Global Crossing Debuts Cloud-Based Solution Set

Global Crossing is debuting Communications as a Service (CaaS), the first phase of its network-centric, cloud-based solution set. CaaS provides an innovative, on-demand, pay-as-you-grow” set of capabilities that simplify a business audio conferencing experience from multiple services to a single-service, cloud-based model, the company said.

CaaS is designed to deliver easy-to-use, integrated, customized communications options to an enterprise.  It creates a network-centric platform that combines the companys Global Crossing IP Virtual Private Network (IP VPN), Session Initiated Protocol (SIP) Trunking, and Global Crossing Ready Access hosted audio conferencing services. Among other features, these combined capabilities support the functionality of Global Crossing Connect Mobile, which uses a standard application programming interface (API) to give end-users the ability to join or host an audio conference from popular mobile devices by clicking on an icon. This mobile application also syncs meetings with users calendars.

Global Crossing CaaS is integral to our global cloud solution strategy,” said Anthony Christie, chief technology and information officer for Global Crossing. It is a logical extension of our competency in IP networking and collaboration, and addresses the needs of todays businesses that want to take advantage of network-centric cloud services, while reaping the benefits of a higher quality experience and more simplistic per-seat pricing model.  In subsequent releases well enhance CaaS to include video, telephony and IT services, including Instant Messaging, presence and e-mail.”

Global Crossing offers this service in a shared-seat billing model via a monthly fee. This provides customers more simple and predictable billing versus per-minute pricing. For the monthly shared-seat fee, users receive access to unlimited global audio conferencing minutes. Shared-seat billing also lowers communications costs, increases overall communications efficiency and reduces the need to travel, resulting in smaller corporate carbon footprints, the company said.

Global Crossing is developing additional cloud solutions that will include virtual compute, storage and infrastructure capabilities, as well as a security offer that provides dynamic firewall, intrusion detection and e-mail filtering. Future additions to the family of solutions will include a hosted application development environment and hosted software applications to support strategic opportunities. Global Crossing says all of its cloud solutions leverage its global IP network for superior quality of service.

CaaS also is integrated into Global Crossings uCommand customer portal to provide seat-based utilization reporting to customers. uCommand is Global Crossings online account management tool that gives customers access to network management and services, real-time performance monitoring and network management capabilities. 

Global Crossing says its already proven the cost-savings value of CaaS through its own internal implementation of the solution set.  By implementing CaaS in each of its locations around the world, the companys annual telecommunications spend has decreased 30 percent.