Irish-owned telecoms firm Perlico awarded a �3 million outsourcing deal to MCI. Under the three-year contract, MCI will provide telecom switch management, transit of Perlico telephone traffic across MCI's network facilities, and access to the MCI global internet protocol backbone for Perlico internet access offerings.

Iain Mac Donald, Perlico's chief executive, said, "This agreement is a further contribution to Perlico's stated intention to deliver better services and lower prices to the Irish home and business telecom user. This now positions Perlico with direct access to cutting-edge technology from MCI while also achieving significant savings for us in areas of cost control and efficiency benefits."

Kieran Mageean, wholesale manager of MCI in Ireland, added, "This agreement with Perlico is the latest example of MCI's continuing support of the competitive telecommunications marketplace in Ireland and across Europe. As always, MCI will leverage its global technology resources to help Perlico achieve its business goals. MCI's underlying global network capabilities and technical experience will deliver substantial value to Perlico and its customers."