ICon and IBM provide Internet recovery services; advance recovery for commercial Internet applications

Business Wire, March 26, 1996

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 26, 1996--Corporate Internet provider ICon CMT Corp. today announced the first step of Business Recovery Strategy, an Internet recovery service agreement with IBM.

By way of the arrangement, IBM's Business Recovery Services organization now provides its newly announced Internet Recovery Services - the first commercially available disaster recovery services for the Internet - to ICon customers. The new services recover critical Internet and intranet applications in case of disruptions or disasters.

An Internet network service provider (NSP), ICon provides businesses with high-speed ATM-based Internet access and all critical components needed to launch and support complex Internet and intranet applications. Services include Web site and new media production, complete intranet implementations, software and interface development, management and other technological services.

New "Hot Sites" For The Web

Should ICon's Network Operations and Control Center detect disturbances while monitoring customer sites, recovery of web servers will be initiated at IBM's Sterling Forest Recovery Center. ICon can then reestablish network connections and reroute the customer's Internet traffic to the "new" web site.

Availability Of Internet Recovery Advances Commercial Applications

According to ICon's President and CEO Scott Baxter, the company is emphasizing recovery to help customers migrate more complex business applications onto intranets and the Internet. "When you start putting core applications on intranets, or doing financial transactions on the Web, security and business recovery become the central issues," Baxter says. "As we start working with companies on these types of things, we're putting the ultimate security strategy in place. The IBM agreement and our own new network control center are the first steps in taking recovery services a whole new level."

Ed Carreiro, general manager of IBM's BRS organization, concurs. "Each day, more companies are conducting business through their World Wide Web sites," Carreiro points out. "If these corporate or business web sites are hit by a disaster and forced to shut down for a time, a business could be forced out of touch with key customers or suppliers who depend on the Internet for business transactions."

New ICon Management Center Maximizes Security

In keeping with its proactive recovery philosophy, ICon recently expanded its Network Operations and Control Center in Weehawken, N.J. Besides utilizing the latest in firewalls and security technologies, the NOC has been strategically designed to ensure maximum reliability. "The NOC represents more than just a state-of-the-art communications and computer facility," Baxter says. "We've built in lots of redundancy, including dual sources of outside power and multiple SONET rings into the building. Even physical access is tightly secured."

IBM

IBM is a leading full-service provider of business continuity, disaster recovery, business resumption, Internet and security services. It provides consulting, planning, testing and recovery facilities for large, midrange and distributed multiplatform computing environments and voice recovery. In 1996, IBM is significantly enhancing its capabilities and facilities, including constructing a new state-of-the-art center in Boulder, Colo. In addition to the U.S., the services are offered in 50 countries throughout the world.

ICon CMT Corp.

ICon CMT Corp. fuses communications, media and technology for the creation and delivery of Internet content. ICon provides high-speed Internet and intranet access and content distribution via IConNet, the digital ATM network constructed and run by ICon. New media production encompasses the creation and repackaging of content tailored for the interactive medium. ICon also develops and furnishes management services and the enabling technologies needed to secure and optimize delivery of intranet/Internet-based content. Headquartered in the New York area, ICon CMT is a privately held company with industry-leading partners and distribution affiliates nationwide.

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CONTACT: Hammond Farrell/ICon Media Relations

Liza Kurtz, 212/995-5680, ext. 210

HamndFarel@aol.com