with West Africa and Europe through the SAT3/WASC portions and with the East through the SAFE portion of the cable. The contract for 155Mbps is valued at R270 million over three years.
The bandwidth will be taken up in two stages; currently in use are 2 x 45Mbps to Johannesburg and Cape Town respectively, with the remainder being deployed in April, to Johannesburg.
According to Pretorius, the reliability and speed of STM1 over the fibre cable will prove to be invaluable to Internet Solutions` more than 4 500 corporate customers, many of whom rely heavily on the Internet to transact business.
"Telkom`s customer focused approach has enabled us to terminate in Cape Town and Johannesburg which provides us with flexibility to configure our services according to traffic requirements. This flexibility is due to our 10-year relationship with Telkom`s International and Special Markets group. The fact that Telkom was able to build in back-up through the SAFE (South Africa Far East) portion of the cable providing an alternative route via the East, has made our deal even more attractive," Pretorius added.
Wally Beelders, Managing Executive of Telkom International and Special Markets, states: "Our IPLC product offers a lot of added value. The service is monitored 24 hours a day from our National Network Operations Centre in Centurion to ensure optimum performance and quality. We act as a single point of contact, facilitating single-end ordering and billing, taking care of the service from SA to the terminating point, which in the case of Internet Solutions is in the US."
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Established in 1993 as the country`s first commercial Internet service provider, IS has grown in stature and today attracts 80% of the SA`s top 250 listed companies. IS remains the leading ISP with a market share of over 50%. Probably one of the country`s most successful post apartheid companies, IS has expanded from being a pure Internet connectivity provider to an innovative and pioneering business with services that include Internet access, VPNs, hosting, dial-up, security and business gateway solutions. Testimony to its recognition as a market leader IS has earned an impressive collection of awards, which includes eight First National Bank "Most Admired" awards, Professional Management Review silver and golden arrow awards, Financial Mail Deloitte & Touche Best Company to Work for Award and even a Loerie award for its design work.
In 2002 IS was certified as a Cisco Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP), the first and only company outside of the US to be awarded this accolade. The CPN-MSSP brand associates IS with the worldwide leaders in Internet security.