Level 3 Taps Global Crossing Buy to Expand Low-Latency Networks, Co-Los

The financial services division of fiber network provider Level 3 Communications is reorganizing its sales structure to reflect the integration of telecommunications company Global Crossing—which Level 3 acquired last October for $1.9 billion—and enable the vendor to provide new service packages for latency-sensitive traders and other enterprise applications, created as a result of the integration.

Level 3 will continue to offer its low-latency networks to high-frequency traders, but is also rolling out new services such as low-latency routes to power the efficient delivery of enterprise applications outside of firms’ front-office trading environments, but which also require real-time data delivery.

Previously, Level 3 focused primarily on providing metropolitan network links covering European markets, while Global Crossing focused more on transatlantic routes between Europe and America. “The combination of our networks is allowing us to provide a much broader range of products and integrated packages for financial customers,” says Level 3’s newly-appointed head of finance Mark Ryder, who is overseeing the implementation of the new sales model, after joining the company as area vice president for the EMEA region as part of the acquisition of Global Crossing, where he was area vice president responsible for managing the accounts of all enterprise customers in EMEA.

Ryder says Level 3’s speed to market and global reach has improved significantly following the acquisition, as the network provider now has 350 co-location sites close to key financial markets worldwide. “In particular, we have increased—and will continue to expand—our coverage in emerging markets such as Asia, the Middle East and Latin America, where we are seeing a lot of demand from customers,” he adds.

Level 3 began reorganizing its sales force on July 1, aligning sales teams and managers in key verticals such as financial services with those serving non-financial sectors such as eCommerce, Ryder says, adding that Level 3 aims to grow its sales force by up to 15 percent to support the push into new areas.