NEW YORK - Bell Atlantic last week announced its first all-IP virtual private network service, giving the RBOC's Northeast and mid-Atlantic customers another choice for branch office and remote user communications.
The new service, called simply Managed Virtual Private Network, is based on VPN hardware devices installed on customer premises, rather than a firewall or softwareonly offering.
In the initial version of the service, available this month, Bell Atlantic's Data Solutions Group will configure, install and manage TimeStep's Permit family of VPN switches. Bell Atlantic will eventually add Nortel Network's Contivity VPN switch as a second option for dedicated access locations, says Bill Jefferis, Bell Atlantic's senior VPN product manager.
For remote and mobile users with dial-up access, Bell Atlantic will provide an IP Security (IPSec) software client and use Data Encryption Standard or triple DES encryption. Device and user authentication will be performed via X.509 (Version 3) digital certificates.
Bell Atlantic did not release complete pricing details but gave a projected cost that reflects the fact that, like many other recent VPN announcements, this service includes fees for ongoing carrier management rather than pure transport. Bell Atlantic will charge $1,095 per gateway device if connected to Bell Atlantic's IP network and $1,195 per device on another service provider's network. (Bell Atlantic is offering the service outside its region under its ability to provide unrelated services beyond its boundaries.) That's in addition to the actual cost of the dedicated access line, such as a T-1. Plus, a 500-user "client pack" including the IPSec software will cost $4,495 if spread over six sites.
Bell Atlantic did divulge some service-level agreements for Managed VPN. The company will promise dial-up users 97% network availability, and the carrier will provide an initial modem speed of 26.4K bit/sec 99% of the time.
Unlike many regional Bell operating companies, Bell Atlantic is taking advantage of its ability to provide unregulated services outside its home region to encourage its customers - especially in the financial and health care industries - to add users nationwide to the VPN network. One challenge Bell Atlantic may face down the road: If the government approves its proposed merger with GTE Corp. - which has a much more dominant role in the Internet with its GTE Internetworking unit - Bell Atlantic will likely have to integrate its Managed VPN with GTE's VPN Advantage service.
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Network World, 12/14/98.
