Managed Services Provider Exponential- e| Q & A on Cloud Computing

Why is it important for Exponential-e to be involved in cloud computing?

We believe cloud based computing provides true ubiquity of service allowing users to access services from any location, over any infrastructure, with any device, at any time. The development of intelligent user appliances like PDA’s and intelligent phones has removed the barrier of user access. Users are becoming more comfortable with this model due to services provided in the consumer market by Google, Mobile me, etc, which spill into the business environment. SME clients want “corporate” services but at realistic prices and look at the cloud model as a way of achieving this. We are finding that clients are focusing on core business activities and are looking towards the cloud model as a real option when outsourcing in-house activities.

How much potential is there in the market?

We believe there is massive potential in the SME space as:

• Value add applications become available at a fraction of the cost

• Clients don’t have to worry about in house resource

• The cloud assumes responsibility for software updates, upgrades, etc. The client only needs to worry about the access technologies

• The cloud provides a more flexible commercial framework

• Scalability is no longer an issue

• The cloud addresses resiliency and DR issues

• Up front capital expenditure is drastically reduced

There is a quantifiable shift in service delivery models (e.g. SaaS, CaaS, etc.) which can protect the users from issues they would normally have to deal with themselves. For example, our centralised security service “cleanses” internet traffic BEFORE it ever reaches the client’s premises. We do this with our centralised firewall services in conjunction with Message Labs threat management services.

High-speed secure delivery of centrally hosted services with the lowest possible latency, is absolutely key to the success to almost all cloud computing implementations. Therefore, Exponential-e’s business class NGN could be an important enabler to the successful take-up of cloud computing services in the UK especially as the access infrastructure deployed into enterprises by Exponential-e to support cloud computing can be cross-subsidised by the use of other applications on the same high speed Ethernet access circuits using its VPLS technology.

What kinds of customers are interested in these services?

We believe that currently, cloud based computing is more pertinent in the SME market.

Cloud computing is advantageous for SME’s as:

• It enables access to services previously unobtainable (e.g. CRM services, office application services, unified communication services, etc.) due to the expense.

• Enables access to expertise which has previously been too expensive

• Enables cost reduction as there are little set up costs (e.g. VoIP Centrex)

• Enables ubiquity of service – enables different working methodologies (e.g. home working, mobile working)

• Makes corporate governance easier through the centralization of services.

• Makes legislative adherence easier

• Streamlines processes

We launched a new service with Atlanta Technology for small to medium businesses wanting enterprise-class server infrastructure without the capital investment. The service combines both storage and server virtualisation into a centrally-hosted cloud.

How will they be using cloud computing  improve their businesses?

The service provides corporate customers with their own “cloud” from which virtual servers – independent from both physical infrastructure and geographic location – can be hosted.  The communication between the client enterprise customer and their server infrastructure takes place across our high-speed and powerful layer 2 MPLS next generation network which is dedicated to business traffic. The service is based on a subscription pricing model and reduces the need for significant capital investment.

We have also just launched a managed security service delivered from the cloud using a centralised firewall and combined with threat management features from MessageLabs Hosted Services. This will also be attractive to SMEs wanting to outsource the management of security risk, restructure and reduce the associated cost and free up ICT resource for core business activities

How will cloud computing develop in the future?

Cloud based computing is where the client’s “intelligence” will reside. Everything outside of the cloud such as access links, user devices and so on, will become a commodity. Devices will be thin client in nature. The device will become immaterial – the user “profile” will become king and will drive their access scope. Our profile will drive our corporate identity. CBC will become the ultimate secure domain with client pulling information to themselves irrespective of device, infrastructure, geographic location or time.

What role will Exponential-e play in the future of cloud computing?

Exponential-e will be the providers of a suite of value add services to complement our core network.  Ultimately, we will treat every single user as a separate and unique client (irrespective of their organization affiliation).

VPLS WAN’s Learn the 10 Key Advantages| by Exponential-e

Here is a list of 10 things that can be done with a VPLS network which can’t be achieved without:

1. Wide Area virtualisation – Virtualisation projects can escape the building because different buildings in different locations think they are all on the same LAN. Virtualisation investment can be shared across all sites.

2. No stovepiping – As companies add services or move to SaaS each new service can be added to the existing platform as part of a unified solution – there is no need to stovepipe new services and support on separate circuits. Investment is future-proof and cost effective.

