EasyStreet and OnFiber Bring State-of-the-Art Network to Portland
20 January 2005
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Jan. 20, 2005 -- EasyStreet Online Services, Oregon's largest independent Internet service provider, and OnFiber Communications, Inc., a leading network solutions provider, today announced the availability of new, high-speed Ethernet-based network services that provide local businesses with a faster, more cost-effective way to transmit and manage critical data and network applications.
Ideal for companies that rely on high bandwidth for corporate applications, the new network solution strengthens Portland's technology infrastructure and its ability to attract and serve growing businesses.
"This is significant news for Portland. The ability to share information quickly and with utmost security is critical to Portland's ability to compete -- locally, nationally and globally -- in today's economy," said John Kenagy, Oregon Health & Sciences University (OHSU) chief information officer. OHSU, an early participant in the project, already employs the new solution.
While most businesses use multiple T-1or DS-3 circuits with unique protocols to connect to external services, this new data network is based on Ethernet, a technology many businesses already use within their offices. A single, familiar, easy-to-use Ethernet connection can be used to connect to the Internet, link to partner facilities and off-site data centers, and make telephone calls. Using the Ethernet-based network as a complete end-to-end solution improves performance, reduces costs and supports the convergence of voice and data onto a single circuit.
"Finally, we have major league broadband connectivity in the Portland metro area," said EasyStreet President and CEO Rich Bader. "This cross-town network puts Portland on par with other major cities, and enables local companies to do more for less with the latest technology."
EasyStreet is reselling OnFiber's network services, ensuring that all provisioning and support is coordinated by one vendor. Transported over OnFiber's next-generation Ethernet infrastructure, EasyStreet's family of services supports Internet access, custom-designed network infrastructure, and integration of off-site data center services for server farms, backup services, website hosting and managed services.
OnFiber, new to the Portland area, is a leader in designing, building and operating optical metropolitan area networks in major markets across the country. The company has 85 route miles of fiber throughout the Portland area, including the Pearl District, Lloyd District, Central Eastside, Macadam District, Beaverton, Hillsboro, Tigard, Sherwood, Milwaukie, Lake Oswego and Tualatin (a map is available at http://www.onfiber.com/content/index.cfm?fuseaction=showContent&contentID=52&navID=28.) OnFiber acquired the network from Portland General Broadband in 2004. (Due to its length, the URL in this paragraph may need to be copied/pasted into your Internet browser's address field. Remove the extra space if one exists.)
"OnFiber is proud to offer our state-of-the-art fiber optic network services to businesses in Portland in conjunction with EasyStreet," said Danny Bottoms, OnFiber president and CEO. "We are confident that OnFiber's commitment to superior network reliability and customer service will help local businesses operate more efficiently."
Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) Connects Campuses with OHSU was one of the first organizations in Portland to realize the potential of OnFiber's regional optical network, using it to connect its facilities throughout the metropolitan area with redundant Gigabit Ethernet connections. OnFiber's network also connects OHSU to EasyStreet, which, for many years, has been the preferred Internet Service Provider for OHSU faculty, staff and students. The network allows OHSU's users to easily access the Internet and remotely access the network. A dedicated T-1 (1.5 Mbps) between EasyStreet and OHSU was replaced by a peering connection via Northwest Access Exchange at gigabit speeds. OHSU also hosts portions of its website in EasyStreet's data center.
"The opportunity caused us to rethink our entire network. As a result, we saved tens of thousands of dollars by using OnFiber's optical network instead of the dozens of copper circuits it replaced. The gigabit performance not only means that all of our campuses connect seamlessly, but data centers like EasyStreet's look like they are local to our network," said John Kenagy, OHSU's chief information officer. "With the network up and running, we have the opportunity to look at exciting new applications and technologies that support care providers, patients, students and researchers throughout the state."
Northwest Corporate Credit Union is using the combined services for a better and more cost-effective way to transfer critical high bandwidth image files. OnFiber's Ethernet network provides high-speed connections to the company's external data center at EasyStreet and for Internet access to its more than 250 credit unions. And with the recent deployment of a new check image repository service, OnFiber and EasyStreet's new services were ideally suited to meet its needs.
"We previously used a mail courier to transfer image files because the bandwidth needed wasn't cost effective. Using the OnFiber and EasyStreet technology represents a major advancement for us. Now delivery is faster, the process is more secure, and we're saving money by combining additional communications onto the Ethernet solution," said Kathy Garner, President and CEO of Northwest Corporate Credit Union.
OnFiber and EasyStreet are hosting educational programs to develop a greater level of understanding among the business community about these new technology services. The first event was held at Portland ITEC, North America's largest series of regional business-to-business IT events, and will continue with a series of briefings, seminars and an informative Web site www.easystreet-pro.com/man.
About EasyStreet
As Oregon's largest independent Internet service provider, EasyStreet Online Services provides a broad range of services, including high-speed access, advanced hosting, monitoring, and data center solutions for organizations of all sizes. For more information, visit www.easystreet-pro.com or call 503-646-8400.
About OnFiber Communications
OnFiber Communications, Inc. is a metro network solutions provider that designs, builds, and operates unique communications services for its customers. In addition to delivering custom networks for enterprises through AdaptiveBuild(TM), OnFiber solves local connectivity challenges for its service provider customers. Through the optical networks it owns and operates across the U.S., OnFiber bridges the gap between global infrastructure and the network edge. OnFiber is an agile organization that strives to deliver reliable and efficient broadband services on time, every time. For more information, please visit www.onfiber.com or call 1-866-ONFIBER.
