DIA and VPN For Europe

Level 3 Communications, a Tier 1 Internet networking services company with a global fiber optic footprint, is bringing its Dedicated Internet Access (DIA) and Virtual Private Network (VPN) services portfolio to European markets, including France, Germany and the United Kingdom. As the worldwide business climate improves, international connectivity will become more and more important for business success in a global marketplace.

Major multinational corporations and larger Internet Service Providers may operate their own Autonomous System (AS) networks that give them the ability to peer with other networks and purchase IP transit services to get to the Internet backbone. But many businesses don’t have or want the level of investment that it takes to operate an International private network. These companies still need high quality, reliable Internet access for e-commerce, communication with their customers, and private connections between far-flung company locations.

Dedicated Internet Access is the service of choice for most business users. What dedicated means is that you have exclusive use of the bandwidth that you purchase to connect to the Internet. But isn’t that always the case? Not really. Residential users and smaller businesses get by with shared bandwidth arrangements such as DSL, Cable broadband, two-way high speed satellite Internet, and 3G or 4G wireless.

The motivation behind bandwidth sharing is that costs are shared as well. The cost of shared bandwidth broadband services is usually well below equivalent speed dedicated bandwidth services. The price you pay is acceptance of not having a guaranteed bandwidth. Indeed, the bandwidth at any given time is a function of how many other users are sharing the service and what they are doing. Just a few people download huge software, database or video files can bring a speedy line to a crawl.

You don’t experience this with Dedicated Internet Access. You have the full T1 line speed of 1.5 Mbps or E1 line speed of 2.0 Mbps available in both upload and download directions at all times. Ethernet access connections are becoming popular as replacements for legacy T1/E1 lines. Ethernet is highly scalable from 1 Mbps on up to 10 Gbps. The lower line speeds can be provisioned over twisted pair copper, while higher speeds require fiber optic connections.

The VPN or Virtual Private Network is a way to take advantage of the universal reach of the Internet while adding a layer of security to protect your data during the time it is traversing the Internet.

Many companies have private point to point connections to securely link multiple business locations within a metropolitan areas or in nearby states. International private lines are also available, but they are pretty expensive for smaller companies to connect with sales offices overseas.

The Virtual Private Network makes it possible for businesses of all sizes to interconnect their domestic or global facilities. Another popular use for VPNs is to provide access to company networks for employees working from home or on the road. Without VPN capability, the organization would have to install a dedicated line between the corporate data center and they employee’s home at considerable cost.

The way a VPN works is that it encrypts the data packets so that they can’t be decoded by anyone who happens to gain access to them along the way. The process is said to create a “tunnel” through the Internet. There a two popular ways to do this. One is IPSec, which requires special client software at each end to perform the encryption and decryption of the data. Another approach is SSL or Secure Socket Layer. This technique requires only a standard Web browser for access. It uses the same encryption employed by ecommerce sites so that visitors can make online purchases securely.

Do you have need for Dedicated Internet Access or Virtual Private Network service to support your business or organization? If so, get prices and availability for DIA and VPN services to meet your requirements.



Note: Physical map of Europe courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Colocation vs Cloud Services

The classic make/buy decision revolves around doing things in-house versus outsourcing. For IT managers, this has often come down to a comparison between running an in-house data center and moving everything to a colocation facility. Now there’s a third wrinkle. It’s the cloud.

Both colocation and cloud services have the similarity of being purchased from outside vendors. To the end user, the difference may be trivial. But to someone close to the situation there is a world of difference between colocation and the cloud. Or, is there?

The advantage of colocation facilities is that they provide a physical environment optimized for information technology needs. The colo center is a robust building with rack space all set up with power and cooling. It’s the same support system you would install yourself to support your servers and other data center equipment. You’ll need backup power, of course, fire suppression and physical security. You can’t afford to turn your back on expensive, demanding and possibly temperamental systems, so you need technical staff on duty or nearby. Then there’s the matter of bandwidth connections.

One factor driving many companies to colocation facilities is the need for far greater levels of bandwidth than are available at their current location. This is especially true in smaller towns and rural areas. You need fiber optic services and the best you get is bonded T1. But move to a colo and you’ll be surrounded by carriers who have points of presence in-house and within an easy drop of your equipment cage. You can get all the bandwidth you need, virtually on demand, and at lower prices than you’ll find locally. Why move the whole company when you can simply move a few racks of gear and meet your requirements?

This is the territory that is also now being served by the cloud. The “cloud” is a nebulous (pun intended) term for outsourced information technology services owned and operated by a third party. With a colo center you buy a server and ship it to the colocation operator. In some cases, you rent a server and perhaps the tech support to manage it. But you are responsible for the applications software and operation of the system. When you buy from the cloud, you don’t worry about hardware or software. You are simply purchasing a service. The mechanics behind how that service operates belongs to the cloud service provider.

What can you get from the cloud? Perhaps a specific service. Perhaps everything you need to run your business. This is a new field exhibiting the rapid growth that typifies introduction of a disruptive technology. Buy supercomputing in the cloud when you can’t justify or afford full-time use of a supercomputer on-premises. Get all your office applications through the cloud and say goodbye to software patches and upgrades, not to mention racks of servers in the back room. Perhaps all you need is cloud networking to create a worldwide converged voice and data network for your international business.

What’s best for your business? The answer will very specific to your needs. Perhaps all three approaches will work, but one will have a superior cost/performance characteristic for what you are doing right now. Want some help getting the numbers together? Get quotes for colocation and cloud networking services quickly and easily. Then work through the options and pick what’s optimum for your business.



Note: Photo of clouds and building courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.