Vanco Selects Ipanema Technologies' Business Network Optimization System for Its New Application-Aware Network Services; Enables Vanco to Further Differentiate Its Offerings From Asset-Based Carriers.

CONCORD, Mass. -- Ipanema Technologies, the leader in application traffic management systems for wide area networks, today announced that Vanco, the pioneering Virtual Network Operator (VNO), has selected its Business Network Optimization system as a part of its new application aware networking services developed in response to changing market needs.

More companies are taking an application-centric viewpoint to optimizing and managing performance across the entire network and are increasingly looking to their service providers to give them guarantees about how they can do this at a business level.

"By integrating Ipanema's Business Network Optimization system, we add an application aware approach to our ability to manage network performance that further differentiates us from the Asset-based carriers," said John Locke, CTO, Vanco. "The Ipanema system dynamically allocates bandwidth to applications to meet required business objectives on a second by second basis to address the prevailing circumstances. This means that our customers' business activity is not compromised by unreliable application performance. Ipanema's Business Network Optimization system provides us, and subsequently our customers, with additional insight into what is happening on the network and increased WAN cost control capabilities."

Ipanema's unique approach to discovering, optimizing and reporting on application performance ensures a better and constant alignment of business processes and IT, especially in the new world of dynamic IT, where requirements change rapidly. Ipanema's creative approach of optimizing user flows of information end to end and in real time offers many benefits and ensures that mission critical transactions always get the required resources, whatever the conditions may be.

"Service providers and telcos now have a unique opportunity to offer their clients and prospects application centric services to address the performance challenges that they face both in the short and long term," said Vargha Moayed, executive vice president, Ipanema Technologies. "By offering their clients solutions that are flexible enough to move at the same pace as the business, managed service providers and telcos can offer their clients a new service that adds long term value to their operations. Being able to do this is increasingly important as providers look to build on their established relationships with customers. We are delighted to be selected by Vanco and are looking forward to working with them moving forward."

A recent survey commissioned by Ipanema highlighted the shift to application-centric viewpoints, with 72% of European multinationals stating that they thought an application-centric service level agreement would be very useful and 47% stating that they would buy this as part of the service that they receive from their telecommunications or managed service provider.

Currently most service providers are only able to offer their customers bandwidth in isolation, which does not solve the long term problem that companies face in managing the performance of their applications across the whole network in line with business objectives. As new and increasingly demanding applications are rolled-out, enterprises and other networked organizations are concerned about whether application performance can be maintained and networks optimized.

This is especially true for critical applications such as ERP, IP telephony and thin-client applications like Citrix. At the same time, organizations are seeking to control telecoms costs associated with guaranteeing performance. Traditional carrier thinking is that the more network traffic companies have, the more network capacity they need to buy. This isn't necessarily the case, but because businesses can't monitor the bandwidth their applications require in real-time, many companies are finding that their telecoms costs are spiraling out of control.

About Vanco

Established in 1988, Vanco plc (FTSE: VAN) is the pioneering and leading global Virtual Network Operator. Vanco does not own telecoms assets and therefore has the freedom to source infrastructure from the most suitable Asset Based Carriers (ABCs) on a global basis. It provides enterprise clients, directly or through partners, with cost-effective, optimized and fully managed network solutions. Carriers can also extend their off-net reach by accessing, through Vanco, other carrier networks around the world.

With solutions available in 230 countries and territories, Vanco is selected by the world's largest organizations to provide strategic network solutions. Its clients include Accor Hotels, Avis Europe, British Airways, Ford Motor Company, IBM/Lloyds TSB, Siemens, Pilkington and Virgin Retail.

Through the Vanco network solution clients get access to the greatest geographic coverage available through a single provider. Vanco offers incomparable flexibility to customize and adapt the solution in line with market changes and business priorities.

Vanco is recognized by the industry for its financial success and world-class customer service delivery. A significant proportion of its investment capital goes into customer care, which is reflected by the awards won, independent market research and client retention.

About Ipanema Technologies - www.ipanematech.com

Founded in 1999, Ipanema Technologies is a provider of advanced application traffic management solutions that maximize network application performance. Its solutions are utilized by organizations deploying VoIP, ERP applications and other bandwidth-hungry projects as well as those embarking on ITIL projects. Network integrators market the Ipanema system to enterprises, while telecom service providers and network managed service providers offer it as a service.

The Ipanema system is simple, automated and scalable and is unique in guaranteeing critical application performance regardless of network conditions. It enables this by providing full visibility of application flows over the network, optimizing network resources through a combination of integrated technologies and rightsizing bandwidth according to application performance objectives. Ipanema's solutions are deployed in more than 75 countries; its customers include large organizations such as the French Army, L'Oreal, Sanofi, Europcar, Rhodia and Lexmark. Ipanema is based in France, with U.S. headquarters in Concord, Mass.