Atlas celebrates 8th anniversary-New network, int'l link as Atlas gears up to meet new challenges |27 September 2004

Monday September 27 Atlas is celebrating its eight anniversary with a new network boasting latest technologies, a new direct international gateway and a new headquarters. It was on the 27th of September 1996 that President James Michel, then the Minister of Finance, pressed the key on a computer set up at Beau Vallon Berjaya Bay Hotel to launch internet services in the Seychelles, marking the birth of Atlas, Seychelles' first Internet Service Provider (ISP).

Atlas general manager Gilbert Lebon told Business Nation that despite having had to ride many tough challenges ranging from economic related issues such as lack of foreign exchange to expand and improve its network, difficulties to provide a high-quality international connection over a third-party’s international gateway and fierce competition, Atlas remains even more committed than ever to improve the quality of its services and to bring more value to its esteemed customers.
 
"The past several months have been very hectic for Atlas, having to coordinate several major projects simultaneously whilst trying to deliver a normal service to our customers. But it was time for us to focus on improving our internal operation, and in doing so, the end service to our customers remained the key objective. All the projects we have embarked on are intended to bring more quality and value to our faithful customers," Mr Lebon explained.

New direct international gateway

Atlas has announced that it has improved the quality of its international backbone connection.  High latency problems and inability to upgrade to a higher bandwidth capacity on the previous link acquired through a third-party local telecoms operator, have compelled Atlas to take the bold step to have full control over its network. The company has acquired its own international leased circuit to Europe directly from INTELSAT, a global leading satellite service provider.  A new VSAT earth station has already been installed and commissioned and is now ready to carry customer traffic.
 
"This venture shall not only significantly improve the overall performance of the internet by reducing latencies but will allow Atlas to expand and meet its growing customer needs and expectations," Atlas' executive chairman Marc Houareau told Business Nation.

Despite the high cost of the INTELSAT VSAT link in foreign currency, Mr Houareau said the investment reflects the company's commitment to bring the best international internet connection to its customers.

The cut-over to the new VSAT link took place last Friday and great care has been taken to ensure a smooth service change-over.  Some minor service disruptions could occur due to the major network Internet Protocol (IP) address change and unavoidable international domain name propagation delays.

New offices

In order to cater for the large 3.8 meter VSAT satellite dish and its growing workforce of 14 staff, Atlas has been forced to move its operations to a state-of-the-art gigabit core network on the ground floor of the VCS Building at Le Chantier, next to the Indian High Commission building.  Apart from the network equipment rooms, the offices also boast a new customer service centre and there is ample parking space for customers.
 
"The deployment of our new gigabit core network will permit the company to be ready for emerging internet solutions products,"  Mr Lebon explained, adding that the move would ensure that "our system will remain up all the time, as network equipment failure will be minimised."

ATLAS Skyway

Since its launch earlier this year, over R3 million, the bulk in foreign currency, have been invested into Atlas' robust and high-quality wireless broadband platform. 
"As a result, ATLAS Skyway has become one of the biggest technological success stories in Seychelles in recent years," according to Mr Lebon.

"Although foreign currency constraints have delayed network deployment, Skyway can still boast the widest and most stable wireless coverage so far," he claimed.

In addition to the central, northern and eastern areas of Mahé, the connection of the first wireless broadband customers in Grand Anse and Baie Ste Anne Praslin took place last week. The project to extend Skyway coverage to Praslin and La Digue has been very ambitious and costly but has come about as a result of a true commitment by its all-Seychellois shareholders to ensure that customers on the two other main islands of our archipelago get to enjoy the same high level of service as other customers on Mahé.  Before year-end, the ATLAS Skyway platform will expand southwards to cover the districts of Anse Aux Pins, Au Cap and Anse Royale.

New challenges

Mr Lebon said Atlas is now in a better position to keep up with new technological advances in the form of new products and services such as Voice over IP, Video-on-demand, online gaming, remote data back-up, Virtual Private Networks (VPN), new wireless offerings, web portals, new hosting services and much more.  As these new services are launched, customers will be advised accordingly.

"From a humble beginning eight years ago, Atlas has clearly demonstrated that with proper re-investment in its business, with insight, vision and determination, and with the support of the Government, business and the local communities, an all-Seychellois based company can flourish despite all the constraints of our small economy," Mr Houareau said.
 
Monday, he added, Atlas is one of the most innovative and successful ISPs in the Indian Ocean and East Africa region and promised that over the next eight years the company will surely bring more exciting internet technological developments to our shores.