Infonet Expands Into WiFi

Infonet briefs analysts on its new enterprise mobility strategy, including a strategy for expansion into WLAN/WiFi and WWAN/mobile services

September 26, 2003

3 Min Read

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Infonet Services Corporation (NYSE: IN), a leading provider of global communications services for multinationals, today briefed analysts on its new enterprise mobility strategy. Building upon its history in addressing remote access requirements for multinational clients, Infonet announced new capabilities under MobileXpress(TM), a set of service offerings scheduled for release in early 2004.

The three-phased MobileXpress strategy includes expansion into Wireless LAN/Wi-Fi and Wireless WAN/mobile services, accompanied by a series of soon-to-be-announced partnerships to complement Infonet's award-winning remote access services. Coupled with a parallel effort of providing an unprecedented range of security capabilities, this combination will provide multinationals with secure, ubiquitous access to their corporate data.

Research firm IDC predicts that the total number of public Wi-Fi users is expected to grow from 2.4 million in 2003 to 10.4 million in 2005, a 324% growth over the period. According to Scott Ellison, Program Director for Wireless & Mobile Communications at IDC, "The connectivity needs of rapidly growing mobile and remote workforces means that multinational companies must expand their remote access facilities. Infonet's broadband wireless strategy successfully responds to this requirement through extending seamlessly the remote access portfolio to encompass new wireless facilities."

"Providing end-users the ability to access applications and content anytime from anyplace remains a core strength of Infonet," said Jose Collazo, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Infonet. "Infonet's investment in the evolution of wireless and security capabilities has provided us the ability to create innovative services to address our client's requirements."

To provide state-of-the-art solutions, Infonet has been consistently active with industry standards groups, including the Wi-Fi Alliance, to ensure compliance. "Standardizing emerging Wi-Fi certifications, such as Wi-Fi Protected Access, to meet service provider requirements is critical to accelerating hotspot usage," said Greg Hayes, Infonet's Director of Marketing for Mobile Workplace Solutions and Infonet's principal representative to the Wi-Fi Alliance. "Security, roaming and the quality of the end-user experience will determine the success of Wi-Fi in public venues."

"We are pleased to have Infonet, a leading global service provider, as a participant in the Wi-Fi Alliance," said Dennis Eaton, Chairman of the Wi-Fi Alliance. "As a strong supporter of interoperability and the 802.11 technology, the Wi-Fi ZONE initiative and public access Wi-Fi services, we are confident that Infonet will help our organization in achieving our goal of enhancing the user experience through product interoperability."

Infonet's MobileXpress strategy extends the boundary of The World Network by Infonet by allowing wireless anywhere, anytime communications. This natural extension to Infonet's global communications portfolio provides not only additional value to multinationals, but adds significant worth to the company's overall solution set. To that end, the three major phases of the strategy are: wireless/remote switched VPN access ("Switched VPN"), broadband wireless VPN ("Broadband"), and culminating with the availability of wireless broadband roaming and settlement across both Wi-Fi and 3G mobile networks ("Broadband Roaming").

"Mobility is not about technology, or hotspots, or connectivity -- it's about providing people the simple ability to make any workspace a `mobile workplace,' and make it work," said Greg Hayes. "Technology change can be highly disruptive, especially with the wide range of new options to consider. We've worked closely with our clients in the development of the mobility strategy."

Infonet Services Corp.

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