Description

New Edge Networks builds and manages private IP-based wide area networks that do not use the public Internet. Connecting business sites at virtually any address in the United States, New Edge allows businesses to choose any blend of available access technologies - from DSL and T1 lines to fiber-optic connections - for building private and secure MPLS networks with performance guarantees. A wholly owned subsidiary of Atlanta-based EarthLink Inc. (NASDAQ: ELNK), New Edge is based in Vancouver, Wash. Telephone: 1-360-693-9009

Strategies

• Focus on building and managing private wide area networks for businesses. IP-based networks represent one of the fastest-growing communications market segments. Business networks provide higher margins and lower churn than consumer broadband. This focus also plays to the company's back-office strengths, proprietary systems, and operations support functions.
• Drive sales and revenue growth through value-added services that make wide area networks transparent to business users. Provide resources and services that best match business users' needs and resources. These include full network management, trouble ticketing and reporting, private direct connections to suppliers, coordinated on-site installations, and complete LAN/WAN interconnections. Most small and midsize businesses do not have dedicated IT resources to investigate, test, deploy, and maintain networks.
• Differentiate on customer experience and simplification. Position the company as a single-source provider for high-speed network connectivity anywhere. Leverage experience and commercial relationships with most other carriers and suppliers. Building and managing multi-location networks is complex work requiring coordination and integration of various carriers, technologies, and geography.
• Deploy multiple distribution channels to tap market demand. Offer private networks direct, indirect, and wholesale. The indirect channel includes value-added resellers, systems integrators, agents, and referring partners. Wholesale customers include the top 80 percent of U.S. carriers and communications providers.
• Remain access-technology agnostic. Operate a carrier-class national network based on MPLS (Multi-Protocol Label Switching) standard using IP (Internet Protocol), ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode), and Frame Relay technologies. Own and operate the switching equipment; lease network transport and collocation spaces to benefit from declining costs of transport.

Recent Achievements

• First to extend MPLS classes of service over DSL access. This telecom industry breakthrough service allows businesses to tag and prioritize applications data traffic over DSL access using up to five classes of service.
• Built and maintains the largest xDSL coverage area available from a single provider. New Edge Networks' "BigFoot" xDSL coverage provides reach to about 90 percent of business locations in the United States through more than 10,000 unique U.S. central offices.
• Became one of the first national carriers to provide national flat-rate pricing for private broadband networks with locations anywhere in the United States.
• Developed a managed networks product with a breakthrough price point of $99 a month per remote location. Managed IP-based virtual private networks typically cost businesses in excess of $150 a month, per site, plus equipment and installation.
• Established innovative, private, direct connections to payment processors that represent about 70 percent of U.S. card payment transactions, ensuring privacy and security. Use of these direct connections and those to other suppliers is a value-added service to New Edge Networks' customers.
• Became one of the first communications carriers to achieve network compliance with Payment Card Industry (PCI) security standards established by the credit card associations for protecting cardholders and businesses from fraud.
• Formed the Retail Broadband Alliance, a forum that assists merchants on migrating to broadband networks. As of June 2008, there were about 250 member companies representing products, equipment, and services used in the retail supply chain.

Service and Technology Choices

Leadership

Media and Analyst Contact

Sal Cinquegrani
Executive Director
Corporate Communications
1-360-906-9723 (direct)
1-947-420-1750 (mobile)
scinquegrani@newedgenetworks.com