VPNs Offer Privacy, Efficiency and Value

As companies participate in a global economy and spread facilities around the world, maintaining fast, reliable and private communications is paramount to success. Wide area networks (WANs) have been the standard, connected through leased lines and used for Intranet access. But leased lines can become expensive, especially as distances between sites increase. As a result, companies are creating Virtual Private Networks, or VPNs.

A VPN is a 'virtual' private network utilizing a public/shared infrastructure (usually the Internet) to connect remote sites or users. A VPN creates pseudo-dedicated connections between different locations and networks. VPNs also often refer to secure tunnels over the Internet as well as VPN connectivity across a shared network infrastructure.

A well-designed VPN offers a company efficiency and value through:

• Extended geographic connectivity
• Any-to-any connectivity, like point-to-point or multi-point meshed
• Flexibility and simpler network topology in how a company wants to set up its network
• Bandwidth scalability
• Reduced operational costs versus traditional WAN
• Faster ROI than traditional WAN
• Reduced transit time and transportation costs for remote users

VPNs take advantage of economies of scale by using common backbone facilities such as the Internet and provides companies with global networking opportunities. This effectively provides a company with the privacy of a leased line while realizing efficiencies and improving networking functionality.

These benefits are why IP VPN is forecasted to become the most popular WAN technology by 2008. IP VPN is now a mainstream WAN connectivity solution for businesses. Each year the U.S. WAN Manager Survey shows continued steady growth in the use of IP VPNs. Site-to-site IP VPN is supplanting other WAN technologies, like frame relay and private lines.

Is your company ready for IP VPN? Find out more by visiting www.twtelecom.com.

Click here for a printable version of this page.