Interpath Communications Delivers The Future Of Networked Business Systems With The Opening Of The 'Interpath Operations Center'

Business Wire, Feb 18, 1999

RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 18, 1999--Interpath Communications, Inc., today announced the grand opening of its "Interpath Operations Center,"(IOC) the first network and applications operations center with the capability to manage and monitor both customers' networks and their applications, 24x7x365. The IOC, the heart of Interpath's network, enables the company to efficiently and cost-effectively deliver online services to clients at "light speed," while at the same time monitoring usage and troubleshooting potential problems.

With the opening of the IOC, Interpath becomes the first full-service, carrier-class Network Application Service Provider to enable clients to outsource and integrate all of their business services, including both voice and data, to a single provider.

John Roth, Vice Chairman and CEO of Nortel Networks, who addressed the attendees at the opening ceremonies, said, "With the development of the IOC, Interpath has delivered the future of networked communications and established itself as a pioneer and a leader in the Application Service Provider marketspace. Interpath made an investment in the way its clients do business, promising to deliver an unparalleled level of service and support, and a wide range of enterprise-class applications, all packaged under one roof, from a single provider, offering a high-level of reliability."

"At Interpath, it is our mission to provide our clients with a single source provider for high performance, scalable business applications delivered `on demand,' cost effectively and securely 24x7x365," said Christopher Darby, president and CEO of Interpath. "The IOC acts as a `security blanket,' providing our clients with the knowledge that their mission critical applications will always be available for use, no matter what time of day."

The IOC was built to carrier-class standards and designed to act as the nerve center of Interpath, providing business customers with a full range of voice and data services, coupled with high-speed access, all from a single facility. The IOC ensures that Interpath clients have reliable facilities-based Internet access, circuit-switched and legacy telecom services, and an ever-growing range of consulting and online business solutions such as Electronic Commerce provisioning and billing, unified messaging and call center support. Additionally, with the IOC's 31 mission control monitors and 12 large projection screens for monitoring and managing the network and applications, Interpath can guarantee that all applications, along with the entire network will be continuously monitored and maintained.

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Other features of the IOC include:

--   A 13,000-square foot "Server City": responsible for hosting
     business applications. Additional features of Server City include
     security, high-speed performance, redundancy and systems
     management.

--   Customer Care: the area of first response for any customer need.
     This area of the IOC has state-of-the art technology and can
     accommodate up to 60 customer care agents, ready to answer
     questions and solve problems.

--   A Data Switching and Transport Room: the entry and exit point for
     both voice and data communications to and from the external
     networks.

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About Interpath Communications, Inc.

Founded in 1998, Interpath Communications (Research Triangle Park, NC) is a Network Application Services Provider that taps the matchless power of high-speed, fiber-optic IP networks to provide customers with turn-key, Internet-based services ranging from consulting and connectivity, to enterprise-scale business applications hosting/rental, to voice- and fax-over-IP. An independently managed subsidiary of Carolina Power & Light (NYSE:CPL) --www.cplc.com--Interpath can be reached at 919.790.6300 or www.interpath.com.

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