Level 3 Now Provides Secure, Enterprise-Grade Connectivity to Google Cloud Platform

BROOMFIELD, Colo., Nov. 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — Level 3 Communications, Inc. (NYSE:LVLT, news, filings) today announced Google Cloud Platform has joined the Level 3 Cloud Connect Solutions ecosystem. Google Cloud Platform enables developers and enterprises to build, test and deploy applications on Google’s highly-scalable and reliable infrastructure. Enterprises can access Google Cloud Platform via Google Cloud Interconnect (GCI), which works with network service providers including Level 3 to provide enterprise-grade connections to Google’s network edge.

Organizations are often confronted with performance challenges when moving applications and workloads from physical locations into the cloud. With Level 3 Cloud Connect Solutions and GCI, customers can move private and public workloads to Google Cloud Platform with greater reliability.

As part of GCI, Level 3 Cloud Connect Solutions provides connectivity from enterprise offices, data centers and other network resources directly to Google Cloud Platform in North America, Europe,Latin America and Asia. By leveraging Level 3’s network services and its multiple diverse high-bandwidth connections with Google, Level 3 Cloud Connect Solutions can provide enterprises with greater performance and reliability than a standard Internet connection. The solution gives customers the ability to be more agile by providing rapid service provisioning, dynamic bandwidth and usage-based billing – allowing them to direct their focus on developing and delivering core business applications in the cloud. In addition, Level 3’s private Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) network and comprehensive security portfolio enable organizations to build secure, high-availability wide area networks with Level 3 Cloud Connect Solutions access to Google Cloud platform.

“The network is a critical link in enabling cloud computing, and the combination of Google Cloud Platform and Level 3 reinforces our commitment to offering our customers more choice and flexibility when it comes to making the important decisions around their cloud needs,” said Anthony Christie, chief marketing officer at Level 3. “What makes Level 3 Cloud Connect Solutions unique is our ability to provide secure local connections from enterprises to leading cloud service providers like Google Cloud Platform globally, while supporting all of their public and private networking needs regardless of the network architecture or bandwidth required.”

Customer benefits include:

• Improved Performance: Customers can deliver cloud-based, mission-critical applications more quickly and without interruption with Level 3’s highly redundant fiber network, low latency capabilities and virtual network class of service guarantees.
• Greater Security: Level 3’s private network connections are physically isolated from the Internet, and its suite of security services enhance protection of IT environments.
• Greater Efficiency and Flexibility: Customers can choose the cloud services and data centers that meet their needs, while tapping into bandwidth dynamically, paying only for what they consume.
• Global Connectivity: Level 3 customers can connect offices around the world to the local cloud and data center resources needed to run mission-critical applications.

Level 3 Cloud Connect Solutions offers multiple ways to connect enterprises with cloud and data center services, including Dedicated Internet Service, High Speed Internet Service, MPLS/IPVPN, Virtual Private Line Service, Ethernet Virtual Private Line, Ethernet Private Line and Wavelength services. Level 3 Cloud Connect Solutions supports enterprise customers from a range of industries including healthcare, retail, research and manufacturing. For more information about Level 3 Cloud Connect Solutions, visit www.level3.com/googlecloud.

About Level 3 Communications

Level 3 Communications, Inc. (NYSE: LVLT) is a Fortune 500 company that provides local, national and global communications services to enterprise, government and carrier customers. Level 3’s comprehensive portfolio of secure, managed solutions includes fiber and infrastructure solutions; IP-based voice and data communications; wide-area Ethernet services; video and content distribution; data center and cloud-based solutions. Level 3 serves customers in more than 500 markets in over 60 countries across a global services platform anchored by owned fiber networks on three continents and connected by extensive undersea facilities. For more information, please visit www.level3.com or get to know us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

© Level 3 Communications, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Level 3, Level 3 Communications, Level (3) and the Level 3 Logo are either registered service marks or service marks of Level 3 Communications, LLC and/or one of its Affiliates in the United States and elsewhere. Any other service names, product names, company names or logos included herein are the trademarks or service marks of their respective owners. Level 3 services are provided by subsidiaries of Level 3 Communications, Inc.

Forward-Looking Statement

Some statements made in this press release are forward-looking in nature and are based on management’s current expectations or beliefs. These forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of performance and are subject to a number of uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside Level 3’s control, which could cause actual events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the statements. Important factors that could prevent Level 3 from achieving its stated goals include, but are not limited to, the company’s ability to: successfully integrate the tw telecom acquisition; manage risks associated with continued uncertainty in the global economy; increase revenue from its services to realize its targets for financial and operating performance; maintain and increase traffic on its network; develop and maintain effective business support systems; manage system and network failures or disruptions; avert the breach of its network and computer system security measures; develop new services that meet customer demands and generate acceptable margins; manage the future expansion or adaptation of its network to remain competitive; defend intellectual property and proprietary rights; manage continued or accelerated decreases in market pricing for communications services; obtain capacity for its network from other providers and interconnect its network with other networks on favorable terms; attract and retain qualified management and other personnel; successfully integrate future acquisitions; effectively manage political, legal, regulatory, foreign currency and other risks it is exposed to due to its substantial international operations; mitigate its exposure to contingent liabilities; and meet all of the terms and conditions of its debt obligations. Additional information concerning these and other important factors can be found within Level 3’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Statements in this press release should be evaluated in light of these important factors. Level 3 is under no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any such obligation to, update or alter its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.