Virgin Atlantic inks $7m IP VPN deal

Virgin Atlantic Airways has signed a five-year $7m deal with Sita for the provision and maintenance of an IP virtual private network (IP VPN).

The network will run between 39 locations and handle sales, reservations, cargo and all internal applications by the end of next year.

Virgin reckons the migration will result in "a double-digit percentage saving" on current data communications expenditure.

Simon Fox, Virgin Atlantic Airways director of IT, said in a statement that the IP VPN will connect offices around the world "reliably and without having to manage a complex mix of suppliers and technologies".

Sita specialises in serving the global airline industry and has contracts with a number of the major carriers.

Sita European president Peter Heath said: "Any airline that is serious about its future should be migrating to IP."

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