May 29th 2003
InterFusion Networks Launches NetHop
Managed, hosted connectivity reducing telecommunications costs by up to 75%*
- transparent network and Internet connectivity anytime, anywhere
- only service that supports a wide variety of access methods
- significant gains in employee productivity and operational efficiency
- eliminates the need for capital expenditure
- business-class security in a wired or wireless environment
- 24 x 7 x 365 proactive monitoring and support
InterFusion Networks, a leading provider of networking solutions and services, today launched NetHop, which provides users with transparent network or Internet connectivity and reduces telecommunications costs by up to 75% in some cases. The service, which provides wired or wireless connectivity via dedicated, private tunnels within the Internet (VPNs**), is aimed at organisations with multiple branch locations such as franchises, dealerships or retail outlets as well as mobile or home-based staff. NetHop was launched today at InterFusion’s “Wired or Wireless” event hosted in conjunction with its partners, Cisco and Intel, in the Burlington Hotel, Dublin.
The service is unique in that it supports a wide variety of access methods such as DSL, ISDN, leased line, frame relay and even GPRS.*** As a fully managed service, NetHop negates the need to invest in costly hardware or software and frees up internal IT resources to concentrate on more pro-active tasks. As a result, organisations can expect reduced capital costs coupled with significant gains in employee productivity and operational efficiency. InterFusion’s highly skilled technical team handles full project management as well as after-sales support resulting in speedy problem resolution and guaranteed network uptime. The service is fully managed at InterFusion’s Network Management Centre, located in Ballymount, Dublin.
Commenting on the launch of the service Derek Daly, Managing Director, InterFusion Networks says. “At a time when the focus is firmly on achieving high Return on Investment (RoI), organisations are turning towards outsourcing as a more efficient and cost-effective approach to managing their IT resources. The rollout of flat-rate, broadband Internet access and the increasing adoption of wireless services such as GPRS will drive market growth in this segment and will fundamentally change the way in which branch offices or mobile workers approach their day-to-day tasks.”
” VPNs are widely considered extremely secure despite using public networks”, Paul Ledwidge, Technical Director, Interfusion Networks explains. “NetHop is a managed, hosted VPN service that incorporates enhanced security using IPSec**** encryption standard and MPLS (Multi Protocol Label Switching) technologies. This ensures data security and privacy in a wired and wireless environment. Again the underlying technologies are completely transparent to the user and connection speeds are not adversely affected.”
* when compared to standard Eircom ISDN connectivity (excludes management fee). See chart in editor’s note for comparison of costs
