Nortel Contivity 1500 Extranet Switch

Nortel Contivity 1500 Extranet Switch ... The ubiquity of the Web has made possible a dramatic reduction in networking costs, as well as rapid growth in supply chain integration. Businesses can now cost-effectively create an alternative to the traditional, dedicated network, creating what's commonly known as a Virtual Private Network (VPN). There are several ways for a company to leverage the advantages of a VPN. The most common is to reduce remote access costs. The typical solution for remote access to corporate network resources used modem banks and remote access servers to support users dialing in via the public switched telephone network (PSTN). This model is expensive in terms of equipment, support costs, and the cost of the telecommunications service itself. Since the Internet is generally accessible with a local phone call from nearly anywhere in the world, the remote user can establish a remote access connection to corporate network resources through the Internet, dramatically reducing remote access costs. Early indications show that an average of $1, 000 in savings per user/per year can be realized through deploying a VPN. Another advantage of an Internet VPN versus traditional remote access is the ability to use high speed access technologies, such as cable modems and Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), in connecting to the service provider.

A second way that a company can leverage the Internet is through connecting branch offices to the network center. This is typically referred to as a branch office, site-to-site, or Intranet VPN. Rather than using leased lines or Frame Relay, the branch office is connected to the Internet by either a dedicated or dial-up connection, and the branch office connects to the corporate Intranet. Like in the remote access model, the cost savings can be dramatic. Another application, and perhaps the most exciting, involves using a VPN to foster the business-to-business synergies that enable electronic commerce over the Internet. Through using VPNs, business-to-business integration is now practical on a broad scale. The entire supply chain - manufacturers, distributors, resellers, retailers and consumers can now be cost effectively integrated, ensuring maximum efficiencies in ordering, provisioning, distributing and delivering goods and services. A customer order triggers a sequence of events designed to enhance the value and timeliness of the services being delivered - all automatically, and all over the Internet.