By Tony Hallett, 26 January 1999 16:58
NEWS Planet Online, the UK ISP (Internet service provider) has placed an order for 150 Cisco access servers in an effort to keep up with demand for Freeserve, the free Net access service it runs. Freeserve, owned by high-street retailer, Dixons, has grown rapidly since its launch four months ago. The company claims to have signed up 900,000 subscribers at a record-breaking rate, meaning it has already passed America Online and Demon Internet to become the most popular route to the Web for UK surfers. However, Freeserve's popularity has resulted in criticism - often posted by consumers on Internet bulletin boards - that the service is slow and unreliable. In response, Darren Stringer, Commercial Operations Director at Planet Online, said: "If users weren't happy - even though it's free - they'd be off in two minutes." Stringer said Planet Online ensures high levels of service by working with Freeserve, partly in an advisory capacity, but also by preparing for surges in demand during, for example, periods of heavy advertising. The Cisco order will see the deployment of AS5300 Universal Access Servers to create what the networking giant has called "the world's largest known multichassis, multilink live network". In addition to the Cisco equipment, Planet Online runs Freeserve using Web caching technology from Network Appliance and servers from Compaq. The machines will be based at Planet Online's Network Operations Center in Leeds, a Web farm which already makes extensive use of Cisco equipment.
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