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Sprint Extends and Simplifies Its Global Data Service Level Agreements

Posted on: Tuesday, 14 October 2003, 06:00 CDT

GENEVA, Switzerland and OVERLAND PARK, Kan., Oct. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Today at ITU Telecom World 2003, Sprint announced new, simplified service level agreements (SLAs) across its global data portfolio. These new service performance measures feature common metrics and contract language, and enable Sprint to offer companies worldwide predictable high levels of service across their networks.

Sprint has revamped its SLAs to offer customers a choice in service performance levels and service management to suit their varied needs. The new SLAs include a component unprecedented in the telecommunications industry: 100 percent credit on monthly charges for its premier SprintLink(TM) Internet Protocol (IP) services.

Reinforcing its reputation as a global data services leader, Sprint also announced it will offer a service level agreement on jitter, a performance measurement important for supporting real-time voice-over-IP and video-over-IP applications. Jitter is variation in latency and is extremely important for businesses using excess data services bandwidth for videoconferencing or to consolidate intra-company calls.

"The new SLAs, in conjunction with Sprint services and account support, were critical in Westinghouse's decision to select Sprint for our global network," said Tom Moser, manager, Information Technology, Westinghouse. Sprint is providing a wide array of new data and voice services as Westinghouse seeks to consolidate its communications and operate its network even more efficiently. Westinghouse Electric Company, wholly owned by BNFL plc of the United Kingdom, is a pioneering nuclear power company and is a leading supplier of nuclear plant products and technologies to utilities throughout the world.

"Multinational businesses want service provider SLAs that are straightforward and offer performance consistency for their entire global network, and currently across the industry SLAs aren't going far enough in meeting customers' demands," said Eric Paulak, research vice president, Gartner. "Fulfilling this need would provide an advantage both to the service provider and its customers."

"These new SLAs underscore Sprint's commitment to improve all aspects of our customers' experience by bringing greater clarity and ease to their business relationship with Sprint," said Randy Ritter, vice president, Product and Portfolio Management, Sprint Business. "Multinational corporations who rely on data networks for their businesses are applauding this move to provide service performance measures with greater relevance to their specific needs."

In their entirety, the service level agreements are designed to be more meaningful by offering standard formats with common measures and the same contract language for IP, frame relay, private line and asynchronous transfer mode (ATM).

Sprint's global data SLAs offer varying service levels, ranging from simple network metrics to fully managed, end-to-end commitments with proactive reporting of credits. All SLAs include service delivery attributes including installation and availability. The SLA levels are:

-- Network node to node - covers performance up to and including Sprint

network nodes

-- End-to-end - covers Sprint network performance plus local access loop

-- Managed - managed network services with proactive credits

The improved SLAs are designed to fit key business markets in eight regions around the world: North America, Mexico, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia, Australia/New Zealand, South America and the Middle East/Africa.

Sprint is the first global service provider to offer a full refund of the monthly recurring charge in the event it fails to deliver agreed-upon performance metrics. These enhanced credits apply to its premier SprintLink(TM) IP services. By significantly surpassing the current industry standard of crediting back a fraction of a customer's monthly charge when service fails, Sprint is reinforcing for customers its confidence in the superior performance of its IP network. It is because of the IP network's continued outstanding performance that Sprint can offer both the 100 percent credit and the jitter SLA.

The Sprint jitter SLA in particular is crucial to reassuring customers that their voice and video applications can perform effectively over a global data network. Jitter will be increasingly important as customers converge voice and data onto a single network.

Sprint was the first carrier to receive Cisco System's Multi-Service Cisco Powered Network Designation, which certifies the network for the provision of end-to-end IP-based voice, video and data solutions.

The strategic relationship between Sprint and Cisco builds on a long- standing relationship between these telecommunications and networking industry leaders to forge strong sales, joint marketing and technology development ties well into the future. Sprint and Cisco have teamed up in sales and marketing efforts to deliver a wide range of equipment and services to customers, particularly focused on IP-based services. A key differentiator of this relationship is the Product and Technology Board, which is composed of Sprint and Cisco subject matter experts who actively identify specific enterprise needs and emerging trends then manage technology initiatives and develop solutions to fulfill those needs.

Sprint ranked highest in customer satisfaction among high-end data business users for the second consecutive year in the J.D. Power and Associates 2003 Major Provider Business Telecommunications Services Study(SM). Sprint ranked higher than all other providers included in the study in all seven factors of the study, with particularly strong results in sales representatives/account executives, billing, company image, and offerings and promotions factors.

All aspects of Sprint's improved data product SLAs and the new jitter SLA will be available by the end of the year.

About Sprint

Sprint is a global integrated communications provider serving more than 26 million customers in over 100 countries. With approximately 70,000 employees worldwide and nearly $27 billion in annual revenues, Sprint is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying state-of-the-art network technologies, including the United States' first nationwide all- digital, fiber-optic network and an award-winning Tier 1 Internet backbone. Sprint provides local communications services in 39 states and the District of Columbia and operates the largest 100-percent digital, nationwide PCS wireless network in the United States. For more information, visit http://www.sprint.com/ .