ATLANTA, March 31 /PRNewswire/ -- BellSouth today announced the availability of Network VPN Class of Service, a feature that enables enterprise customers to assign higher levels of priority to critical data traffic traveling on BellSouth's managed IP-VPN network. BellSouth is the first provider to deliver quality of service levels based on traffic prioritization from the customer premises all the way through its core network, ensuring hierarchical routing of data.

Class of Service is the latest enhancement to BellSouth(R) Managed Network VPN, the data networking service that offers site-to-site connectivity, links remote users to headquarters information and provides Internet access on one flexible, secure platform. The new service option paves the way for additional convergence by allowing enterprises to assign high priority to voice over IP, video and imaging applications, while cost effectively extending these capabilities to outlying locations.

"As customers look to converge and integrate voice, video and data onto a single network, classifying traffic becomes vital to effective communications management," said John Stuhrenberg, vice president, enterprise data solutions - BellSouth. "With high-priority and low-priority packets riding alongside each other, it is crucial to have a network that identifies and differentiates traffic types."

Barry University, a higher learning institution with an enrollment of 9,207, is based in Miami, Fla., and offers classes at 25 locations in 13 counties throughout the state. The university uses BellSouth Managed Network VPN to share intranet, student and faculty directory and library resources with outlying locations.

"We are preparing to deliver unified voice and data messaging and other advanced applications like video to our students over the local area network at our main campus," said John Beaubrun, vice provost and dean of information technology - Barry University. "The new Class of Service options allow us to explore delivering these same capabilities to our remote locations over the wide area network, extending the concept of a fully connected campus."

With the new solution, BellSouth customers can designate traffic into four different classes: real-time, interactive, priority business and best effort. Real-time and interactive classes are suitable for applications that have a low tolerance for delays, such as voice and video. Priority business and best effort are used to distinguish higher priority business data from non-critical applications such as email and general Web surfing.

SysCom is a national supplier of data management services for medical providers. The company uses BellSouth Managed Network VPN to link physician offices to central repositories where information, including high-resolution medical image files and confidential patient records, is securely stored and managed.

"SysCom's stated mission is to create and deliver the right technology solutions by teaming with our customers to understand their business needs and empower them to achieve their goals," said Karlie Hull, CEO - SysCom, Inc. "BellSouth shares this vision and the new traffic prioritization capabilities of the VPN solution will provide SysCom with opportunities to enhance the service levels we deliver to our clients."

Many businesses have the challenge of linking multiple office locations to corporate resources -- each location with its own unique access type requirements. The growth of telecommuters and business travelers that need access to critical company information has also created additional complexities for corporate networks. In the past, companies had to self- integrate and manage these disparate networks. BellSouth Managed Network VPN Service enables customers to shift the responsibility for network integration and configuration of their wide area networks (WANs) to the service provider.

The VPN Service is transported over BellSouth's private IP backbone, which utilizes the security and flexibility of MPLS (Multi-Protocol Label Switching) to allow internetworking of multiple access methods (DSL, Ethernet, ATM, Frame Relay, and Private Line). The new Class of Service options provide businesses with additional flexibility and security to support advanced voice and data applications over the network.

For more information on BellSouth Managed Network VPN and its capabilities, as well as BellSouth's comprehensive portfolio of voice and data solutions for businesses, visit http://www.bellsouth.com/business

About BellSouth Corporation

BellSouth Corporation is a Fortune 100 communications company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia and a parent company of Cingular Wireless, the nation's largest wireless voice and data provider.

Backed by award winning customer service, BellSouth offers the most comprehensive and innovative package of voice and data services available in the market. Through BellSouth Answers(R), residential and small business customers can bundle their local and long distance service with dial up and high speed DSL Internet access, satellite television and Cingular(R) Wireless service. For businesses, BellSouth provides secure, reliable local and long distance voice and data networking solutions. BellSouth also offers online and directory advertising through BellSouth(R) RealPages.com(R) and The Real Yellow Pages(R).

More information about BellSouth can be found at http://www.bellsouth.com/ .

CONTACT: Media, Todd Smith of BellSouth Corporation, +1-404-829-8723, or
todd.smith@bellsouth.com

Web site: http://www.bellsouth.com/
http://www.bellsouth.com/business

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