* New Edge Networks to roll out class of service for its MPLS IP VPN offering
New Edge Networks says it’s poised to serve the needs of enterprise customers as it rolls out class of service for its MPLS IP VPN offering.
The service provider, a subsidiary of Earthlink, announced last week that it will support five CoSs by Oct. 1. Today, New Edge supports just one CoS.
The classes are called real time, interactive, enhanced, business and best effort.
Real time typically would include VoIP traffic, where best effort would usually include Internet-browsing traffic. Ultimately it’s up to customers how they want to prioritize traffic.
The CoS support has been part of the service provider’s MPLS upgrade, which includes software tools and network management improvements to its core Alcatel 7670 gear, as well as upgrades to its Cisco network and edge gear. The Cisco changes include upgrades to its access and aggregation platforms, MPLS interoperability support, and upgrades to its IOS software.
New Edge also has Nortel Shasta gear throughout its network, which it uses for DSL aggregation. The service provider is planning upgrades to this gear, which will enable CoS to be supported over DSL connections to the customer edge.
In October, when CoS support becomes available, Jonathan Mapes, CTO at New Edge, says T-1, OC-3, frame relay, ATM and dedicated-Internet-access customers will be able to use the traffic prioritization queuing from customer edge to customer edge.
For DSL customers, CoS can be supported only to the provider edge, however. In February, New Edge plans to support CoS from customer edge to customer edge for DSL customers after it upgrades its Nortel Shasta gear.
New Edge’s MPLS IP VPN CoS support is somewhat unusual in the market, says Brian Washburn, analyst at consulting firm Current Analysis. “They are honoring MPLS tags across all switches and routers throughout the network. The only other carriers that do that are BellSouth and Global Crossing.”
Most other carriers say there is an infinite amount of bandwidth available in the core, so they just deal with MPLS tags at the provider and customer edges, he says.
New Edge has made a name for itself serving small to midsize businesses with five to 40 locations. Now the service provider is looking at winning over bigger customers.
“Through our MPLS upgrade we will have a portfolio [enterprise customers] are more accustomed to,” says Brett Theiss, director of product management. “We’re not of the mind to go after GM, Ford or Coca-Cola, but there is opportunity in the medium-to-large enterprise space.”
Theiss says one of New Edge’s advantages is that it is a “very nimble shop,” and can customize local access support easily.
The service provider will need to differentiate itself in the market from entrenched carriers such as AT&T and Verizon Business, and newer service providers that serve large enterprise users’ remote-access needs, such as MegaPath.
New Edge “planned to upgrade its MPLS network with customer-facing software so they spent the money anyway. For no additional investment they’re launching [CoS] and now they can . . . up-sell to existing customers and possibly win some new ones,” Washburn says. “But I don’t see a huge investment on [New Edge’s] part to become the next Qwest.”
“The great majority of New Edge’s customers are on the very small side, with only a couple of locations,” Washburn says. That should raise larger enterprise user’s eyebrows because the service provider doesn’t have much experience at this point in supporting the needs of larger businesses from a product or customer service perspective.
Since being acquired by EarthLink in April, New Edge has added national account team leads to its sales force. While the service provider wouldn’t reveal how many national or major account representatives it has, it says it has added about 30 employees to its 360 in key areas such as sales and customer service to help support its push up-market.
