WorldCom announced its first customer-managed Internet protocol
(IP) virtual private network (VPN) bundled package on 15 May, an
offering aimed at customers that want to design and manage their
own site-to-site VPNs.
Available immediately, the WorldCom IP VPN Select Access Edition is
based on Cisco Systems Inc. IOS-based routers, said Janel Crabtree,
director of IP VPN global services for WorldCom. Until now
WorldCom's VPN customers have had two choices, one for total access
(site-to-site) VPNs and the other for remote access users. Both are
services that companies would fully outsource to WorldCom and are
based on Nortel and Lucent equipment.
The new Select Access bundled set of services and hardware,
including Cisco routers and access to WorldCom subsidiary UUNet
Technologies Inc.'s network, extends WorldCom's potential customer
base into the estimated 45% of VPN customers overall that want to
maintain control of managing and monitoring their VPN.
"We provide customers with everything they need, and they take it
from there," Crabtree said. "The customer implements it, sets up
the design, manages it and monitors it on an ongoing basis."
The new package "fills a small hole" in WorldCom's IP VPN offering
and might not have a lot of traction initially, said Rob Carlson,
senior analyst for network service at Current Analysis in Sterling,
Virginia. But within about 18 months, as companies begin to feel
more comfortable with managing their IP VPNs themselves, Select
Access would be more likely to fit into plans of companies that are
migrating in house, he said.
While managed services limit a customer's upfront costs, the Select
Access offering costs more initially, but there are no monthly
management fees, and therefore over time is cheaper, WorldCom's
Crabtree said.
WorldCom kicked off its IP VPN services 18 months ago and last year
made it one of the company's major initiatives for 2001. Crabtree
declined to provide specifics about the number of customers the
company has landed, but described growth as tremendous.
"Everyone believes that IP VPN is where they need to be. It's just
a matter of when is the right time," she said.
WorldCom IP VPN Select Access offers connection speeds from 56K bps
(bits per second) through OC-3 (155Mbps) and IPSec-based security
that can be augmented by firewall and gateway technologies.
Some of the features of Select Access are Cisco Secure Policy
Manager, which enables businesses to define, distribute, enforce
and audit network-wide security policies from a centralized
location; upgrades to Cisco IOS; access to Cisco's SMARTnet, which
includes around-the-clock technical and support services; repair or
replacement of customer premise equipment; and WorldCom global IP
network service level agreement performance guarantees.
The service is initially available to US-based companies that
require domestic or global deployment to more than 25 countries in
Europe and Asia.