– Level 3 Cloud Connect Solutions Offers Expanded Options to Improve Network Performance in the Cloud

BROOMFIELD, Colorado, Feb. 20, 2014 – Level 3 Communications, Inc. (NYSE: LVLT) today announced a strategic relationship with Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) to deliver private, direct network connections to Microsoft Windows Azure as part of the Level 3 Cloud Connect Solutions partner ecosystem.

Together, Level 3 Cloud Connect Solutions and Windows Azure bypass the public Internet to provide a secure, high-performance network for global enterprises to benefit from the efficiencies of the cloud and drive business growth, without compromising performance, productivity or revenue. Enterprises gain the ability to operate a more seamless IT environment between their corporate networks, data centers and the Windows Azure cloud platform – see Figure 1.

Figure 1 – Source: Level 3 Communications, 2014.

“Microsoft has unmatched experience running datacenters and cloud services at global scale,” said Steven Martin, general manager of Windows Azure at Microsoft. “Private, direct network connections between Level 3 Cloud Connect Solutions and Windows Azure put our combined scale and global reach to work for enterprises, helping them to realize greater efficiencies and focus on their core business.”

The secure, private connections enabled by Level 3 Cloud Connect Solutions and Windows Azure will help to accelerate enterprise adoption of cloud services by providing quality assurances and data throughput with 4x the network performance of more congested public networks (Source: “Accelerating File Transfers,” FileCatalyst, 2010).

Additional synergies generated by Level 3 Cloud Connect Solutions and Windows Azure include:

• Computing and Storage Optimization – Extend network beyond existing data centers and enterprise IT infrastructure to readily add computing and storage capacity for large amounts of data, particularly for business continuity and disaster recovery
• Application Performance – Deliver cloud-based business applications more quickly and with improved reliability
• Improved Security – Run enterprise business applications and move sensitive information between public and private clouds in a more reliable network environment
• Hybrid Applications – Virtualize network applications across on-premises infrastructure and Windows Azure without compromising security or performance

“Level 3 Cloud Connect Solutions and Windows Azure deliver a fast, reliable and cost-effective path for enterprises to migrate and optimize their cloud strategies,” said Anthony Christie, chief marketing officer of Level 3. “Level 3 is driving a new, more efficient way to connect to the cloud, and our strategic relationship with Windows Azure represents the most recent addition to the global ecosystem we are developing to provide enterprises with greater choice and flexibility to operate within the cloud as a platform for future growth.”

Level 3 Cloud Connect Solutions and Windows Azure support MPLS-based Ethernet Virtual Private Line Service, Virtual Private LAN Service and IP/VPN Service, as well as Level 3’s Security Solutions and Application Performance Management Services. Level 3 and Windows Azure are now accepting limited customer trials of Windows Azure with connectivity in San Jose, Calif. and Ashburn, Va. Global availability is scheduled for additional regions throughout the year for enterprises to build and deploy cloud applications and hybrid IT platforms around the world. For more information about Level 3’s services in support of Windows Azure, visit www.level3.com/azure.

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 over 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.