GTE Launches Next-Generation Virtual Private Networking Service

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. - GTE Internetworking, a division of GTE Corporation (NYSE: GTE), today announced VPN Advantage, a secure, business-quality, managed communications service that enables organizations to deploy intranets and extranets, supporting mobile users and remote locations via GTE's IP network backbone or the Internet. The fully managed Virtual Private Network (VPN) service is supported by the industry's most comprehensive proactive service level agreements (SLAs), is Y2K-compliant, and the first to be based on the industry's latest security standard, IPsec.

"VPNs offer enormous opportunities for any company looking to realize the Internet's economies of scale and global access, while maintaining the security of a private network," said Miguel Montanez, Group Manager, Information Services at Crown Central Petroleum Corporation. "We find VPN Advantage, with its promise of guaranteed levels of performance and reliability, and unmatched security, to be a unique offering in the marketplace."

Guaranteed Performance and Reliability

VPN Advantage provides customers the most aggressive guaranteed levels of performance and reliability, that are detailed in comprehensive SLAs with proactive billing credits. Dedicated access VPNs have guaranteed availability of 99.9%, and round-trip latency of less than or equal to 125 milliseconds (ms). These guarantees are designed to reflect a customer's real-world experience, and cover the VPN device, connectivity on the GTE backbone, local loop, and the customer premises router.on availability, packet delivery; and latency, as well as the availability and latency of the VPN hardware The SLAs for rRemote-access VPNs guarantee busy-free dial availability of 97%, and minimum modem connect speeds of 26.4kbps, 99% of the time - or beat industry averages, whichever are higher. call success rate, initial modem connect speed, plus network availability, latency, and packet delivery. In all cases, GTE proactively manages these service levels, automatically crediting a customer's next bill if targets are not met.

Built-In World Class Security

VPN Advantage delivers the most complete implementations of IPsec available including device and user authentication via X.509 digital certificates from GTE CyberTrust and Entrust. The service also employs triple DES data encryption, and the latest tunneling techniques. Leveraging GTE's position as the only Internet service provider that is also a certification authority, VPN Advantage is the only managed VPN service to include digital certificates as part of its core offering. In addition, GTE selected best-of-breed VPN components certified by the International Computer Security Association (ICSA) to help ensure interoperability, scalability and reliability. VPN Advantage is also compatible with all leading firewall platforms.

A Truly Managed Service

VPN connections are monitored for performance, reliability, and security 24 hours-per- day, seven-days-a-week at GTE's new, state-of-the-art, Network Operations Center (NOC) in Burlington, Mass. The service can also monitor connections from another Internet Service Provider (ISP) for those extranet users such as a company's business partners that are not on GTE's network. VPN Advantage also enables customers to access detailed information about their VPN(s) via a secured Web site and actually share in the process of managing and controlling their environment. Customers can conduct remote configuration updates; add and delete users; update security policies; control digital certificate issuance and revocation; as well as monitor real-time and historical usage and performance data.

"VPN Advantage is the most comprehensive and industrial-strength VPN service offering available," said Jane Eisenberg, vice president and general manager of GTE Internetworking's remote-access, managed security and VPN lines of business. "It reflects our core competencies in managed Internet security, digital certificates, secure Web hosting, and Internet connectivity. We built this service from the ground up based on extensive feedback from customers and focus groups to help us set the standard for VPN services."

Global Coverage

VPN Advantage is built on one of the largest IP backbones in the world. It provides more than 600 local access points and more than 350 dedicated points of presence in the United States, and is also accessible from more than 150 countries worldwide. GTE's new high-speed fiber optic network, the Global Network Infrastructure (GNI), to be completed in 1999, will ultimately add increased bandwidth and performance to VPN Advantage.

Additional Features of VPN Advantage

• Best-of-Breed Hardware - provides most complete implementations of security protocols on specialized, high-performance VPN devices including TimeStep Corporation's PERMIT/Gate and Shiva Corporation's LanRover VPN Gateway Plus

• Dedicated VPN Network Operations Center Staff - deliver around the clock monitoring and management of customer VPNs, including connectivity, hardware, and security issues

• Web-based Customer Tools - allow customers to actively manage and control their VPN solution

• Support for Off-Network Connections - allows business partners to participate in a customer's trusted VPN community, while maintaining a consistent security and management platform

• Remote- Access SLA parameters and Iindustry averages are measured by Inverse Network Technology, Inc., the leader in network monitoring services.

Pricing and Availability

VPN Advantage has completed Beta testing and will be available in January 1999 for both remote and dedicated users. Multiple pricing options are available for domestic and international locations. The service will initially be sold by GTE Internetworking's U.S.-based sales organization with plans to make it available through GTE's global business partners in the second quarter of 1999.

About GTE Internetworking

GTE Internetworking, a unit of GTE Corporation (NYSE:GTE) offers customers, from consumers to Fortune 500 companies, a full spectrum of integrated Internet services using IP networking technologies. GTE Internetworking delivers complete network solutions, including dial-up and dedicated Internet access, high-performance Web hosting, managed Internet security, network management, systems integration, and Web-based application development for integrating the Internet into business operations. GTE Internetworking draws upon its expertise in funded research and development of advanced technologies, including satellite networks, packet radio networks, multi-gigabit routers, network and information security, and speech recognition, and GTE's strong existing telecommunications services, including local and long distance, wireless, paging, video, and Internet. GTE is one the world's largest telecommunications companies and a leading provider of integrated voice, video and data services. More information about GTE Internetworking and GTE Corp. can be found on the Internet at http://www.gte.com.

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