3. VPLS masks the fact that SaaS services are not being sourced locally increasing user acceptance and guaranteeing usability.

4. Solving Sarbanes Oxley requirements - Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity can be supported further by moving servers to locations 10’s of Kilometres away with the addition of now only a few milliseconds making it imperceptible to end users.

5. The enterprise customer’s comm’s room can be split up and hosted from different sites to further extend DR practices.

6. Lets the customer take back control -  Easy and rapid in-house configuration increases agility, efficiencies and business responsiveness.

7. Services and/or hardware can be centralised removing unnecessary duplication and support costs previously thought necessary on performance grounds.

8. Services can be converged in the core leading to network efficiencies but offered as physically separate services on different cables at the customer premise – simple and easy.

9. Each service can be assigned its own service level and class of service backed up by SLAs.

10. VPLS can uniquely facilitate the centralisation and/or distribution of mission critical services and can help to achieve the seemingly impossible objectives of putting in place business continuity whilst at the same time making cost savings.

View our VPLS Tutorial for information

Or  Visit www.exponential-e.com/vpls and download our free whitepaper for a comprehensive guide to VPLS.

Hidden Barriers to Low-Latency|Finance Whitepaper> By Exponential-e

Visit: www.finance.exponential-e.com to request a free download of the complete whitepaper

While it is easy to list features such as resilience, reliability, security, scalability and latency as key criteria in the selection of any efficient and robust Network, the best efforts of Network Engineers and Architects can often be undermined by internal systems, site location and ever increasingly legacy networks.

Financial institutions still using leased line network technology are at a significant disadvantage when compared to organisations who have upgraded to Next Generation, Ethernet Technology.

Why is this? Leased line network technology was developed in the mid-1980’s specifically to support Voice communication – not data or IP packets. Many carriers and service providers ploughed huge resources into this technology, failing to anticipate the rapid growth of data and IP communication that would occur in the mid-to-late 1990’s. To overcome this problem, they adopted protocols such as ATM and Frame Relay. This enabled Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH) voice networks to support data and IP communications. However, this has negatively impacted customers in a number of ways by leading to:

• Very complex network infrastructures requiring substantial network management and support
• Inflated costs for end-users
• Slow-routed network architecture
• Restricted scalability and versatility, leaving them unable to provide client services, including bandwidth-on-demand and differentiated services

For the finance industry this has become even more significant as market volatility, and government regulation, such as The European Union’s MiFID directive, create spiralling data volumes. Network Mangers, Engineers and Architects are confronted with the realisation that they are paying inflated charges for slow, inefficient network connections that cannot adjust to meet the increasing demand.

The choice is simple, financial institutions can either migrate to a Next Generation Ethernet Network or paper over the cracks by bolstering their existing leased line infrastructure.

Visit: www.finance.exponential.com to request a free download of the complete whitepaper:

Hidden Barriers to Achieving Low-Latency:Whitepaper

Contents

1.0 Introduction – Network Needs for Tradding in International Financial Markets

2.0 Is your Network holding you back?

3.0 How can a Next-Generation Network maximise your competitiveness
3.1 The Key Competitive Differentiators in the Finance Industry
3.1.1 Resilience
3.1.2 Network Scalability
3.1.3 Reducing Costs
3.1.4 Low-latency & NGN
3.1.5 Low-Latency & the Optimal Route: Route1™
3.1.6 Network Simplification

4.0 Commercial Benefits
4.1 Global Connectivity
4.2 Uninterrupted Trading
4.3 Enabler of growth
4.4 Optimum performance
4.5 Quality of Service
4.6 Adaptable to your needs

Case Studies

Visit: www.finance.exponential.com to request a free download of the complete whitepaper

Comparison of Layer 3 vs. Layer 2

VPLS Information Table

The table below highlights just some of the advantages a Layer 2 VPLS network has over a network using Layer 3 technology. For a more indepth look at the benefits of a VPLS Layer 2 network follow this link to download our free NGN VPLS whitepaper.

VPLS information table: Layer 3 vs Layer 2

Follow this link to learn more about IP VPN and Layer 2 VPN and to see a full size image

Follow the link for more information on VPLS.

