WorldCom Expands Industry's Most Complete Suite of IP VPN Services With New Customer-managed Solution

Teams with Cisco to offer WorldCom IP VPN Select Access Edition to businesses desiring VPN management control and the unmatched reach and reliability of WorldCom's global IP network.

CLINTON, Miss., May 15, 2001 - WorldCom (Nasdaq: WCOM), the leading global business data and Internet communications provider, today announced an expansion of the industry's most complete suite of Internet Protocol Virtual Private Network (IP VPN) services with the immediate availability of WorldCom IP VPN Select Access Edition, its first customer-managed IP VPN offering. Based on Cisco Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: CSCO) technology, WorldCom IP VPN Select Access Edition uniquely meets the needs of customers who want to have it their way, designing and securely managing their own VPN, utilizing WorldCom's award-winning global IP network and advanced Cisco hardware.

"WorldCom recognizes that in today's ever-changing e-business environment, one solution, one choice, does not fit all" said Greg Moore, vice president of WorldCom Internet Services. "The addition of Select Access makes the industry's most complete portfolio of customer-managed and fully managed IP networking solutions even more attractive, offering customers total flexibility to choose the right technology to fit their specific application, security, scalability and geographic needs."

The ability to address every customer's individual IP VPN management preference - self-managed or fully managed by WorldCom - is a core value and a key differentiator of WorldCom's market strategy. According to industry analyst firm IDC, the U.S.-based carrier IP VPN market will grow from $1.28 billion in 2000 to $10 billion in 2005.

WorldCom IP VPN Select Access Edition enables a company to design, manage, monitor and upgrade its dedicated, site-to-site VPN solution, as it requires. Select Access is the answer for customers who prefer to manage their own VPN to maintain security, leverage in-house expertise, or exercise enhanced control of day-to-day network operations, with the underlying global reach and reliability of the WorldCom IP network.

"E-business requires companies of all sizes to create more efficient and secure business processes for their global Intranet and Extranets" stated Larry Lang, vice president of marketing for Cisco's service provider line of business. "WorldCom's leading networking solutions, combined with our broad range of IPSec VPN platforms and management tools provides enterprises with an immediate VPN solution, utilizing the core competencies of an in-house networking team."

WorldCom IP VPN Select Access Edition Features
Select Access brings together a host of operating features and support functions to ensure reliable and secure VPN service. In addition to connectivity to the WorldCom global IP network (including the local loop), Select Access allows customers to utilize Cisco Secure Policy Manager which enables businesses to define, distribute, enforce and audit network-wide security policies from a centralized location; upgrades to Cisco IOS; access to Cisco's SMARTnet, which includes 24x7 technical and support services; repair or replacement of customer premise equipment (CPE); and strong WorldCom global IP network service level agreement (SLA) performance guarantees.

The service will initially be available to U.S.-based companies that require domestic or global deployment to any of 28 countries throughout Europe and Asia Pacific. These include: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium/Luxembourg, Brazil, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. WorldCom IP VPN Select Access offers connection speeds from 56 Kbps through full OC-3 (155 Mbps) speeds and IPSec-based security which can be augmented by firewall and gateway technologies.

WorldCom also offers value-added VPN installation and integration services. Businesses can use these services to enable any solution from WorldCom's broad array of advanced data and e-business services. In addition to providing expert support in designing the topology of a customer's Select Access solution, WorldCom can easily integrate connections to its hosted applications or other Web-enabled functions for its customers.

Later this year, WorldCom plans to introduce a fully managed version of this product. It will enable enterprises to outsource management of their Cisco-based IP VPN solution to WorldCom, allowing them to reap the operating efficiencies of a fully managed network environment while exercising their preference for Cisco Systems technology.

WorldCom's Suite of VPN Services and Products for generation d
WorldCom offers its customers the full continuum of private, public and public/private hybrid IP networking services, anchored by the largest and most reliable global IP network in the industry and unparalleled IP expertise gleaned from WorldCom's heritage as a pioneering force in the development and growth of the Internet.

The complete suite of WorldCom IP networking services includes: Remote Access Edition, a fully managed remote access IP VPN solution; Total Access Edition, a fully managed IP VPN solution with both site-to-site and remote access options; and Private IP Service, a network-based IP service enabling businesses to utilize ATM and Frame Relay connections to build private IP-based extranets and shared intranets. All WorldCom managed IP VPN services are standards-based, with 24x7 centralized monitoring and management through our dedicated global VPN Network Operations Center (NOC).

As the premier, single-source provider of network-based e-business services, WorldCom offers a wide array of easily implemented solutions for the new generation of technology savvy digital enterprises, generation d. These include: Web hosting, Internet and network colocation services, IP communications, dedicated broadband and dial-up Internet access services, high-speed mobile and fixed wireless Internet solutions, and value-added services such as managed security solutions as well as legacy Private Line, Frame Relay and ATM data networking services. Each can be integrated with WorldCom's IP VPN services to provide companies with complete e-business solutions.

About WorldCom
WorldCom (Nasdaq: WCOM) is a preeminent global communications company for the digital generation, generation d, operating in more than 65 countries with 2000 revenues of approximately $40 billion. WorldCom provides the innovative technologies and services that are the foundation for business in the 21st century. For more information, go to http://www.worldcom.com.

About Cisco Systems>
Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet. Cisco news and information are available at http://www.cisco.com.

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