London June 10, 2008 -- Ann Summers, the UK’s leading seductive lingerie and accessories chain, are outsourcing the hosting and management of their website to managed services provider Claranet.

AnnSummers.com is a sophisticated e-commerce site: not only can visitors purchase the full range of Ann Summers products, they can also catch up on the latest news and gossip, play online games such as bingo, organize or book a place at one of the legendary Ann Summers parties and even get bedroom tips. Claranet will support the wide range of functionalities on the website, while ensuring that customers can continue to rely on the security of their personal details, including identity and payment card details.

Claranet will host and manage the website, providing the highest levels of network access to AnnSummers.com’s loyal customers. The new service will provide added functionality to the popular website, while Claranet will take responsibility for all aspects of network management.

The fully managed hosting platform will work alongside Ann Summers’ existing network and will be fully scalable for business growth. The service will provide a minimum of 99.9 percent uptime along with 24/7 monitoring and support, a premium support service and zero points of failure within the network.

Ann Summers’ Marketing & Business Development Director, Julian Baker said, “We chose Claranet for several reasons, not least because of their dedication to providing excellent customer service. We also considered their European reach, impressive Service Level Agreements and their record of delivering innovative managed services to multinational businesses in diverse sectors. We were also impressed with Claranet’s commitment to security – while all e-commerce sites must protect clients’ details, we are particularly keen to provide the best security for customer confidentiality.”

The new deal will see Claranet provide a dedicated Account Manager – who will give ongoing guidance for Ann Summers’ IT strategy – and a Customer Service Manager who will build a precise account history and develop the strongest possible understanding of the business’s IT needs.

Claranet’s Corporate Account Manager James Forth said, “Ann Summers is a unique British institution. It’s the UK’s biggest retailer of sex toys with total annual revenues of over £135m, and the website is a very important driver of sales. Claranet has the network scope, the guaranteed network performance, the management infrastructure and the right attitude to support any of Ann Summers’ future growth and business requirements.”

About Claranet

Claranet is a Managed Services Provider with over 12 years’ experience in the IT industry. We provide Network and Hosting services for our customers, enabling them to focus on their business rather than worrying about their technology.

The Claranet Group comprises 14 offices, 16 datacentres and 600 staff. Our international MPLS core network enables optimal service levels across 6 European countries and the US. We operate 24-hour network operating centres covering all countries. Claranet is carrier-neutral with a proven track record in delivering services to our customer base of over 36,000 organisations. Our high-calibre customers include Airbus, Danone, DeVere Group, EDF Energy and EMI.

Claranet strives for excellence and is committed to delivering the highest quality products and services. Our ISO9001 accreditation, acceptance into the Telecom Networks Framework Agreement and Microsoft Gold Certified Partner status, all recognise Claranet’s exceptional track record in providing managed services for businesses and the public sector. For more information, please visit www.clara.net.

Contact Claranet:
Jennifer Krasovec
Director of Marketing
1.800.749.1706
http://www.vianetworks.net