Frame relay faces strong challenge from VPN technology

Frame relay has been one of the hottest WAN technologies over the past five years. The promise of cost savings versus leased-line networks, easy implementation, de facto outsourcing of the WAN and better performance than earlier digital loop carrier protocols made migration to frame relay a no-brainer.

Frame relay's growth likely will continue unabated in the foreseeable future, but a strong alternative is beginning to show up in the form of Internet-based virtual private networks (VPN).

Internet-based VPNs provide a lower cost and more ubiquitous access than frame relay, albeit at a lower quality of service (QoS). ISPs are working hard to provide a more predictable QoS for the Internet. As Internet services narrow the QoS gap, frame relay service providers must tackle a number of issues in order for frame relay to remain a leading-edge technology.

One common customer con- cern is frame relay service-level agreements within a single-provider service and on an end-to-end basis when multiple service provider networks are involved. The scope of SLAs, such as a customer's ability to measure and enforce the SLAs, still remains problematic.

Frame relay has also lagged in its ability to provide higher speed access links. Today, as a large number of customers are looking for OC-3 or higher speed access, frame relay services are introducing T-3/E-3 speed access.

For multinational enterprises, frame relay access continues to be a problem. In terms of its reach, frame relay will perhaps never attain the ubiquity of the Internet. Beyond universality, provisioning a multinational frame relay service still re-mains complex and timeconsuming, especially when compared with Internet-based VPNs.

While voice over IP and multimedia are hot Internet applications, they remain per-ipheral issues in frame relay. Multiservice frame relay - meaning the ability to seamlessly handle voice, video and data - is nonexistent.

In frame relay network management, customers are demanding better tools from service providers. Here again are users only beginning to see detailed and timely management reports in written, easy-to-use formats.

Capacity planning for frame relay PVCs continues to be an art. Switched virtual circuits (SVC) can certainly ease the job of determining virtual circuit capacity.

However, despite an SVC implementation agreement published by the Frame Relay Forum more than three years ago, SVCs almost universally are still a "planned" feature from most service providers.

These limitations and the emerging popularity of Internet VPNs do not sound a death knell for frame relay. Frame service will continue to remain a major technology. Higher speeds, better SLAs, more extensive management tools and multiservice nets will evolve, though not at the pace most users desire.

Frame relay is a service primarily provided by telephone companies, which are not exactly known for their agility in responding to user needs. Competition is good for them. The Internet is a big gorilla and may shake the telephone companies into moving a little faster.

Kapoor is managing director of The Tolly Group in Manasquan, N.J. He can be reached at akapoor@tolly.com.