© 2012 Windstream Communications, Inc.!
Design Your Network
For Maximum Efficiency
Terry OʼBrian
Agenda!
Company Overview!
Businesses Need Better Networks!
How MPLS Solutions can Help!
Customer Experience !
OmniSource Southeast!
University of KY Federal Credit Union!
Windstream Company Overview
!
Advanced Communications & Technology Solutions !
S&P 500 Company with $6 Billion in Annual Revenue!
More than 450,000 Business Customers Nationwide!
Over 150 Offices Across the U.S.!
The Windstream Network !
More than 100,000 route miles of
fiber!
5,500 On-net buildings !
Why Businesses Need Better Networks!
New Economic Realities
Global Economy
Share Holder Expectations
New Business Models
Business Boundaries Blurring
Social Trends Accelerating
Blend Lifestyle
Social Networking
Environmental responsibility
Technology Enablers
Network, device, and application everywhere
Automation/standardization
Presence and Mobility
The Challenges Are All Around Us Every Day!
Need: Unified management across all required services
Need: Scalable infrastructure to support standard apps & mash-ups!
Workforces are distributed,
global and mobile
New applications demand
high network performance!
Need: Simplified infrastructure!
Need: Granular scalability of connectivity!
Disparate technologies are
difficult & expensive to manage
Legacy infrastructure
lacks capacity and flexibility!
To address these challenges, look for providers that offer:!
Simplification via converged voice & data solutions leveraging MPLS! Scalable network connectivity!- Windstream Proprietary - 7!
What is MPLS?
Technology Enabler for Better Networks!
Key Technology for Enabling Convergence!
Special short fixed-length label is added to the IP packet that acts as a shorthand representation of the IP packet's header. !
Works like a bar code for IP
packets:!
– Where it came from! – Where it needs to go! – Whatʼs in it!
– How urgent it is!
MPLS makes networks better! – Faster!
– Smarter!
Why MPLS is Better!
Legacy Solution!
MPLS Solution!
Windstream IP/MPLS
MPLS Network
Point-to-Point and/or Frame Relay !
Expensive to grow! Complex to manage!
Less efficient performance!
MPLS!
How does an MPLS solution benefit your business?!
➾
Customized Networking Solution
!
➾
Operational cost savings!
➾
Scalability!
➾
Enhanced Reliability!
➾
Minimal Implementation Disruption!
➾ 100% US-based Technical Support available 24/7/365
!
Frequently Asked Questions!
1. How secure is an MPLS network solution?!
2. How easy is it to scale my MPLS network as my business need
grow or change?!
3. How do I implement an MPLS network for my business?!
4. What kind of product support will I receive?!
11!
MPLS IP VPN Security!
All customer network data is stored on secure databases!
A separate and unique VPN routing table is assigned to each
customer !
Core network infrastructure is concealed from the outside world !
All access to Windstream equipment and systems is restricted to
authorized personnel!
Firewalls and Network Address Translation functionality protects
user data from exposure to the Internet. !
MPLS Scalability!
IP routing protocols, such as BGP, provide network intelligence
for resiliency, failover, and reliable packet delivery.!
Routing policies efficiently direct and control packet flows through
the network.!
VPN addressing techniques enables customer to use their
private IP address space.!
MPLS supports a wide variety of access technologies enabling
flexible choice of “last mile” circuits and bandwidths.!
MPLS Implementation!
13!
Windstream will …!
Design an MPLS network solution to meet your business
requirements.!
Ensure a smooth transition and timely test and turn-up of circuits and
network services.!
Provide key network documentation and specifications for your MPLS
solution.!
Provides a real-time network portal to view the health of your MPLS
services and bandwidth utilization statistics.!
MPLS Product Support!
100% US-based Technical Support
available 24/7/365!
Highly-skilled engineers located in
redundant geographical locations that
are always available to provide support
and trouble resolution!
MPLS Quality of Service (QoS)
Quality of Service (QoS) is a protocol that provides preferential treatment
to IP-based voice, data, and video packets during times of network
congestion.
!
Why would I need it?!
Not all IP packets are created equal.!
Networks must be able to simultaneously transport a multitude of
applications, including real time voice, high-quality video and
delay-sensitive data.
Networks must provide predictable, measurable, and sometimes
guaranteed performance by managing bandwidth, delay, jitter and
loss parameters
.!
How QoS is applied to prioritize data:!
Minimize latency for Business Critical applications such as video
conferencing, Citrix Applications and SAP.!
Additional Services Available with MPLS
!!
Ethernet Internet Access !
Managed Network Security !
Managed Router !
VoIP Services !
17! 17! 17!
Metal Recycling!
One of North America's largest processors and
distributors of scrap and secondary metals.!
In 2010 shipped 5.2 million gross tons of recycled
steel and 961 million pounds of nonferrous scrap!
34 locations!
Challenges!
Solution!
Benefits!
When trucks arrive hauling scrap metal, specialized software tracks and prices the metal with up-to-the-minute pricing. That data is then communicated across locations to keep each location up to speed.! Needed a more effective way to communicate between locations.
Needed a solution that would be flexible and scalable, making it easy to layer services as their network continues to grow.!
OmniSource Southeast!
Designed and installed an MPLS backbone for 34 locations!
Added 100 Mbps of bandwidth using Windstreamʼs Ethernet solution at main location!
Windstream has provided OmniSource Southeast with an
UK Federal Credit Union!
Banking!
$400M in assets!
5 branches; 17 ATMs!
Over 20,000 members!
Challenges!
Solution!
Benefits!
Tech savvy customers demanded more online and mobile banking solutions!
Better bandwidth needed to offer new banking applications and Web 2.0 based services; old phone system inhibiting employee productivity! Needed 24/7 service availability; centralized point-to-point network was
not reliable enough!
Designed and installed an MPLS backbone for all locations!
Replaced old phone system with new IP PBX solution that provides unified communications capabilities to all employees!
Significantly increased employee productivity thorough UC features like voice mail to e-mail and instant messaging!
