MCI Bridges Private and Public Networks to Help Customers Securely Tap into IP

--Businesses now can easily extend Frame, Private IP and IP VPN data networks to leverage new capabilities, gain greater functionality and optimize network costs--

NEW YORK CITY, MPLSCon, May 26, 2004- As part of its Convergence Networking strategy, MCI, Inc. (MCIA.PK) today announced it has brought together its private data and public Internet Protocol (IP) networks to deliver a new model for building customer networks. With the deployment of its VPN Network Gateway, MCI uniquely affords businesses significant advancements in networking, including an easy and simple migration path to IP, private and public network sites that seamlessly interoperate and the ability to select connectivity on a location-by-location basis.

Representing the second phase of the company's Secure Interworking Gateway (SIG) strategy, MCI's new platform gives businesses a new means to derive more life and functionality from their existing Frame, Private IP and IP VPN networks while significantly reducing the costs associated with deploying next-generation networks. Immediately available, these new capabilities are offered to domestic and U.S.-based multinationals.

"Our goal is to make IP easily accessible to all businesses," said Nancy Gofus, MCI senior vice president of Product Management. "With MCI's new gateway capabilities, we are offering customers that and much more. Whether a business is moving from traditional services to IP or has already made that move, our Interworking platform lets customers transparently extend their IP environment at their own path and pace."

MCI's new VPN Network Gateway enables the company to build and/or re-architect customer networks to deliver the best overall performance and value by using a hybrid mix of technologies that can transparently co-exist with IP. This allows companies to use multiple technologies for dedicated connections and local loop access on a site-by-site basis resulting in greater efficiency, access to the Internet and enhanced network functionality.

One of the first to benefit from MCI's Interworking deployment is Conestoga-Rovers & Associates, a family of companies providing comprehensive engineering, environmental consulting, construction, and information technology (IT) services. The professional services company was able to re-architect its 20-site frame relay network to better manage its traffic which had become congested. By moving some of its sites to an IP VPN connection, the company will be able to increase bandwidth at these sites while giving employees always-on access to the Internet.

"MCI's VPN Network Gateway will provide improved performance at lower cost, allowing for our staff to be better connected and able to service our clients," said Ian Richardson, vice president, Conestoga-Rovers & Associates.

MCI's new gateway was designed and developed to provide vast scalability, global reach and resiliency and is ideal for any size business. Enabling enterprises to transition to new technology with ease, customers do not need to buy or lease additional hardware. As a network-based solution, MCI owns, manages, monitors and updates the secure gateway deployed within its own infrastructure and ensures seamless delivery of customer traffic from origination to destination. By outsourcing this function to MCI, customers can instead focus more on their core business.

In keeping with MCI's emphasis on simplicity and value, pricing for this new option is based solely on the bandwidth required for the interconnection between the customer's networks. MCI plans to roll out this service in Europe and Asia Pacific later this year.

Announced in 2003, MCI's SIG strategy is enabling the company to roll-out new services and capabilities by leveraging the interoperability and intelligence within its network. Last June, the company marked the first phase of SIG with the launch of its IP VPN Remote - Network based service. The third phase of MCI's Secure Interworking Gateway will be available later this year and will provide network-based firewalling capabilities, strengthening MCI's network-based security options for enterprise customers.

MCI's Data and VPN Portfolio

MCI offers the most extensive suite of managed VPN and data networking services to meet every customer's need and management preference-from traditional private line, frame relay and ATM networks to advanced VPN solutions-all backed by the highest performance guarantees. This approach enables customers to maximize internal resources while enhancing their business continuity efforts and increasing their return on investment. Each solution runs over MCI's award-winning global IP and facilities-based data networks and is a part of the full continuum of integrated communication products and services MCI provides to enterprises of all sizes around the world.

About MCI
MCI, Inc., (MCIA.PK), is a leading global communications provider, delivering innovative, cost-effective, advanced communications connectivity to businesses, governments and consumers. With the industry's most expansive global IP backbone, based on the number of company-owned points of presence, and wholly-owned data networks, MCI develops the converged communications products and services that are the foundation for commerce and communications in today's market. For more information, go to www.mci.com.