HOOFDDORP, The Netherlands -- A recent survey of multinational corporations from BRC, a leading market research and strategic consultancy, has revealed that KPNQwest, the leading pan-European data communications and hosting company, is winning 50% of all current bids to implement new IP VPNs. Since launching the pan-European product in September 2000 key customer wins have come from all sectors. Recent wins include financial intermediaries such as swissinvest.com; energy companies such as PGS and Rompetrol; leading IT sector customers such as National Semiconductor, Promatis and Dell. KPNQwest has also just signed contracts with acclaimed designers Mikli and Gerry Weber, and global business suppliers ACCO and Manutan. These wins bring the total of customers who have chosen KPNQwest's product to 230."2001 has seen IP VPNs finally establish themselves as a serious platform for corporate communications," said Chris Lewis, Vice President EMEA, the Yankee Group. "The maturity of optical native IP backbones, reduced local circuit connection costs and the end user's willingness to trust the service providers with some of their networking, have all been contributing factors to this success. KPNQwest, with its transport, Internet and hosting background is amongst the leading lights in supporting European corporates in the IP VPN market." KPNQwest NV