Infonet Announces Global IP Mail for Kuehne & Nagel's 500 Offices Worldwide; Self-Registration and Directory Maintenance via X.500 Directory Web Site A Key Feature.

Business Editors

HOOFDDORP, Netherlands--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 25, 2000

Infonet Services Corporation (NYSE/FSE:IN) today announced that global logistics company Kuehne & Nagel has selected IP-based mail, fax, directory and EDI services from Infonet to support Kuehne & Nagel's worldwide freight forwarding business covering its 500 offices in 82 countries.

The system, which is already operational, deploys global IP Mail and IP Fax services throughout Kuehne & Nagel, centrally controlled and managed by an X.500 Directory service, and supporting X.400-based EDI electronic transaction services.

Speaking on behalf of Infonet, Tom Whidden, vice president global marketing said, "I am very pleased with Kuehne & Nagel as a new client for our global messaging services. It clearly reinforces our position as the leading provider of IP-based services for Europe's major multinationals."

Kuehne & Nagel employs 13,000 people in 82 countries, in business operations covering every aspect of international forwarding -- over land, at sea and in the air. Its product range covers port services, seaworthy packing, a travel agency chain, insurance, and ship brokerage.

The company's de-centralised organisation is designed to delegate power and responsibility to its local offices. However, a previous e-mail solution with a similarly de-centralised structure proved difficult to manage properly. Problems in the mail service were difficult to find, with the result that the mail service was often knocked out for as long as a week. The company also did not feel that the network was secure enough.

With such diverse and geographically dispersed operations, Kuehne & Nagel wanted a stable mail environment, centrally administered and controlled, and with the capability for travelling workers to be able to access their e-mail globally. After reviewing a number of solutions on the market, K&N decided that the Infonet IP Mail and IP Fax services could offer the best single integrated solution for the company's needs.

Bearing in mind the problems of Kuehne & Nagel's old system, Infonet adopted an entirely different approach, building a new service from scratch, and working with the newest technology and to the latest standards. Working closely with Kuehne & Nagel, the project team has ensured that K&N retains a high level of control over the service, and can be fully satisfied with its management, reliability and security.

For example, Kuehne & Nagel registers and maintains directory entries on the service itself, rather than going through Infonet. Changes are implemented via the X.500 Directory Service Web site, which is at the heart of the system.

The benefits of this approach include near immediate response times, with mailboxes able to be set up and available in less than 24 hours, and a considerable saving in administration time. Additionally, the Directory Services control access to a range of other services such as Internet access, Internet mail, and X.400 mail (used mainly for EDI attachments).

The system, which already supports some 6,000 mailboxes (rising to approximately 9,000 by mid-year 2000, will then include additional users from French-based GEFCO and other K&N companies in which K&N holds a stake), will include global domain names for all of K&N's e-mail users. The latest additions to the service are K&N's U.S.-based users, who are being migrated to the IP Mail.

All existing K&N users are able to use the IP Fax service over the established interconnects via the IP Mail platform. The IP Fax service allows users to send documents and attachments to a fax recipient without having to print out and fax the document, offering savings in time and money.

Appropriate entries within the K&N Directory service lets users convert their e-mails, including attachments, into fax-messages. Delivery notes are generated by e-mail to each individual sender. Like IP Mail, the company expects IP Fax to be particularly useful for travelers, providing greater value due to a fax machine and printer not always being available.

By copying an extensive database of user information from the previous system into a structure that fits with the new IP Mail service, Infonet has also been able to provide Kuehne & Nagel with detailed information on users on the system, and essential data for the company's automatic billing system.

"Pricing and service are important, as is connectivity, wherever we are in the world," explains Serge Marx, corporate communications manager at Kuehne & Nagel. "This was well handled by the provider's team, and full implementation is well on course."

The selection was due not in the least to the provider's readiness to listen, report the staff at Kuehne & Nagel, who were also impressed by the way the provider was able to provide a tailor-made solution that crossed boundaries, and by its speedy response time in providing a test solution.

The service runs over the Infonet global frame-relay-backbone connected directly to the IP Mail platform in The Hague, or via the dial-in-network. Secure ISP tunneling allows access via third party networks such as local ISPs in countries.

About Kuehne & Nagel

Kuehne & Nagel is one of the world's leading transport and logistics groups. With 13,000 employees working at 500 offices in 82 countries, it covers every aspect of international forwarding -- over land, at sea and in the air. Kuehne & Nagel manages a total of 1.1 million square meters of warehouse space, more than half of which it owns itself.

In addition to the organisation's diverse specialist fields, it also engages in niche sectors such as paper and timber transport, customs clearance, trade fair services and home removals. Its product range extends to port services, seaworthy packing, supply-chain management, a travel agency chain, insurance and ship brokerage. For information: http://www.keuhne-nagel.com.

About Infonet

Infonet Services Corporation is a world leader in providing global communications services to multinational enterprises. Infonet provides Internet, intranet, ATM, remote access, electronic commerce services and integrated voice/data solutions plus a full suite of messaging and collaborative products and services.

Infonet's services are supported locally in more than 60 countries and territories around the world. The World Network from Infonet is accessible terrestrially or via satellite worldwide. Infonet trades publicly on the New York and Frankfurt stock exchanges under the ticker symbol IN. News and information are available at www.infonet.com.