Galia Selects Equant to Build Automotive Industry Extranet
16 September 1999
Galia Selects Equant to Build Automotive Industry Extranet
PARIS and ATLANTA--Sept. 15, 1999--Equant, the world's leading provider of seamless international data network services, has been selected by Galia, a French consortium working to facilitate communication between automobile manufacturers and their main equipment suppliers, to deploy an extranet utilizing Equant's global data communications network.
Part of the solution Galia selected includes Equant's IP@EQUANT offering, which brings together Equant's Intranet Connect permanent-access and dial-on-demand routing services. IP@EQUANT is built around an exchange point operator (EPO), which provides the gateway to the Equant network and other networks used by the partners. The extranet will be accessed using Internet browser software, thus generating significant cost savings and easing the learning curve for staff. By standardizing around browser software in this way, while providing various means of network access, the consortium intends to make use of the extranet affordable for the many small businesses working in the automobile industry.
"Car manufacturers are constantly looking to sharpen their competitive edge," said Francois Eloy, regional manager of Equant's network services division in France. "They need systems to shorten product development cycles and reduce time-to-market for their new models, while bringing down costs. Such a system requires an open and reliable high-performance network, such as Equant's global seamless network which covers more than 220 countries and territories worldwide."
The Equant solution is managed end-to-end and uses IPSec authentication and encryption. The pilot phase of the project is scheduled to last until December 1999 and Galia and Equant are currently testing secure transmissions between the extranet users. Equant's security expertise and experience in extranets were a key factor in Galia's choice.
About Galia
Major players in the Galia association include French manufacturers PSA, Renault and leading automotive equipment suppliers Michelin, Valeo, Sommer Allibert, Cockerill Sambre, Magneti Marelli, and Siemens Automotive. To build such a network, several car manufacturers first joined with their main equipment suppliers to set up the Galia "Rapides Project" and request proposals for an extranet.
About Equant
Equant ; (Paris Bourse: EQU) operates the world's largest data network in terms of geographic coverage, which extends to key business centers in over 220 countries and territories. Using its network, Equant has established itself as a leading provider of managed data network services, end-to-end, for multinational businesses worldwide--including over 20 percent of the Global 1000. Equant also provides network design and integration services; equipment installation; maintenance and support services; and software development. See www.equant.com for more information.
