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Secretary Ridge Inaugurates New Homeland
Security Program at Southwest
Border
A key U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) program to counter terrorism and to facilitate trade has been extended to the U.S./Mexico border, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge announced today.
The program, Free and Secure Trade (FAST), provides expedited CBP processing for companies that adopt CBP-approved security measures. To be eligible for FAST treatment, manufacturers, importers and carriers must participate in another CBP antiterrorism program, the Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism or C-TPAT. Under C-TPAT, companies develop and implement security plans to enhance operational security. These measures vary depending on factors, such as the nature of the business and where in the globe a firm conducts its business. Each security plan is reviewed by CBP supply chain security experts.
Truck drivers seeking FAST eligibility must submit information enabling CBP officials to assess whether the applicant poses a risk. Approved applicants receive a FAST-Commercial Driver Identification Card.
Additional security features are also built into FAST for the US/Mexico border. Manufacturers and carriers participating in US/Mexico FAST are required to use high security mechanical seals on all containers or trailers destined for the United States. Customs and Border Protection will continue to scrutinize
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WASHINGTON and MEXICO CITY (Dec. 8, 2003) - Equant (NYSE: ENT) (Euronext Paris: EQU), an industry leader in global data and IP services for multinational businesses, has signed a three-year contract to provide frame relay services, hosting and network and telecommunications equipment management for PROSA in Latin America, including sites in Costa Rica, El Salvador and Puerto Rico.
PROSA, based in Mexico, is Latin America's largest manager of electronic transactions and one of the 12 largest such companies in the world. With more than 35 years in the Mexican market and with operations in four Latin American countries, PROSA manages electronic credit and debit card transactions for more than 20 financial institutions in Mexico. The PROSA switch processes the large majority of the card transactions carried out in Point of Sales Terminals and ATM machines in Mexico.
Equant, which has extensive experience in solutions for the financial market, will help PROSA expand its business to additional Latin American countries via a series of Managed Services and its data network, the largest in the region. The services provided by Equant will enable secure transmission of information generated by the electronic transactions among diverse financial institutions in the region and the users of ATM machines, credit and debit cards, no matter where they may be, ensuring that PROSA can continue to offer its clients world-class service levels.
Some of the benefits PROSA will enjoy with Equant Managed and
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Frame Relay services are:
Regional and global reach.
High reliability with the proven network infrastructure and top-level hosting centers managed by Equant.
A significant increase in bandwidth for back-office applications.
Management of regular network services.
Both PROSA and Equant have been recognized as leaders in their respective fields. PROSA was the first financial sector company to receive in 1998 the ISO 9002 certification covering all of its principal processes and in 1999 the ISO 9001 for 100 percent of its processes. PROSA also won the 2001 Mexican National Quality Prize and the National Technology Prize in 1999, the two highest distinctions by the Mexican government for the private sector. The most recent recognition came in 2002 when the Organization for the Quality of the Asia-Pacific Region (APQO) in Beijing, China, accorded PROSA the status of "World Class Organization," the first Latin American company to receive this commendation.
Equant was recently recognized as "Best Global Carrier" for the second year in a row and as "Best Managed Service" for 2003 by the EMAP Communications Group and the European Competitive Telecommunications Association. In addition, Equant again received top honors in 2003 in the Telemark IP customer satisfaction survey.
For more information, please visit: WWW.EQUANT.COM
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