AT&T has announced that it has extended the AT&T (News - Alert) network through a new node in the Middle East.

 

Deployed in collaboration with Qualitynet and NavLink in Kuwait City, the node will provide AT&T’s global customers with improved connectivity in the Middle East and allow local Kuwaiti companies better access to global markets via AT&T’s worldwide network, according to company officials.

 

Qualitynet and NavLink are hosting the global network node as part of the agreement between the three companies. This allows AT&T and Qualitynet to offer virtual private network services to local Kuwaiti customers seeking global connectivity and existing multinational customers of AT&T seeking to extend their presence and reach in the Middle East.

 

With this new node, Qualitynet expects to offer network-based IP VPN solutions provided via multi-protocol label switching standards over the AT&T global network. Company officials said that this network provides IP-enabled, any-to-any, application-aware, managed VPN services that deliver security, choice and performance levels for corporate Intranet solutions on a global basis.

 

“The strategic agreement with AT&T and NavLink will give Qualitynet customers another edge by extending our local network reach worldwide, using the global network of AT&T for serving multi-national corporations and the government sector,” said Rashid Abdullah, managing director at Qualitynet.

 

This announcement marks another “milestone” in the continuing development of the company’s business in the Middle East, said John B. Gibson, president for Middle East and Africa at AT&T.

 

“Thanks to this agreement we can now offer even better connectivity and service in one of the Gulf region’s key economies, while allowing Kuwaiti businesses easier access to the rest of the world,” said Gibson.

 

Bassem Soubra, vice president of sales at NavLink, said that by harnessing the local strength and presence of Qualitynet with the global reach of AT&T, the companies have created a formidable combination for Kuwaiti business.