A quick look at Nextra's Web site (nextra.co.uk) can be almost deceptive. The simplicity of the company's site hides a powerful VPN provider operating across Europe, with links to North America.

Owned by Telenor (telenor.com), one of Europe's leading telecommunications companies, the company specializes in helping medium-sized companies use the Internet to increase their efficiency. With offices around the UK and Europe, Nextra has managed to become a leading European solutions provider.

The company is supported by a multi-megabit Internet backbone stretching across Europe. Several high-speed links from the backbone allow Nextra to link up with the United States and North America. This allows the company to offer a range of solutions, from ADSL and VPNs to managed hosting, enterprise IT management and maintenance.

Nextra's VPN solutions are based on technology offered by Cisco. The company considers itself a consultant; when a business comes to them asking for a VPN, Nextra evaluates what the client wants and what the best product to offer is. The company then implements the product and supports it, and provides upgrades when necessary. In the case study offered on the Nextra Web site, Nextra was able to offer not only a solid VPN, but also Voice-over IP technology as well.

Nextra can be contacted by email at . Telephone and location information can be found on their Web site.