Infonet Manages Network Build Out For Diners Club Europe.Business Editors & High-Tech Writers BRUSSELS, Belgium--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 15, 2002 Three-Year Agreement Provides Single Point of Contact and Maximises Return on Investment (ROI (Return On Investment) The monetary benefits derived from having spent money on developing or revising a system. In the IT world, there are more ways to compute ROI than Carter has liver pills (and for those of you who never heard of that expression, it means a lot). ) for Network in Ten Key European Locations Infonet Services Corporation (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange :IN) (FSE FSE 1. feline spongiform encephalopathy. 2. focal symmetrical encephalomalacia. :IN), a leading provider of global communications for multinationals, today announced it has been awarded a three-year multi-service contract with Diners Club Europe, the premier provider of payment systems and information management for business travellers, to manage its European network system application build out in ten key European locations (including UK, France, Germany, Italy, Benelux). Diners Club Europe will utilise this new network to enable its personnel to optimally function as one core European infrastructure linking cities that include Brussels, Vicenza and Rome, Italy, Meerbusch and Frankfurt Germany, Luxembourg, Amsterdam, Zurich, Paris and London. Diners Club Europe is the pan-European financial services company, whose network covers a large portion of the European union European Union (EU), name given since the ratification (Nov., 1993) of the Treaty of European Union, or Maastricht Treaty, to the European Community and members approximately 1.5 million cardholders. As a result of acquiring licenses to run businesses in additional countries based upon financial partner Citibank's organisational infrastructure, Diners Club Europe faced the challenge of improving their communications efficiency in regard to a variety of network applications including AS400, e-mail and HTTP HTTP in full HyperText Transfer Protocol Standard application-level protocol used for exchanging files on the World Wide Web. HTTP runs on top of the TCP/IP protocol. . After a thorough and comprehensive review of several potential suppliers over a three-month period, Diners Club Europe chose Infonet to provide secure, regionalised support that capitalises on synergies created between its various operational areas and existing internal network applications. These synergies ensure a single point of contact and help maximise significant Return on Investment (ROI) on their present and future installation implementations. "We required a supplier who could meet our quality performance objectives promptly and efficiently without interrupting our day-to-day operations for our personnel and facilities. Our selection of Infonet to build a single European network was based upon their current network performance, quality of service, regional and global reach and proven track record to run effective infrastructure consolidations," said Santo Leonardo, Chief Information Officer for Diners Club Europe. Under the terms of this agreement, Infonet will begin an immediate network installation, including Internet and firewall implementations within a two-month period, on a country-by-country basis throughout Europe. Additionally, anticipated future connectivity objectives will extend the scope of the service requirements between the two companies. "Our relationship with organisations like Diners Club Europe is a true partnership," commented Michel Vervoort, General Manager of Infonet Belgium. "We are pleased to provide Diners Club Europe with a solid communications infrastructure and single point of contact that meets their objectives and continues to deliver upon our firm commitments to our multinational clients," he concluded. About Diners Club Europe/GTP Holding S.p.A. Diners Club Europe is an extended franchise operating unit operating unit A type of operating company that engages in transactions with outsiders and that is owned by another business. For example, in 1995 the stockholders of Capital Cities/ABC approved a $19 billion merger with the Walt Disney Company, whereupon of GTP GTP (guanosine triphosphate): see guanine. Holding S.p.A. GTP Holding S.p.A. is strategically committed to creating value through its business focus on goods and services In economics, economic output is divided into physical goods and intangible services. Consumption of goods and services is assumed to produce utility (unless the "good" is a "bad"). It is often used when referring to a Goods and Services Tax. targeted to upscale customers. GTP Chairman Tonino Perna and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. Carlo Nicolai lead the GTP group that includes over 60 companies worldwide, 2,800 direct employees and 10 manufacturing plants. GTP Holding, through its 67 percent holding in IT Holding S.p.A., a company listed on the Italian Stock Exchange Italian Stock Exchange (ISE) The Milan-based stock exchange, which came into effect after the unification of Italy's ten national exchanges in 1991. All listed securities are traded electronically. , is a global player in the fashion and luxury goods business. Its strong global brands include Versace, Dolce dol·ce Music adv. & adj. In a gentle and sweet manner. Used chiefly as a direction. [From Italian, sweet, from Latin dulcis.] Adv. 1. & Gabbana, Malo, Exte and Gianfranco Ferre. Additionally, its 100 percent ownership of Franco Maria Ricci Franco Maria Ricci is the publisher of FMR, an art magazine published six times yearly in Italian, English, German, French and Spanish, based in Milan, Italy. The first issue was published in 1982. (FMR FMR Former (government official title) FMR Fair Market Rents (HUD) FMR Financial Management Regulation FMR Friends of the Mississippi River (watershed conservancy) ) makes it the world's leading publishing house for art books. About Infonet Infonet Services Corporation is a leading provider of value-added global communications services to over 2,600 multinational clients. Drawing upon a long heritage of reliable, quality client service and satisfaction, Infonet provides innovative network-based solutions customised to best support the business needs of our clients. Employing a unique consultative approach to gain insight into the communications needs of our clients, Infonet offers integrated solutions that leverage our expertise in optimising the complex relationship between enterprise applications and global network infrastructures. Our extensive global project management capabilities are the foundation for the range of services that comprise our solution offerings (broadband, Internet, intranet, multimedia, remote and local access, provisioning, application and consulting services) positioning Infonet as the ideal single-source partner for multinationals. Recently rated "Best in Class" overall in Telemark's latest survey of Global Managed Data Network Services, Infonet has also won "Best Customer Care" and "Best Carrier" at the World Communication Awards. Infonet owns and operates The World Network(R) backbone, accessible from more than 180 countries, and provides local service support in nearly 70 countries and territories. Founded in 1970, Infonet's stock is traded on the New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of and Frankfurt Stock Exchanges under the symbol IN. Additional information about the company is available at www.infonet.com. Safe Harbor Safe Harbor 1. A legal provision to reduce or eliminate liability as long as good faith is demonstrated. 2. A form of shark repellent implemented by a target company acquiring a business that is so poorly regulated that the target itself is less attractive. Statement: Infonet may have made forward-looking statements in this release. These statements, if any, are based on information available to the company as of the date of this release and Infonet undertakes no duty to update the information to take account of later events. The accuracy of our forward-looking statements will also be affected by the strength of the market for Infonet products and services, competition, the timely transitioning of new business opportunities to Infonet's network and the effect of currency fluctuation. Investors should bear these risk factors in mind as well as those elaborated on in Infonet's 10K, 10-Qs and other recent filings made with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. These documents are available through the investor relations portion of Infonet's web site at www.infonet.com. |
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