WESTBOROUGH, Mass., June 19, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- NEON Communications (AMEX:NGI) announced today that it is one of the first service providers to achieve both Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF) MEF-9 and MEF-14 certifications for its Ethernet service offering.
"As an active member of MEF, and a company that has incorporated MEF's best practices into our service offering, we felt it was important to have our Ethernet Private Line Service certified by Iometrix," said Kurt Van Wagenen, President and CEO of NEON Communications. "This certification provides customers a measure by which to evaluate alternatives in the marketplace and to make informed decisions," said Van Wagenen.
The MEF certification program, conducted by Iometrix, consisted of a series of lab tests and remote monitoring of NEON's service and network equipment. "Service Providers' Carrier Ethernet must pass no less than 414 individual test cases before being granted both MEF-9 and MEF-14 certifications," said Bob Mandeville, President of Iometrix testing labs.
"NEON has provided Ethernet Services to FactSet Research Systems, Inc. for many years. What this MEF certification means to FactSet is that we can trust that the service we are receiving from companies like NEON will conform to a specific set of standards, which is critical when using more than one service provider in a network application," said Jeff Young, Chief Technology Officer with FactSet Research Systems, Inc.
"Carrier Ethernet Service revenue is expected to continue to grow at double-digit rates over the next several years. The need for solid standards and supporting certification from a consensus of industry players is critical for the successful adoption of this technology," said Kevin Vachon, Chief Operating Officer of the Metro Ethernet Forum.
NEON's dedicated Ethernet service offering combines the flexibility of Ethernet with the proven reliability and high performance of SONET to create a secure, carrier-grade service. It is transported across NEON's owned and operated fiber optic infrastructure, providing unsurpassed circuit Quality of Service (QoS).
The MEF certification will be presented to NEON at a ceremony, which will take place at the NXTcomm show in Chicago, Ill. For more information on NEON's Ethernet Service call (508) 616-7842 or visit http://www.neoninc.com/pages/22_ethernet_private_line.cfm.
Forward-Looking and Cautionary Statements
Any statements contained in this press release that are not statements of historical fact, including statements about management's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements and should be evaluated as such. The words "anticipates," "believes," "expects," "intends," "plans," "estimates," "targets," "projects," "should," "may," "will," and similar words and expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements reflect, among other things, the Company's current expectations, plans, strategies, and anticipated financial results and involve a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and factors that may cause actual results of the Company to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, the following: its history of operating losses and capital requirements; its ability to retain existing customers and attract new customers; its ability to achieve cost-savings and generate positive cash flow; risks associated with potential acquisitions and divestitures; and the other risks identified in the section entitled "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2006, as well as in the other documents that the Company files from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Many of these risks are beyond management's ability to control or predict. All forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on behalf of the Company are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements and risk factors contained in this press release and the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Because of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Furthermore, forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Except as required under the federal securities laws or the rules and regulations of the SEC, the Company does not undertake any obligation to update or review any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
About NEON:
NEON Communications (AMEX: NGI) is a facilities-based wholesale communications provider, supplying high bandwidth fiber optic capacity and comprehensive end-to-end telecom services to communications companies and enterprise customers on an intercity, regional, and metro network in the 12-state Northeast and mid-Atlantic region, with 4,800 route miles and over 230,000 fiber miles from Maine to Virginia. For more information, visit www.neoninc.com.
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About FactSet:
FactSet Research Systems, Inc. combines integrated financial information, analytical applications, and client service to enhance the workflow and productivity of the global investment community. The Company, headquartered in Norwalk, Connecticut, was formed in 1978 and now conducts operations along with its affiliates from more than twenty-two locations worldwide, including Boston, New York, Chicago, San Mateo, London, Frankfurt, Paris, Milan, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and Sydney. For more information, visit www.factset.com.
About Iometrix:
Iometrix, founded by Bob Mandeville in 2003, builds upon the activities of European Network Laboratories (ENL), the authoritative source of network benchmarking since 1991. Based in South San Francisco, California, Iometrix has recently launched its IO Certification Test Suite for the Ethernet in the First Mile (EFM) standard (IEEE 802.3ah). Iometrix is inaugurating its IO Certification Program by testing EFM Operations, Administration, and Management (OAM) compliance. Dedicated to advancing industry testing standards, Iometrix is actively working within industry standards bodies to drive forward the adoption of industry sanctioned benchmarks. For more information about Iometrix and IO Certification(tm), visit www.iometrix.com.
About the Metro Ethernet Forum:
The Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF) is a global industry alliance comprising approximately 70 organizations including telecommunications service providers, network equipment/software manufacturers, semiconductors vendors, and testing organizations. The MEF's mission is to accelerate the worldwide adoption of Carrier-class Ethernet networks and services. The MEF develops the Carrier Ethernet technical specifications and implementation agreements to promote interoperability and deployment of Carrier Ethernet worldwide. For more information about the Forum, including a complete listing of all current MEF members, visit www.MetroEthernetForum.org.