Swisscom Corporate Business Using Ipanema's Business Network Optimization System for Application Performance Management Service

Business Wire, Jan 24, 2008

Enables Swisscom Corporate Business to Offer Application-centric Network Services to Enterprises

WALTHAM, Mass. -- Ipanema Technologies, a leader in application traffic management systems for wide area networks (WANs), today announced that Swisscom's Corporate Business is driving its new managed WAN service, Application Performance Management (APM), using Ipanema's WAN optimization technology.

This new managed service for LAN-Interconnect (LAN-I) provides enterprises with greater control of their network and application performance.

IT and networking departments are increasingly called on to align with business goals and guarantee the delivery and performance of key business applications. As a result, network managers are increasingly looking for service providers that can offer application-centric Service Level Agreements (SLAs).

Swisscom Corporate Business is utilizing technology from Ipanema Technologies to deliver APM. Ipanema Technologies' Business Network Optimization solution offers Swisscom Corporate Business a scalable carrier class system with a dedicated service delivery framework called SALSA. The system transcends Swisscom's actual IP VPN service, allows it to shift from a network SLA model to an Application SLA model and opens the door for a new generation of high-value services centered on what matters most to the enterprise: the performance of business-critical applications.

By managing the performance of applications across the WAN, APM helps customers meet business goals, such as improving the management of a converged Virtual Private Networks or maximizing the investment in other IT resources. Specific performance targets can be set for applications based on the business objectives of the company and controlled across any IP infrastructure. The service allows optimization decisions to be taken globally across the network, reducing risk, downtime and data loss.

APM's new service consists of three modules. :

Audit

This module analyzes data traffic on the corporate network. Features include the following:

* Measurement in the network

* Analysis of traffic patterns, application types, utilization rate, etc

* Identification of application performance issue

* Samples of reports and assessment paper

Deployment

The second module is used to optimize the available network resources for each location. Features include the following:

* Installation and configuration of APM CPE's

* Definition and implementation of the optimization concept

* Definition of application performance objectives (delay, jitter, packet loss and allocated bandwidth per application)

* Definition of boundaries and responsibilities

Service Management

The third module monitors the traffic behavior of applications and allows Swisscom to support customers around the clock with continuous data network monitoring. Features include the following:

* Monitoring and reporting

* Application monitoring

* Application-based reporting

* Life cycle management: review, change and update

* Regular review meetings with customer

According to Ipanema-commissioned IDC research with network managers of large European companies, 84 percent of multinational organizations would like to guarantee the performance of their critical applications over the WAN. A further 76 percent would like to be able to monitor their application performance in real time. APM addresses these concerns. Further findings from the IDC research identify a clear market need for this service, showing that 47 percent of multinational companies would like to purchase application-centric network management and optimization features as part of a service provider offering.

The Application Performance Management hosted service from Swisscom Corporate Business is now available and is targeted at multi-site organizations. It is highly scalable and can be implemented across thousands of sites.

According to Georges Schlegel, head of Product Marketing for Swisscom Corporate Business, "Our corporate business customers depend on their business applications. It is therefore crucial that they can also rely on an application management tool that enables flexible control over the availability and prioritization of their applications. It is one of the primary reasons we are delivering APM. It further enhances our market leading position by offering customers a modular, flexible and repeatable service with a depth and functionality on a global scale."

"There is a real market opportunity for service providers and telcos that are able to offer their clients and prospects application-centric services that address the performance challenges they face while maximizing the network asset," said Houda Chabir Robert, VP North America. "By building visibility, management and optimization services into its offering, Swisscom Corporate Business enables enterprises to take an application-centric approach to networking, giving it a real edge in meeting customers' needs."

About Swisscom (www.swisscom.com)

Swisscom is Switzerland's leading telecoms provider, with over 4.8 million mobile customers, around 3.7 million fixed lines and more than 1.5 million broadband connections. In the first half of 2007, the company's 20,240 employees (full time equivalents) generated revenues of CHF 5.1 billion. Around 850 young people complete an apprenticeship at Swisscom in the fields of IT, telematics, mediamatics, retailing and commerce.