Worldcom Delivers Expanded E-business Infrastructure For Australian Businesses.
BRISBANE - 17 August 2000 -
WorldCom Australia has announced the operational launch of its nationwide data network. WorldCom's resolve to offer a full range of communications services nationally will enable organisations across Australia to leverage the growth and market opportunities associated with
e-business. It also underpins the company's strategy to deliver all-distance communications in Australia.
The availability of data and Internet communications is fundamental to the e-business explosion driving today's business environment. This latest initiative by WorldCom is a reflection of its commitment to support Australia's evolving e-conomy. The WorldCom network offers business customers the high value-added data communications services they need to take advantage of bandwidth hungry technologies within a local and global framework.
WorldCom's focus on data and IP is a response to the growing importance of business to business collaboration in today's data communications intensive era. According to a report produced by Arthur Andersen for WorldCom Australia, the Australian market for data communications is currently valued at A$3 billion annually, and is expected to grow to more than $6 billion by 2004.
Commenting at the launch, WorldCom Australia's Managing Director, Suzanne Campbell said:
"Growth in Frame Relay and data IP is expected to be particularly strong over the next three to four years, and WorldCom is particularly well positioned to meet growing demand for data and Internet services. Strategic emphasis on our investments in Internet and Web-enabled solutions continues, and at the same time, Internet, data and international products and services account for 48 per cent of WorldCom's total revenue.
"Our expanded national capability in Australia will enable us to offer more businesses the choice and flexibility that our unrivalled brand of data and Internet communications solutions delivers."
WorldCom plans to open offices in Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra and Perth where network nodes are located to connect to the company's city fibre networks in Sydney and Melbourne.
"From November this year WorldCom customers on our national network will also be able to take advantage of improved regional and worldwide business opportunities, via the Southern Cross submarine cable which will deliver enhanced access to our global business communications network," said Ms Campbell.
WorldCom Australia was established in January 1998, with the aim of being a premier provider of facilities-based and fully integrated local, long distance, international and Internet services for the voice and data communications needs of Australian organisations. WorldCom established offices in Sydney and Melbourne in 1998 and 1999 respectively. For more information visit www.wcom.com.au
WorldCom is an equity holder in Southern Cross, a new fibre optic cable system linking New Zealand and Australia to the US. Expected to be fully operational by November 2000, the system will deliver 160 times more capacity than currently exists across the Pacific.
