Sprint Goes to Chile, Venezuela

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -- Sprint (NYSE: FON - News, PCS - News) today announced the expansion of its global IP network, SprintLink(TM) to Santiago, Chile and Caracas, Venezuela. The offering in Latin America will provide local business customers with global access to the company's award-winning Internet backbone and give multinational companies a more reliable solution for obtaining quality IP services within the region. "Sprint has been eager to expand our network footprint into Latin America," said Dan Dooley, regional president of Sprint's Americas and Emerging Markets organization. "We look forward to building long-term relationships with area businesses and bringing to bear our 25 years of global experience, as well as Sprint's 100-year heritage for providing quality services and solutions." Sprint is hosting events in Santiago on Tuesday, Aug. 27 and Caracas on Thursday, Aug. 29. Local business leaders are invited to come and meet with Sprint's in-country representatives and US executives. The event will consist of a series of topical presentations on the challenges of, and solutions for, global networking. Attendees will also have the opportunity to ask questions and share in the discussion. The SprintLink IP service offering in Latin America will include dedicated Internet access which comes with a broad suite of support services from static and BGP 4 routing to multicasting, DNS service and more. In a separate release: Sprint (NYSE: FON - News, PCS - News) today announced that it has signed a five-year, $2.5 million agreement with Truman Medical Centers (TMC) to provide communications equipment that will network together 11 TMC sites across the Kansas City metro area. "In the medical industry, you must be prepared to provide the best possible care for patients at a moment's notice," said Bill McQuiston, chief information officer for Truman Medical Centers. "This new communications equipment is helping us transform the way we deliver healthcare at TMC. Our understanding of the strategic value of information technology makes this investment and partnership with Sprint a natural for us." The new communications equipment will also upgrade Truman Medical Centers' call center technology, providing TMC with increased system reliability and further improving the customer experience for TMC customers. Sprint is also providing a full-time technician, reporting directly to TMC, who is dedicated to servicing its equipment. "Reliable, consistent communications are essential for hospitals such as Truman Medical Centers," said Ralph Hodge, president of Business & Wholesale Markets for Sprint. "We're proud that Truman Medical Centers has entrusted Sprint to provide and maintain the best communications system available today." Sprint Corp.