Bookmark This Page For Future reference

Altium Capital VPLS Case Study| VPLS Information by Exponential-e

Below are a few extracts from a VPLS case study on Altium Capital.  For more information on VPLS and to download the full case study free visit:         www.exponential-e.com/ngn_vpls_casestudies

VPLS Network Case Study: Altium Capital

“Exponential-e replaced our legacy DSL connections and layer 3 IP-VPN with a scalable layer-2 cloud. They’ve taken away costly duplication. Network services previously working in a silo are now plugged into our new VPLS cloud and are available throughout our wide area network. Exponential-e were able to prioritise traffic by type intelligently and fully backed up with service level guarantees”.

Dale Willemburg
IT Manager Altium Capital

Why Altium Capital Chose A VPLS Network

Altium Capital provides a range of investment banking services and has offices around Europe and headquarters in London. As a result of this rapid growth, the company’s existing network — an IP VPN  — had become obsolete.

Altium received proposals from more than nine service providers and decided to implement an Ethernet VPN solution from Exponential-e, delivered using VPLS. It has installed 100Mbps access at all its sites to address projected traffic growth from server centralization and IP videoconferencing. Altium’s network design uses a combination of Layer 2 and Layer 3 protocols running over a single network — that is, combining a flat LAN for some functions with IP addressing for others.

The VPLS Network Soulution included:

• A flat LAN to its disaster recovery (DR) site.

• Flat LAN implementation of a distributed firewall and distributed DMZ

• IP addressing from endpoints to servers using the IP routing in Altium’s LAN switches.

Altium Capital now benefit from a four-site VPLS wide-area-network built at layer 2. Their new VPLS cloud gives a simple-to-manage Ethernet interface throughout a LAN-like WAN and allows new services and new sites to be quickly and easily introduced on a plug and play basis.

To download the full version of this case study and examples of more Next Generation Network VPLS solutions visit our website below: www.exponential-e.com/ngn_vpls_casestudies

Due to the success of our Free VPLS WAN planning seminars we have added an extra london date and made additional space available at our Manchester event. Visit www.exponential-e.com/vpls_event to register for the event and free one-to-one WAN planning consultancy.

VPLS-enabled Next Generation Network from Exponential-e

Welcome to the final installment of our VPLS Tutorial. Today we will be discussing our own:

VPLS-enabled Next Generation Network from Exponential-e

Please feel free to use the information provided in  these posts in your own  blog or website we simply ask you to   provide a direct link to the specific post or our VPLS info page at www.exponential-e.com/vpls when referencing your material.

Exponential-e was pioneering in the UK with its roll-out of a VPLS enabled network. Aware of the shortcomings of traditional MPLS access, such as its complexity and the fact that it led to a loss of customer control of IP routing, Exponential-e sought to develop an innovative solution that addressed these limitations. It was this desire to improve existing networking that lead to the use of VPLS within our network design. Today many of the leading ISPs are announcing plans for VPLS deployment in the future, but the fact remains that our VPLS service is available right now, and has been for over two years.
Our cutting edge VPLS network design has a meshed, Layer 2, MPLS switched Ethernet core and sets a new standard for connectivity. This advanced network allows the customer the flexibility to create multiple VLANs over their WAN, this gives them the security and separation they would usually expect to see on the LAN. It also allows multiple physical connections to be consolidated on to a single connection while maintaining the separation of the circuits by means of VLANs, a feature unavailable from other MPLS providers. In essence things that were previously only possible within a company’s office can now be carried out over a geographically dispersed area.

What stands out about our VPLS solution is that it is a site-to-cloud VPLS service, a Layer 2 VPN option that most competitors, who generally only carry a switched Ethernet (SE) VPN to achieve any-to-any connectivity, cannot achieve. Furthermore, it is run over a Pure Ethernet, switched, Layer 2, 10 gig backbone so security, speed and consistency of data flow and quality of service are all maximised.

VPLS gives us a service-oriented architecture from which our customers can plug and play with a range of voice; data; DR and virtualization services. We are delivering simplicity and operational efficiencies for IT heads as they focus on getting more value from every ICT pound spent.

In a commercial sense, what makes the technology so revolutionary, in comparison with competitors’ offerings, is that it simultaneously cuts costs, improves quality of service, improves efficiency and gives control back to you, the customer.

