Launches MPLS, IP, IPLC and Ethernet services with South Africa’s Neotel. Facilitates growth of telecom in region

Tata Communications announced today the further expansion of its network reach into Africa through an arrangement with Neotel, South Africa’s first converged communications network operator.

The South African government and business process outsourcing (BPO) industry has invested a tremendous amount of time and effort in positioning the country as a preferred BPO or contact centre destination. This could soon become a reality with the announcement of a new multi-service point of presence (PoP), which has been established in Johannesburg by Tata Communications in association with Neotel. Neotel has been delivering excellent voice and data services since 2006. The service portfolio consists of high-speed internet, VPN, network management and hosting services to customers in South Africa.

The new multi-service PoP seamlessly integrates with Neotel’s next generation network and IP/MPLS infrastructure for onward national and regional connectivity.

The PoP offers MPLS, ethernet, IP and international private leased circuit (IPLC) services, connecting through Tata Communications’ global network to over 600 cities in 50 countries and onwards to customers in over 200 countries. Tata Communications owns and operates one of the world’s largest private sub-sea cable networks, enabling flexible, scalable end-to-end solutions backed by strong service level agreements (SLAs), and delivering service to over 1,600 wholesale and 10,000 enterprise customers.

Stefano Mattiello, executive head of Enterprise Group, Neotel, said, “Neotel is driven to redefine the South African telecommunications market with cost effective, unconventional solutions and worldwide connectivity. By launching this multi-service PoP to connect to Tata Communications’ global network, we will leverage their extensive telecom expertise to bring international standard services to South Africa, while at the same time provide South Africa with much-wanted bandwidth.“

Customers in South Africa can now access Tata Communications’ full global suite of products, including solutions for voice and data connectivity, managed security services, application traffic optimisation and management, managed storage and hosted applications, collaboration services, server management, co-location and content distribution.

“This is another step forward in our commitment to Tata Communications’ global footprint and deliver unparalleled global network reach for our industry-leading voice and data services,” said Claude Sassoulas, managing director, Europe and Africa, Global Data Solutions, Tata Communications. “The bandwidth flexibility and reach we can now offer with our ethernet and VPN services give our customers the ability to connect all their South African offices in a much more cost-effective fashion. Additionally, our investment in the Seacom cable in this region shows our commitment to support our customers as they expand into this region.”

Tata Communications plans to continue to extend its global presence, with a focus on emerging markets in the Middle East, Eastern Europe, South America and South East Asia. Recent additions to the network footprint include China, Egypt, Malaysia and the Philippines.

Forward-looking and cautionary statements
Certain words and statements in this release concerning Tata Communications and its prospects, and other statements, including those relating to Tata Communications’ expected financial position, business strategy, the future development of Tata Communications’ operations, and the general economy in India, are forward-looking statements. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including financial, regulatory and environmental, as well as those relating to industry growth and trend projections, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements of Tata Communications, or industry results, to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from such forward-looking statements include, among others, failure to increase the volume of traffic on Tata Communications’ network; failure to develop new products and services that meet customer demands and generate acceptable margins; failure to successfully complete commercial testing of new technology and information systems to support new products and services, including voice transmission services; failure to stabilize or reduce the rate of price compression on certain of the company’s communications services; failure to integrate strategic acquisitions and changes in government policies or regulations of India and, in particular, changes relating to the administration of Tata Communications’ industry; and, in general, the economic, business and credit conditions in India. Additional factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from such forward-looking statements, many of which are not in Tata Communications’ control, include, but are not limited to, those risk factors discussed in Tata Communications’ various filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. These filings are available at www.sec.gov. Tata Communications is under no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any obligation to, update or alter its forward-looking statements.