Tiscali World Online has become the first Internet service provider (ISP) to offer bundled services by combining the best aspects from three ISPs. As a consequence, it can give its customers the most suitable blend of features and functionality they require from specialists in their field, delivered as a complete, blended solution.
Internet Solutions (IS), SAIX and Satellite Data Networks (SDN) supply Tiscali World Online with connectivity, bandwidth and other services, putting it in a position to bundle these services as they best fit a customer`s business requirements.
The solutions Tiscali World Online can offer include basic Internet access for business users, virtual private networks (VPNs), security services and the hosting of Web servers, web development and Internet content.
Tiscali World Online is well established as a provider of connectivity solutions which cater for a range of user types, from home-based dial-up to complex business infrastructure. "We can now offer our clients the most flexible solutions possible," says Derek Hunt, GM: sales at Tiscali World Online. "We can `cherry pick` the best elements from these ISPs and combine them into customised solutions for our customers. So, for example, a client with a widely distributed infrastructure around the country might require a scalable VPN solution and international bandwidth. Tiscali World Online would implement a solution using different components from the SAIX, IS and SDN networks."
"Each of these ISPs has its own, unique strengths that set them apart from the market," Hunt adds. "By contracting with all three, we can offer the best possible solution specifically for our clients. We oversee the entire implementation and manage all administration, so our clients still have a single point of contact for their complete infrastructure, regardless of the source of the infrastructural components."
All three networks have peering in place at multiple points to provide fast, reliable connectivity between different locations on each network.
Tiscali World Online itself has a substantial existing dial-up user base of more than 150 000 subscribers.
"Many of our dial-up subscribers are also business owners. We are now positioned to provide them with an easy upgrade path for their communication solutions," says Hunt.
In addition to connectivity, Tiscali World Online can provide flexible Web hosting solutions for clients who rely on online content provision. "We have our own data centre in Cape Town on the SAIX network backbone," says Hunt. "We also have hosting agreements in place with UUNET and IS, so we can provide our customers with a number of options. Any Web server placed in one of these data centres immediately gains all the benefits inherent to such large network backbones - maximum speed, full redundancy, full security and high availability.
"Historically, no one ISP has been able to offer solutions incorporating all of these strengths," says Hunt. "Tiscali World Online is now in a unique position to do so, and the benefits to our clients are clear."
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