“By expanding its portfolio to include Virtual Private LAN Services (VPLS) in January 2006, Exponential-e was the first UK provider to offer the, now much talked about, solution. The company signed its first VPLS customer in April 2006 and came to the attention of two industry awards in the same year”  lightreading.com

This tutorial have provided a small insight into a few benefits VPLS technology has to offer. For a more complete understanding of the technology and how VPLS can help your organization visit: www.exponential-e.com/vpls and to sign up to one of our Free VPLS seminars.

In the upcoming weeks we will be publishing a number of case studies of how VPLS technology is already being used in some of the world’s most cutting edge Global companies.

Follow the link below to revisit the previous post in our previous VPLS tutorial:

What is VPLS? & What does VPLS do?

How can VPLS help you do better business with your customers?

What makes VPLS easy to use and install?

What makes VPLS stand out from other technologies that do a similar job?

Ready for more information: Visit www.exponential-e.com to download a version to download a pdf our Technical VPLS Tutorial

What makes VPLS stand out from other technologies that do a similar job?

Welcome to the fourth installment of our VPLS Tutorial. Today we will be covering

What makes VPLS stand out from other technologies that do a similar job?

Please feel free to use the information provided in  these posts in your own  blog or website we simply ask you to   provide a direct link to the specific post or our VPLS info page at www.exponential-e.com/vpls when referencing your material.

MPLS IP VPN vs MPLS VPLS

Layer 3 IP VPNs provide a similar solution to a Layer 2 VPLS, however there are several key points of difference between VPLS & IP VPN solutions, each of which results in important advantages:

i) Protocol – Layer 3 solutions are limited to IP protocol so some applications will require special handling to bring them onto the network. VPLS on the other hand is a protocol-agnostic Ethernet solution which can support both IP and non-IP applications. In other words, if an application can run on a company’s LAN it can run on their WAN. This feature saves VPLS users time and money by reducing administration.

ii) Architecture – The simplicity of a  VPLS network as a switched solution means the addition of a new site can be done quickly and inexpensively via a VLAN, whereas with the routed MPLS solution, routing tables need to be reconfigured, which takes longer. This means providers of VPLS networks are able to respond to customers’ changing needs faster than providers using IP VPN network solutions. In addition, a customer using a VPLS network solution will only see the routers of their own network i.e. it is a transparent WAN to the customer.

VPLS QoS

iii) Quality of service - The quality of service (QoS) of Layer 2 VPLS compared to that using a Layer 3 MPLS VPN is far superior. With our Ethernet network, our customers have the ability to measure very precise end-to-end service levels in terms of latency, packet loss and jitter in line with the 802.3ah. This has not been available in the UK before and remedies one of the main criticisms of wide area Ethernet networks – the inability to manage the first mile. The key feature that improves QoS over typical Layer 3 MPLS solutions is our ’service aware’ capability which basically enables higher priority traffic to automatically take precedence over non-critical traffic. While many competitor networks have had the ability to put inter-site traffic into different priority queues for some time, it was always necessary for the traffic to be pre-identified by the customer. Exponential-e’s ’service aware’ feature removes the need for the customer to ‘tag’ traffic as it can identify different traffic flows and automatically prioritise data according to the customer’s definition ofthose priorities.

The feature is so sensitive that even where HTTP protocols are more commonly used for Internet surfing, mission critical applications traffic can now be identified and given a higher priority.

iv) Security – The security of a VPLS network is second to none as it is run in the Layer 2 environment which is not hackable unlike MPLS solutions that exist in Layer 3. Furthermore, different VLANs can be presented to the customer as separate cables allowing, for example, the “clean” office network traffic to be separated from “dirty” public Internet traffic, enabling the customer to minimise the possibility of security breech.

v) Scalable bandwidth - Bandwidth changes on VLANs are made through simple software changes. This means that VPLS users are not restricted to buying bandwidth in large steps but can buy exactly as their usage requirements dictate up to the limit of their physical access circuit’s capacity.

vi) Pricing – Low cost CPE, lower cost management systems, less support manpower required by the service provider and a generally more efficient network mean that VPLS technology can be provided at very competitive prices to customers.

vii) Future-proof – VPLS is fully scalable and, being protocol agnostic, it is suitable for all types of traffic negating any need to rip out existing infrastructure should you need to upgrade again.

