Merging Networks
Made Easy
Abstract: Reliance Globalcom’s lead technical consultant, Ciaran Roche, looks at
technical issues around merging different networks as a result of an acquisition, or
integrating a supplier’s network, and discusses ease of implementation and cost
effectiveness of a virtual approach.
By
Ciaran Roche
Senior Technical Consultant
Reliance Globalcom
Merging Networks Made Easy
Mergers, mega-mergers and empire-building The VNO approach involves treating the design
corporate weddings are back in vogue. Almost process of the network in a completely different
every day, there is news of some new billion-dollar way. Rather than trying to fit as much of a network
combination. Seldom is it all plain sailing though. onto a particular carrier's backbone as possible,
More often than not, the technology in use is design teams can examine each location on the
completely different and has to be combined client's network and determine who the most
quickly, starting right at the heart the corporation's appropriate underlying supplier is, in a completely
network. objective way. The ‘best-fit’ is based on technical
metrics - what SLA can be delivered, what resilience
One of the limitations of the contracts most is in that part of that supplier's backbone - and also
enterprises have with telecoms carriers is the lack of commercial ones. This results in a solution which
flexibility that exists if a major change occurs in the offers a low overall cost, but with the required SLA
business. Typically the carrier will have been at every location. This ‘blank sheet of paper’
chosen because of how well their underlying approach isn't just valid on day one of a contract,
infrastructure fits with the requirements at each but also on an ongoing basis. If a client acquires a
location, but this is only a valid process at the time new company or suddenly needs connections to a
of contract signature. The changes that can arise as partner the same design process is used: the most
the result of an acquisition of a new company, or appropriate underlying supplier is chosen for this
unforeseen requirements to connect to other 3rd new part of the network, and it is integrated into the
party locations, such as those owned by suppliers overall design under a common SLA and contract.
and partners, can stretch global carriers to the limit.
But the more dynamic global carriers aren't just
The main reason, at the simplest level, is a sitting back and letting this business be lost to the
geographic one. No carrier has infrastructure in niche in-country and regional suppliers. Several
every country in the world, concentrating instead on carriers are now expanding their networks into
their own strong territories. However, more exactly these countries where there is strong
enterprises are looking to make rapid expansions demand for new infrastructure from major clients.
into developing parts of the world; areas such as This is done at an immense capital cost, as the
India, China and Eastern Europe are all attractive process of both procuring the infrastructure needed
due to the lower operational costs available there. to extend a backbone and deal with the in-country
politics is highly complex. The result of this type of
Historically these regions have not been strong expansion will be several major carriers that are
territories for major carriers. Instead it is the local eventually able to offer a full suite of products in
and regional suppliers in each market who own the many of these developing countries, but the process
underlying networks and can deliver a more cost is, by its very nature, reactive. No carrier will invest
effective solution. To deliver a solution that meets hundreds of millions of dollars in network expansion
the business needs, the enterprise is then faced on the basis of future speculation of demand.
with the prospect of signing separate contracts with
each supplier, negotiating SLAs and designing a The Virtual Network Operator model is perfectly
solution to ‘bolt-on’ this part to the rest of the suited to environments like this, where there is the
network. But even this can lead to further problems. potential for significant future change, simply
because it does not rely on using any one supplier's
On MPLS-based infrastructure, who is going to network. And as a result of increasing demand for
perform the translation between the different CoS external network connectivity and other large-scale
marking schemes used by each supplier? Or change, more enterprises are finding that having
perform the routing exchanges to allow traffic to flow this flexibility is more than just a nice option to have
from one segment of the network to the other? available, but a must-have to support their business
The end result is a network with no clear boundaries needs.
of responsibility, and the potential for performance
issues to arise due to misconfiguration or just
overall complexity of the design.
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Copyright 2005 © Reliance Globalcom, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Merging Networks Made Easy
About Reliance Globalcom For further information:
Reliance Globalcom, a division of Reliance Reliance Globalcom
Communications, spearheads the Global Telecom Units 1+2 Great West Plaza,
operations of India's largest Integrated Telecom Riverbank Way
Service Provider. Reliance Globalcom brings Brentford, Middx, TW8 9RE, UK
together the synergies of Reliance Communications T: +44 (0)20 8636 1700
Global Business encompassing Enterprise Services, F: +44 (0)20 8636 1700
Capacity Sales, Managed Services and a highly E: info-uk@relianceglobalcom.com
successful bouquet of Retail products & services W: www.relianceglobaclom.com
comprising of Global Voice, Internet Solutions and
Value Added Services. The company serves over
1400 enterprises, 200 carriers and 2 million retail
customers in 163 countries across 6 continents.
Reliance Globalcom owns the worlds largest private
undersea cable system spanning 65,000 kms
seamlessly integrated with Reliance
Communications over 110,000 kms of domestic
optic fiber provides a robust Global Service Delivery
Platform connecting 40 key business markets in
India, the Middle East, Asia, Europe, and the U.S.
With its recent acquisition of eWave World, a
pioneer in the global Wimax space, Reliance
Globalcom has the capability to launch 4G services
in over 50 countries. It has also acquired Vanco
Group, enabling the company to provide managed
services to over 230 countries and territories across
the globe.
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Copyright 2005 © Reliance Globalcom, Inc. All Rights Reserved.