AT&T VPN Service; AVTS; ANIRA; also MPLS PNT and Enhanced VPNA
AT&T continues to grow its global customer port count steadily, and the carrier has extended its reach to an impressive 183 countries worldwide, including more standardized global network performance guarantees. (2/3/2010)

Global Crossing MPLS IP VPN; Remote VPN Access
Global Crossing has a comprehensive converged IP portfolio and an extensive global reach. It has worked for years to build up a track record as an enterprise competitor, and is bringing on board a steady stream of customers. (12/22/2009)

PAETEC MPLS VPN, Dynamic IP
PAETEC builds its IP VPN portfolio around one core service, bolstered by a collection of access and value-added services. The result is a wide-reaching national service with essential functionality and a low price to target domestic enterprises. (2/3/2010)

Qwest iQ Networking; iQ Network Management Service; iQ Data Bundle; Managed Firewall-VPN
Qwest has brought its IBM managed services partnership online, and has expanded its MPLS IP VPN boundaries with new international POPs. It also is expanding the relationship with Verizon Wireless to add EV-DO wireless backup for iQ Networking. (2/3/2010)

Sprint Nextel Global MPLS VPN, MPLS VPN over Peerless IP, MPLSoDSL
Sprint's Business Markets Group is pulling together the carrier's customer portals, and the carrier continues to place emphasis on its ability to use wireless as a primary or backup access method for customers to connect their MPLS IP VPNs. (2/3/2010)

Verizon Private IP; IP VPN Dedicated; IP VPN Broadband; Secure Gateway
Verizon's Private IP service continues to make gains, listing more countries in its global reach, steadily increasing customer ports in service, and adding an IPsec VPN encryption option for customers that insist on multiple layers of security. (2/3/2010)

XO IP VPN, MPLS IP VPN, IP Flex with VPN
XO greatly increases its reach by tapping two MPLS IP VPN players: Sprint to augment its reach domestically, and Global Crossing to provide international connectivity. With these formal partnerships, XO becomes viable for far-flung enterprises. (2/3/2009)

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Report Contents

• Current Perspective Rating
• Product Strengths & Weaknesses
• Product Buying Criteria
• Product Metrics

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IP VPN Services Buying Criteria

• Bandwidth and CPE
  • The amount of bandwidth available to customers.
• Security
  • Security is always a major source of concerns, although the rise of IPSec has reduced them somewhat thanks to the high confidence the data service community has in this encryption protocol.
• Ease of Use
  • Ease of use is a significant concern, as defining security relationships between nodes can be a giant headache. Initiatives such as public key infrastructure (PKI) are intended to ease this burden; PKI allows VPN managers to configure VPN users from a single centralized database. Tools that facilitate the management and monitoring of VPNs are major selling points.
• SLAs
  • Service level agreement. A standard guarantee from the vendor of a certain level of performance, usually with credits against the bill for failure to achieve the metrics. Having SLAs with standards is a strong sign of confidence in performance.
• Pricing Principles
  • Pricing is not the primary factor and is highly complex for VPNs, but it can make a significant difference in landing the sale.
• Reach
  • Regions where services are available, and networks that support them.
    
• Internetwork Connectivity

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IP VPN Services Product Metrics

• Network
  • PoPs
  • Platform
  • Backbone
• Service
  • Service in Top 25 MSAs
  • International Service
  • Dynamic Bandwidth Alloc.
  • Voice Support
  • Network-Based VPN
  • MPLS
• SLAs
  • Proactive or Reactive
  • Delay (ms, roundtrip)
  • Network Availability
• Security
  • Tunneling Protocol
  • Network-Based Firewalls
  • Public or Private Network