WorldCom IP VPN Customer Directed Service Offers Businesses Secure, Web-Based Control of an Outsourced VPN

WorldCom (Nasdaq: WCOM), the leading global business data and Internet communications provider, today announced the immediate availability of WorldCom IP VPN Customer Directed service to enterprise customers in Canada. The service uniquely allows customer-directed control of an outsourced Internet Protocol virtual private network (IP VPN) using an easy-to-use Web-based interface.

WorldCom IP VPN Customer Directed offers a best-of-both-worlds choice for businesses that want to supplement the operating efficiencies of an outsourced fully-managed IP VPN with the ability to easily administer network changes and security policies themselves, at their convenience. Targeting businesses of all sizes, WorldCom Canada offers a choice of fully-managed and now customer-directed IP VPN services.

"The Web-based interface allows the Customer Directed service to hit the 'sweet spot' between a VPN that is fully-managed by WorldCom and a VPN that is self-managed by the customer," said Sam Mazzotta, director of product management for WorldCom Canada. "It gives our customers something that they didn't have before - the capability to control their network on-demand, while still enjoying all of the cost and operating efficiencies of a fully-managed network. Customer Directed is an important new addition to our IP VPN portfolio, the most comprehensive suite of VPN solutions in the industry."

WorldCom IP VPN Customer Directed employs innovative SmartPipes, Inc. technology to allow a company's network administrators to implement day-to-day network changes and deploy network security policies in real-time using an intuitive Web-based graphical user interface. In a matter of minutes, authorized in-house IT personnel can enable users at any branch office, remote location or business partner site to access and transmit private corporate information and applications securely and reliably over the Internet.

"A company's ability to swiftly adapt its IP network to changing market conditions or evolving business needs is vital to establishing or maintaining a competitive advantage," said Hank Nothhaft, president and CEO of SmartPipes, Inc. "The combination of WorldCom's IP network, its global networking savvy, and SmartPipes technology in its Customer Directed service offers Canadian businesses a new value-added means to create their own competitive edge."

As more businesses turn to the Internet to securely communicate and conduct business, applications such as intranets, extranets and e-commerce services become increasingly important business requirements. IP VPNs are the foundation for these applications, allowing companies to enhance communications on a global scale in a cost-effective and secure manner via the Internet. With an IP VPN, a company can connect its headquarters, branch offices and mobile workers worldwide, using dedicated site-to-site and global remote access services to reliably and securely access and transmit private company information over the Internet. Extranet links to maintain communications with key customers, vendors, suppliers and business partners can also be established and managed through WorldCom IP VPN services.

WorldCom IP VPN Customer Directed Features
Offered as a fully-managed IP VPN solution, WorldCom provides Customer Directed users with Cisco Systems customer premise equipment (CPE), a Web-based customer-directed software tool and scalable WorldCom IP VPN connectivity (including the local loop). Monitoring and management of the router, secure encrypted tunnels and dedicated links are also standard - all backed by WorldCom's industry-leading performance guarantees. WorldCom IP VPN Customer Directed offers IPSec-based security and a variety of access methods and connection speeds including DSL, ISDN, T-1, T-3 and Ethernet. All WorldCom-managed IP VPN services are standards-based, with 24/7 centralized monitoring and management through WorldCom's dedicated global VPN Network Operations Center (NOC).

The complete suite of WorldCom VPN Services in Canada includes: Remote Access, a fully-managed remote access IP VPN solution; Direct Access, a fully-managed dedicated access IP VPN solution; and Customer Directed, a fully-managed site-to-site IP VPN solution allowing customer-directed control via Web-based interface. Each runs over WorldCom's award-winning global IP and data networks and is a part of the full continuum of IP communications products and services WorldCom Canada provides to enterprises of all sizes.

About WorldCom Group
WorldCom Group (NASDAQ: WCOM) is a preeminent global communications provider for the digital generation, operating in more than 65 countries with annualized revenues of more than $20 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.