14 April 2008

THUS expands managed network solution for leading UK publishing group

THUS plc today announced the renewal and expansion of its contract with the UK's leading local publishing group, Johnston Press plc. In addition to THUS continuing to deliver the core next-generation network (NGN) for Johnston Press, the regional and online publisher will hand over control of its infrastructure to THUS. This fully managed solution will deliver a bespoke network designed to consolidate and rationalise transfer of data within the group. THUS has been chosen as a key technology partner as Johnston Press implements a network that enables the transition from traditional to digital media as well as supporting wider business objectives.

As a leading news publishing organisation, Johnston Press relies on the movement of data and information securely and efficiently across its network. Whether it is the need to update online content or meet print deadlines, it's crucial that the organisation has the right information in the right place at the right time. The THUS designed network infrastructure will allow Johnston Press to house key business systems for advertising, editorial and production in resilient secure locations managed by THUS. The systems will be accessed from local offices using THUS's NGN.

THUS has delivered an NGN solution for Johnston Press for more than three years. During this time the relationship has evolved to a point where the company has entrusted full responsibility to THUS for the delivery of a telecoms infrastructure that supports its strategic business aims. This managed solution ensures that THUS has the level of insight and understanding of Johnston Press' strategic aims and day to day needs and delivers a solution that is secure, responsive and resilient.

Roger Davies, IT Director, Johnston Press said: "We chose to further develop the relationship with THUS as no other provider could match its pedigree in next-generation networks. Our unique requirements; involving large scale hosting environments, high capacity wavelength services and high levels of resilience, meant we needed to work with a company that understands our business but more importantly, one we could trust."

Phil Male, Chief Operating Officer at THUS plc said: "This contract expansion is testament to our consultative approach which gives us a real insight into our client's future business needs and as a result, we provide what our customers need now, and a communication solution that has the flexibility and scalability to grow with them in the future. Our managed solution approach allows us to align our service to the needs of our customers and deliver an unrivalled quality of service."

As the largest regional press publisher in the UK Johnston Press has 318 local newspaper titles as well as magazine publishing interests and extensive contact printing activities. The Group's Digital Publishing division maintains more than 338 web sites, read by almost 8 million people per month. The network solution from THUS will support Johnston Press' strategy and the future-proofed network reflects the nature of the modern news agenda ensuring availability every minute of every day. THUS's network will enable Johnston Press to fully realise the benefits of scale associated with moving to a single supplier environment.

In addition to the quality of the network solution, the renewal and expansion of Johnston Press' contract with THUS owes much to the benefits of a cohesive internal resource managing the client relationship. The end-to-end Managed Solutions ‘wrap‘ evolves with the customer's needs and ensures the customer enjoys a high level of personal and technical service support.

For further information, please contact:

THUS Group plc
Owen Campbell Senior Product Communication Executive	+44 (0) 141 566 3361
Hotwire PR
Rebecca Honeyman	+44 (0) 20 7608 4628

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