These are just some of the advantage Layer 2 VPLS network have over their Layer 3 IP VPN counterpart. Visit: www.exponential-e.com/vpls for more information about VPLS and to sign up to one of our Free VPLS seminars. Our final post in the VPLS tutorial will sumarise what we have covered today and introduce the first of the first of a number of VPLS case studies:

A VPLS-enabled Next Generation Network from Exponential-e

Follow the link below to revisit the previous post in our previous VPLS tutorial:

What is VPLS? & What does VPLS do?

How can VPLS help you do better business with your customers?

What makes VPLS easy to use and install?

What makes VPLS easy to use and install?

Welcome to the third instalment in our VPLS Tutorial today we will be covering:

What makes VPLS easy to use and install?

Please feel free to use the information provided in  these posts in your own  blog or website we simply ask you to   provide a direct link to the specific post or our VPLS info page at www.exponential-e.com/vpls when referencing your material.

VPLS Installation

A Virtual Private LAN Service (VPLS)-enabled Next Generation Network (NGN) is a switched solution. This has a number of implications for ease of installation and ease of usage.

Is It Difficult To Configure A VPLS Network?

As a switched solution VPLS does not depend on routing tables, which means specific routing information is not required from the customer which is a huge advantage provided by a VPLS networks especially when information is of a confidential nature. Unlike switched VPLS solutions routed MPLS solutions require complex network design work to be completed and the resulting design affects the way that customers must configure their gateway router equipment. By way of contrast, with a VPLS solution, only the network router to which the site connects needs to be configured. Once this is done, the customer can connect their site up without any special configuration.

How Much Will I Need to Invest In VPLS Hardware?

In addition with VPLS, there is usually no need to purchase new hardware in the form of routers, as is often the case for MPLS solutions, because the company can use ordinary LAN equipment already at the site. As a Layer 2 service VPLS offers a clear separation of control between service provider and customer, as such, faults can be identified and rectified faster; what’s more, servers can be moved without the need for changing IP addresses.

Is it Difficult To Add New Sites With VPLS?

The ability of VPLS to rapidly change the VLANs with just a few key strokes, swinging them to different sites or connecting different sites and services together makes the network easily adapted to a customer’s changing needs.

This is just a snapshot into some of the reasons why VPLS network solutions are easier to install. Visit: www.exponential-e.com/vpls for more information about VPLS and to sign up to one of our Free VPLS seminars. Our next post will compare MPLS-VPLS technology with MPLS-VPN in:

What makes VPLS stand out from other technologies that do a similar job?

Follow the link below to revisit the previous post in our previous VPLS tutorial:

What is VPLS? & What does VPLS do?

How can VPLS help you do better business with your customers?

How can VPLS help you do better business with your customers?

Welcome to the second installment of our VPLS Tutorial. Today we will be covering

4 ways in which VPLS can positively impact how you do business

Please note, if you choose to use any of the information provided in these posts in your own blog or website, we simply  ask that you provide a direct link to the specific post or our VPLS info page at www.exponential-e.com/vpls when referencing your material.

1) Improved agility with VPLS:

In the current climate of rapid change and advancement, companies which are set up to respond the most quickly to market shifts will be the ones that retain a competitive advantage. A Virtual Private LAN Service (VPLS) solution assists companies to this end. VPLS uses MAC addresses with Layer 2 switching as opposed to Layer 3 MPLS solutions which use IP addresses and Layer 3 routing.

The over-riding advantage of this is that with VPLS you are in control of your own IP routing. Therefore, your IT department can be much more agile in responding to varying levels of customer demand. VPLS networks allow you to conduct rapid reconfigurations yourselves without having to contact your service provider and wait for the provider to act upon the request. Even if you do require a service provider change, the typical time to make network changes to Layer 2 VPLS networks is only a fraction of that for Layer 3 MPLS networks because the network planning process is much simpler, which could be crucial for some businesses. Another feature which aids agility is the ease of adding new sites. With our VPLS-enabled NGN, a new site can be added by simply changing the network router that connects the site to the VPLS network. With Layer 3 MPLS solutions, however, it is a much more complex process as all of the service provider’s routers need to be changed which typically takes 10 times as long.

