Qwest unifies management platform

A new World Wide Web-based network management platform is promising government

telcommunications and network managers the opportunity to run their network

administration and billing operations with the simplicity of online banking.

The new Qwest Communications multiservice management platform, called

Qwest Control 4.0, gives managers dial-up access to electronic billing services,

network performance statistics and configuration controls.

The program will save Qwest customers time and money through a single,

secure and easily accessible site that contains all their data and network

management tools, according to Lewis Wilks, president of Qwest's Internet

and Multimedia Markets branch.

That kind of access and control, he said, will eliminate a manager's

need to contact his or her account teams for reports or to reconfigure the

networks.

Qwest Control 4.0 is a much-upgraded version of a program the company

originally acquired in 1998 when it bought LCI International, a long-distance

carrier. The original version permitted users to dial up their frame relay

circuits and to change their bandwidth. Qwest last year added Internet access

and voice network services to the mix of services that can be managed.

The newest version of Qwest Control offers the ability to enter and

track trouble tickets in real time, securely manage users' access and profiles,

report network alarms to customers in real time and sort open alarms by

severity, type, time or component name.

Clients can also use the tool to verify their service level agreements

with the service provider.