7/9/07
GameRail Selects XO Communications to Power Nationwide Expansion of Industry's First Private Network for Online Gaming
XO Provide Nationwide IP Transit and Inter-City Backbone for Network Expansion
RESTON, VA and ST. LOUIS, MO - XO Communications, a leading provider of 21st century communications for businesses and communications carriers, and Progression, LLC, dba GameRail, today announced that the two companies have signed agreements for XO Communications to provide network services in support of the rapid expansion of GameRail's high-capacity gaming network. GameRail is the nation's first and leading network operator dedicated to delivering superior performance to the online gaming community.
Under the terms of the agreement, GameRail will purchase Gigabit Ethernet (GigE) inter-city private line circuits and IP Transit services from XO Communications to support the phase one completion of the GameRail network and possible future domestic network expansions as GameRail continues to deploy services throughout North America. XO has already delivered multiple inter-city circuits, completing installation in five days due to the scalable systems and pre-deployed capacity in the XO network. With the additional new capacity provided by XO's next generation optical network and services, GameRail will be able to further expand the availability and performance of its private nationwide network for serious online gamers.
Online multiplayer computer gaming is one of the fastest growing entertainment activities in the U.S., with over 40 million people now playing regularly. GameRail recently introduced the first network designed to meet the speed and quality needs of online gaming. GameRail's bypass network delivers a "direct-connect" from the game player to the game host and avoids the congestion and inefficient routing paths of the regular Internet. Once GameRail and the subscriber's provider of Internet access are interconnected, the subscriber's game play packets bypass the multi-hop, high latency Internet and hot route across XO's nationwide fiber optic network connected to the game host for the highest performance available.
"The entire XO team understands what we are trying to accomplish within the gaming community and have themselves determined that segment to be critical. When we asked XO to do something extraordinary for us in delivering services within a very short timeframe, they not only met our request but exceeded our expectation. We look forward to expanding our relationship and we appreciate it when our suppliers become more than just a provider for us. In this case we view XO to be a strategic partner and critical to the success of our own vision for GameRail," said GameRail's President & CEO, Mark Senda.
"XO is very proud to support GameRail as it expands its network and service to more gamers nationwide," said Ernie Ortega, president of XO Carrier Services. "The XO network is ideally designed and engineered to provide the performance and scalability to support high-bandwidth customers like GameRail. Online gaming is a perfect application for the XO network and we will be seeking more opportunities in this market to support with our unique network capabilities."
With one of the largest and most advanced optical networks in the United States, XO Communications offers cable companies, carriers, content providers, large enterprises and mobile operators a broad range of high-capacity network transport services, including Ethernet, IP Transit, Private Line and Wavelengths. XO Communications was recently named the winner of NXTcomm's 2007 Eos Excellence of Achievement Award for Best Backbone/Core Network. The NXTcomm Eos Awards honor those companies that have developed the most promising new technologies or provided the best new network services and strategic support. XO Communications continually invests in its network to offer customers the most advanced, reliable and scalable network infrastructure to support their current and future bandwidth and communications service requirements.
About Gamerail
Progression LLC, a Missouri LLC, dba GameRail, is a facilities-based network operator that is dedicated to delivering superior performance to the online gaming community. GameRail directly connects game players to their favorite game hosts and vice versa, thereby eliminating game play degrading high latency hops on the Internet. GameRail has interconnection facilities in eight major US markets including Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, New York, Palo Alto, Seattle and St. Louis and is currently expanding to 17 major US markets. For more information, visit www.gamerail.com.
About XO Communications
XO Communications, a subsidiary of XO Holdings, Inc. (OTCBB: XOHO.OB), is a leading provider of 21st century communications services for businesses and communications services providers, including 40 percent of the Fortune 1000 and leading cable companies, carriers, content providers, and mobile operators. Utilizing its unique and powerful nationwide IP network and extensive local metro networks and broadband wireless facilities, XO offers customers a broad range of managed voice, data and IP services in 75 metropolitan markets across the United States. For more information, visit www.xo.com.
For more information contact:
Chad Couser / XO Communications
703-547-2746
chad.couser@xo.com