2) Improved efficiency with VPLS

Companies with a VPLS-enabled NGN will be more smooth-running and thus should be able to provide a better level of service to their customers. This is down to the fact that with VPLS the company has access to its own network information so faults in a VPLS network can be isolated much faster and the IT department can trouble-shoot to fix an urgent crisis rather than having to go through a number of support engineers to get the information required. Less network down-time means higher corporate efficiency and productivity. Another aspect of our VPLS solutions is that they offer 5 levels of Quality of Service (QoS) and allow you to define your own priority levels either through labeling your traffic or using the service aware QoS feature on the core network.  This is how VPLS maximises efficient network usage according to your business needs, so you can rest assured that mission-critical data such as CRM, ERP and SCM are allocated enough bandwidth, alongside key services such as video conferencing and telephony, even during peak usage and without costly over provisioning of network capacity.

3) Lower costs with VPLS

Companies that use VPLS solutions will find they have lower costs for a number of reasons. Firstly, VPLS enables convergence of services such as VoIP, video etc. so that all traffic can be delivered over a single Ethernet interface, eliminating multiple leased lines and resulting in economies of scale. Secondly, working with VPLS uses the same skills sets that LAN specialists have, so you would not need to provide additional training on WAN skills or hire WAN specialists. In addition, VPLS requires a lower cost of CPE as it requires smaller and fewer routers than MPLS solutions.

4) Lower latencies with VPLS

As a switched, Layer 2 solution VPLS is zero-hop in the core of the network, so extremely low round-trip latencies can be achieved. For example sub 1millisecond within London and 67milliseconds round-trip from London to New York. This improves the productivity of the workforce as information is available faster. It also saves retail customers using EPOS systems time dialling up to make credit/debit card payments, improving their customers’ sales experience.

These are just some of the business advantages offered by VPLS network solutions. Visit: www.exponential-e.com/vpls for more information about VPLS and to sign up for one of our Free VPLS seminars. Our next post will look look at the implementation of a VPLS Networks in:

What makes VPLS easy to use and install?

Follow the link below to revisit the previous post in our previous VPLS tutorial:

What is VPLS? & What does VPLS do?

Bookmark the VPLS Tutorial For Future reference

VPLS Tutorial|Virtual Private LAN Service|What is VPLS? & What does VPLS do?

Welcome to the first instalment in our VPLS Tutorial if you choose to use any of the information provided in  these posts in your own  blog or website we simply ask you  provide a direct link to the specific post or our VPLS info page at www.exponential-e.com/vpls when referencing your material.

What is VPLS?

VPLS (virtual private LAN services) is a significant standard supported by the Metro Ethernet Forum. VPLS extends the plug-and-play functionality we are used to in the LAN (Local Area Network) across the WAN (Wide Area Network) by facilitating the creation of a completely private Layer 2 virtual cloud to which you can connect all of your offices in order to gain any-to-any connectivity. Across this cloud we are able to create numerous virtual private networks (VPNs), meaning that we can layer value-added services over the network and, importantly for security, keep these services separate from each other.

What does VPLS do?

A VPLS-enabled Next Generation Network (NGN) enables the provision of Ethernet based multipoint-to-multipoint communication over IP/MPLS networks. VPLS makes it possible for geographically dispersed sites to share an Ethernet broadcast domain by connecting multiple sites through pseudo wires to a central bridge, as shown on the diagram below.

Figure 1: VPLS enables geographically dispersed sites to share an Ethernet broadcast domain

VPLS: Effective and Inexpensive

Combining the cost-effectiveness of Ethernet with the service delivery, traffic engineering, scalability and reliability of MPLS, VPLS has proven to be an effective and inexpensive way to provide multipoint Layer 2 Ethernet business services. As such, VPLS opens the gateway to creative cost-saving business solutions such as centralised DMZ distribution to multiple sites. In addition, for the first time, it enables the provision of multiple services such as video, VoIP, storage and hosting over one pipe, commonly known as convergence. This allows users to consolidate their telecommunications requirements and benefit from resulting cost savings.

These are just some of the common questions we receive in relation to VPLS:

Visit www.exponential-e.com/vpls for more information about VPLS and to sign up for one of our Free VPLS seminars.

Our next post will look at part of the business case for VPLS technology in:

How can VPLS help you do better business with your customers?

Bookmark the VPLS Tutorial For Future reference