Verio Web Hosting News

Verio Delivers Managed Hosting and Security Solutions To Financial Marketplace Provider Opt4
Release Date: 7/27/2004

ENGLEWOOD, Colo., Jul 27, 2004 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Verio, a subsidiary of NTT Communications (NTT Com) and a leader in global IP solutions, today announced it will manage a complete range of NTT/VERIO enterprise hosting solutions for Opt4, a software solutions provider for financial markets. Verio will support Opt4's Web-based platform with managed network, security, storage, monitoring and application solutions.

Opt4's flexible platform enables businesses in the commodities trading, media financing, food distribution and financial services markets to implement trading, risk analysis and contract management services for their customers. Opt4's services are augmented by specialized modules that plug into the platform for portfolio management, analytics, reporting and policy administration, as well as customized modules for customers with unique needs. The Web-based platform is accessible by internal and external corporate users, as well as remote users.

Opt4's unique infrastructure demands the tightest network security to facilitate Web-based financial market transactions. The company is deploying Verio's IntelliSecurity(R) Managed Solutions suite of network security services that includes a range of managed firewall solutions and intrusion detection services. In addition, Verio's enterprise hosting solution gives Opt4 a full-service program for hardware and systems management to help ensure that Opt4 experiences minimal disruption to its business.

"Given the nature of our customers' businesses, we needed a solution that would help make our offering highly secure and easily accessible yet cost-effective," said Cedric Higgins, director of network operations for Opt4. "By working with Verio, Opt4 is able to offer customers the opportunity to establish a financial marketplace with dedicated IT staff, hardware and network infrastructure at a much lower cost than if they launched independently."

Verio worked with Opt4 to build a multi-server architecture that integrates application servers, a managed Storage Area Network, and database clusters running Oracle. A managed Check Point firewall solution helps to ensure the security of Opt4's customer information. Load balancing functionality handles failover and facilitates high availability for Opt4's daily user sessions, providing additional bandwidth on an as-needed basis for any higher-than-normal activity or user sessions on the Opt4 platform that may be prompted by unforeseen fluctuations in the market. All Opt4 customer solutions are hosted in a premier NTT/VERIO data center, with connectivity to the NTT/VERIO Global IP network.

According to Opt4, the hosted deployment model offers a strategic advantage to reduce IT costs while ensuring scalable performance and absolute reliability. "Without an automated system to assess risk, businesses would be forced to track risk analysis and risk management manually- many others would not track this at all, unnecessarily exposing themselves to risks inherent in this industry," said Scott Persinger, vice president of engineering for Opt4. "With the Opt4 platform, some calculations that previously took a day, now take only minutes, enabling companies to become more efficient and cost effective at risk analysis and risk management."

Higgins explained that Opt4's customers value the fact that Opt4 adheres to the same guidelines followed by regulated exchanges. For example, all of Verio's managed hosting solutions are certified under the Statement of Auditing Standards No. 70 (SAS70) Type I and Type II certifications, which helps ensure Opt4 customers that critical data is secure and that business operations can be scaled with the highest levels of performance.

"The improved response time and scalability we have seen has enabled Opt4 to offer cost-effective solutions to a much broader range of customers, and we are much more agile in the marketplace as a result," said Higgins. "Opt4 is eager to expand into other markets. We believe that Verio's and NTT Communications' presence there will be invaluable as we undertake that expansion."

"Opt4 has grown and evolved its Web-based platform over the past two years, and saw this as the ideal time to re-architect its offering for improved delivery of the platform to its customers," said Ray Morris, senior vice president of Global Solutions Delivery for Verio. "Opt4 is unique in that it is one of the only hosted trading solutions designed for regulated exchanges, and Verio is pleased to be managing its hosted environment which enables this business. Moving to a Verio managed hosting environment will help Opt4 develop its platform to the next generation."

About Opt4

Opt4 is a leading vendor of flexible software for financial marketplaces. Its hosted, Web-deployed platform offers a secure, scalable solution for trading, risk analysis and contract management for customers in commodities trading, media financing, food distribution, financial services and other evolving markets. Opt4's solutions are hosted on its world-class network which meets the highest standards for security, performance and reliability (SAS70 and SUNTONE certified). The company is privately held and has offices in Berkeley, CA and Chicago, IL. More information can be found at www.opt4.com.

About Verio

Verio Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of NTT Communications (NTT Com), which provides long distance and international telecommunications reaching over 200 countries worldwide. Verio is one of the world's largest operators of Web sites for businesses and a leading provider of global IP solutions. NTT Com and Verio market their global IP solutions under the NTT/VERIO brand. The company offers businesses a broad range of Internet services, including Web hosting, dedicated access, virtual private networks, and managed service offerings, among other enhanced services. Verio supports its operations with highly reliable and scalable global infrastructure and systems including the NTT/VERIO Global IP Network, and provides Web hosting services to customers in more than 146 countries. The combination of Verio and NTT Com offers services to meet the growing and diverse needs of all businesses, including small to medium businesses, large global enterprises and multi-national corporations. More information can be found at www.verio.com and www.ntt.com/index-e.html.

Verio and the Verio logo are trademarks and/or service marks of Verio Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other names are trademarks or registered marks of their respective owners. (C)2004 Verio Inc. All rights reserved.

SOURCE: Verio Inc.

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