| Businesses of today are urgently in need of help | | | | the Quality of Service needed to satisfy the |
| with overcoming the dilemma of running a | | | | customers' need for voice, video and |
| successful business through cost control and yet | | | | data.Another benefit to the customer is that a |
| increasing revenue. The multitude of services | | | | managed MPLS service frees IT resources, |
| required to be successful and the glut of | | | | allowing internal staff to devote time to work |
| applications are almost mandatory to be | | | | other than monitoring routers, help desk support |
| competitive. However, mismanagement and bad | | | | and other user problems. The scalability of an IP |
| planning can create a massive loss in money, | | | | VPN over an MPLS network is endless. |
| resources and time. The Managed Service | | | | As a Managed Service Provider one needs to pay |
| Provider provides that help for a wide range of | | | | attention to the evolution of the network. WLANs |
| technologies. VPNs, predicted by the Gartner | | | | are yet to be totally resolved. As a Certified |
| Group to experience the greatest growth of all | | | | Wireless Network Trainer I have first hand |
| Managed Services is one such technology. The | | | | knowledge of the problems that are being faced |
| budget for VPN technology according to the | | | | in the industry. My belief, though pessimistic, is |
| group was $6.76 billion in 2006. The cost savings | | | | that WLAN will eventually be a specialized |
| to the small business can reach 27%. Another | | | | Managed Service. Unlike the wired network which |
| technology gaining in acceptance is IP Telephony. | | | | is physical, the almost virtual workings of a WLAN |
| Network security, both LAN and WLANs, | | | | presents a special need in terms of management, |
| together with remote access creates an | | | | security and availability. Understanding of the |
| environment that has the potential to overwhelm | | | | theory of MPLS will allow the MSP to leverage its |
| the internal IT Department. The MSP provides an | | | | functionality and provide the protection, |
| option that saves the small business from building | | | | profitability and productivity bottom line to his/her |
| and implementing from the ground up. Acceptance | | | | client. MPLS is also ideal for the dispersed network |
| of Managed Services is a boost for providers. | | | | where it is impossible to have a roaming IT team. |
| Again the Gartner Group's study indicates that the | | | | Managed Services gives even the small company |
| majority of Fortune 1000 companies are currently | | | | the luxury of a huge IT Department to which it |
| using or considering the use of managed services. | | | | can grow. MPLS gives the service provider |
| MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching) has become | | | | unlimited potential, services can quickly be added |
| increasingly popular for building these networks. A | | | | to the IP VPN without having to build thus in turn |
| properly designed MPLS environment can provide | | | | creating massive savings for the client. |