Cisco - Dedicated Internet Access: Cisco Systems and Qwest

"Cisco Systems complements its products and solutions with those of selected service providers. As a Designated provider of dedicated Internet access services over a Cisco Powered Network, Qwest provides a powerful solution for tapping the full power of the Internet."

Today's virtual enterprises require high-speed, reliable and scalable Internet access services. Most networks existing today, which were built for voice, are not able to provide the level of performance these companies require.

Using a high-speed, OC-48 IP network on a Cisco Powered Network, Qwest DIA delivers the exceptional high-speed access today's businesses need.

Qwest Communications International Inc. is a leader in reliable, scalable and secure broadband Internet-based data, voice, and image communications for businesses and consumers.

The Qwest Macro Capacity Fiber Network, powered by Cisco, is one of the only packet over SONET (PoS) backbones in the industry. Qwest DIA enables the virtual enterprise and harnesses the full power of the Internet.

The Challenge

The world is getting more connected every day. Businesses are exploring new ways to exploit the Internet to become virtual enterprises with electronic global reach. But a virtual company can't exist without high-speed, secure, reliable, and scalable Internet access. Most of today's networks were built for voice traffic but must also carry data and video. Many of them are becoming obsolete.

The Solution

Qwest Dedicated Internet Access (DIA) delivers the exceptional high-speed access today's businesses need to realize the full potential of the Internet and to grow a virtual business.

Qwest DIA offers a premium level of performance and security because customer traffic is transmitted over a nationwide OC-48 Internet Protocol (IP) network, powered by networking equipment from Cisco Systems, at the highest rates available and with nearly zero percent packet loss. Qwest's extensive private peering arrangements and the cold-potato routing function (traffic is kept on the Qwest network for as long as possible) eliminate the latency issues faced by other service providers.

Qwest DIA securely delivers content to users and provides high-speed transmission of information from Web servers to the Internet. And because connectivity, managed router and firewall services, state-of-the-art security tools, and business applications are all integrated on Qwest DIA, it's a complete solution backed by industry-leading service-level agreements (SLAs). These agreements include:

A network goal of 100 percent, end-to-end network uptime, keeping users connected and productive
65 ms average round-trip network delay, delivering the most aggressive performance metrics in the business
10-minute outage notification via e-mail, fax, and page
24x7 customer service

No matter what your company's access needs are now, they are likely to change in the future. Qwest DIA offers a variety of access speeds and pricing plans:

Scalable network access speeds from 56 kbps to 2.4Gbps, the fastest speed commercially available
Flat, tiered, and burstable pricing options
Integrated access availability for single-source virtual enterprise solutions

The Provider

Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Qwest Communications International Inc. is a leader in reliable, scalable, and secure broadband Internet-based data, voice, and image communications for businesses and consumers. The Qwest Macro Capacity Fiber Network, designed with the newest optical networking equipment for speed and efficiency, spans more than 25,500 miles in North America. In addition, KPNQwest, Qwest's European joint venture with KPN, the Dutch telecommunications company, is building a high-capacity European fiber optic, Internet-based network that will span 11,800 miles when it is completed in 2001.

For More Information

For more information about Qwest DIA and how it can work seamlessly with your Cisco equipment, contact your Cisco account manager, visit Qwest's Web site at http://www.qwest.com, or call Qwest today at 1 800RIDEQWEST (1 800 743-3793). You can learn more about the Cisco Powered Network program on the Web by visiting http://www.cisco.com/cpn.