PacifiCare Launches Future-Proof Enterprise Network Based
On Scalable 3Com Solutions - 10:52 a.m. Sep 11, 1998 Eastern
Fifth Largest U.S. HMO Delivers Key Customer Service, Sales and
Marketing, Intranet Services and More Using Advanced
3Com Switches and Remote Access Systems
SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 11, 1998--
3Com Corporation (Nasdaq:COMS) today announced that PacifiCare Health
Systems, a large, fast-growing California-based managed health care services
company, has standardized its new enterprise network on 3Com(R) Ethernet
switches and remote access solutions. The new network extends from the
organization's headquarters in Santa Ana, CA to its former
headquarters and current data center facility in nearby Cypress,
CA, 45 nationwide offices and six customer call centers.
Founded in 1978, PacifiCare provides comprehensive health care benefits and
insurance coverage to individuals, organizations and groups. The company's February
1997 acquisition of FHP, Inc., a Santa Ana-based managed care provider of similar
size, made the company the U.S.'s fifth largest HMO, raising its annual revenues to
$10 billion and expanding its presence to 11 states and Guam. The merger also
prompted PacifiCare to shift its headquarters from Cypress to Santa Ana and to
upgrade its networking infrastructure.
PacifiCare's new network delivers myriad services that are bolstering its services to
members and contracting physicians and hospitals while also sustaining its growth.
These include client/server applications such as the Commercial Service and
Marketing Management (CSAMM) program, enabling marketing teams to quickly
identify high-value prospects using a powerful database and search engine;
ResTrack, a third-party document imaging system providing human resources staff
with swift database access to job candidate's resumes; and a customized customer
service system with patients' complete medical histories and records of all customer
contacts with PacifiCare member services staff. The 3Com network also supports
Microsoft Office, Microsoft Exchange email and Microsoft Outlook, an interface that
lets all users access Microsoft applications lodged on the company's data center
servers.
PacifiCare is gaining additional business benefits from applications provided by its
new 3Com-based corporate intranet. The most significant of these is a specialized
executive information system known as Compass, which furnishes executives with
industry information from the National Committee for Quality Assurance, access to
the Associated Press and other press services, plus the latest quotes on the
company's stock holdings and other equities. The intranet also delivers intranet
services, including job postings, PacifiCare's vision and value statements, biographies
of executives and departmental newsletters.
"PacifiCare's success depends on our ability to use information technology to support
our growth," said Rick Garcia, the organization's manager of Corporate PC/Network
Operations. "Using 3Com's local area and wide area networking architectures, we
have a robust infrastructure that can deliver today's and tomorrow's applications and
the ability to migrate to higher-bandwidth Gigabit Ethernet or ATM networking if we
choose." Architected for 21st Century Performance
PacifiCare's new network emanated from the organization's need for more effective
communications within and between its headquarters, data center and remote offices
in the wake of its rapid growth. To achieve this, the managed care company sought a
scalable infrastructure able to deliver bandwidth on demand and fast, reliable
enterprise-wide data transmissions. After evaluating a handful of leading vendors,
PacifiCare standardized on 3Com local area network (LAN) and wide area network
(WAN) solutions.
At 1,100-user Santa Ana and 2,000-user Cypress, PacifiCare is deploying fully
switched redundant LANs based on a FDDI backbone consisting of CoreBuilder
5000(tm) high-function switches. The CoreBuilder 5000 systems have Fast Ethernet
links to 3Com SuperStack(R) II Switch 3000 switches in wiring closets. The Switch
3000s have Fast Ethernet connections to SuperStack II Switch 1000 switches, which
deliver switched Ethernet desktop links to users. PacifiCare is connecting Santa Ana
and Cypress using four scalable 3Com PathBuilder(tm) S600 WAN access switches,
which are combining multiple T1 circuits for up to 12 megabit per second
communications.
PacifiCare's remote office LANs are based on CoreBuilder 2500 Ethernet/FDDI
switches linked to 3Com SuperStack Hub 10 hubs, providing users with shared
Ethernet connections. A combination of 3Com NETBuilder(R) II extended chassis
routers and SuperStack II NETBuilder remote office routers are furnishing
PacifiCare with high-speed WAN connections. All sites will rely on 3Com's
Transcend(R) Enterprise Manager network management application for proactive
monitoring, configuration and management of all 3Com equipment. The company is
also using 3Com's Guardian(sm) customer service, providing 24-hour response times
seven days a week, advance hardware replacement and free software updates.
"3Com is giving us superior, cost-effective solutions that meet our total networking
needs," said Kevin Keen, PacifiCare's Corporate Network Operations Supervisor.
"Their flexible array of LAN/WAN systems are a bedrock foundation which is
expediting the flow of information we need to run today's business and will sustain
our growth into the 21st century." About 3Com Corporation
3Com Corporation enables individuals and organizations worldwide to stay more
connected by communicating and sharing information and resources anytime,
anywhere. As one of the world's preeminent suppliers of data, voice and video
communications technology, 3Com has delivered networking solutions to more than
200 million customers worldwide. The company provides large enterprise, small and
medium enterprise, carriers and network service providers, and consumers
comprehensive, innovative information access products and system solutions for
building intelligent, reliable and high performance local and wide area networks. For
further information, visit 3Com's World Wide Web site at 3com.com or
the press site at 3com.com. 3Com, NETBuilder II, SuperStack
and Transcend are registered trademarks and CoreBuilder and PathBuilder are
trademarks of 3Com Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their
respective holders.
Copyright 1998, Business Wire
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