Advantages of Managed IP Services
Managed IP is a WAN or Wide Area Network service that is provided
and managed by a competitive carrier that owns and operates its
own IP network. A managed IP provider ensures that you have the
bandwidth and connectivity you need, without having to manage
the WAN yourself.
What are Typical Classes of Service?
Class of Services or CoS is established in MPLS networks to ensure the performance of each packet on the network. CoS classes include real time for voice and video, mission critical for time sensitive applications such as transaction processing, business critical for applications such as database access, and data for lower priority traffic that isn't time sensitive.
When Should You Use VPLS?
VPLS might be the right service for your company or organization if you need to connect anywhere from a few to a few dozen locations as if they were on a single Local Area Network. Advantages of this approach, compared to a private network arrangement with individual point to point connections back to headquarters, include lower latency, higher efficiency, and lower cost... perhaps much lower cost.
Cost Advantage of Converged Networks
By merging voice, data and video onto a single network, the cost and support levels needed to maintain separate computer data, telephone and video networks is reduced to a single network staff. WAN networks may also be managed by the provider, if desired.
MPLS Network Configurations
The MPLS network can be thought of as a cloud that is accessible from many locations. Your service can be set up for a single point to point connection, a hub and spoke replacement for central offices serving many remote locations, or a fully meshed network where any site can communicate with any other site.