NETWORKS

XO Communications ha announced the introduction of expanded capabilities of the XO Ethernet Services portfolio with the nationwide launch of XO Ethernet VPLS.

XO Ethernet VPLS enables businesses, large enterprises and government agencies to easily and cost-effectively transform their Ethernet local area networks into wide area networks that connect key offices and data centers and deliver applications to end users. XO Ethernet VPLS combines the simplicity and scalability of an end-to-end, unified Ethernet network and the application-aware capabilities of MPLS to allow customers to manage and enhance the performance of voice, video, data and business applications across their wide area networks.

"Today's enterprise networks are growing more complex in terms of the increasing number of applications and bandwidth demands they are required to support," said Tom Hobika, vice president of product management and sales engineering for XO Business Services at XO Communications. "Customers with distributed locations know that traditional data networks are expensive to maintain, operationally complex and not flexible enough to support the realities of today's enterprise IT environment. Ethernet is the de facto local area network technology, and XO Ethernet VPLS enables organizations to extend the familiarity, simplicity and cost-effectiveness of Ethernet for wide area networking to meet these challenges."

(Note: Listen to an audio podcast about VPLS and how it compares to other WAN solutions)

XO Ethernet VPLS is an ideal solution for multi-location organizations that are seeking to simplify the management of their wide area networks, facilitate control of all or parts of their networks, and increase application and network performance. XO Ethernet VPLS also interworks with other XO IP and network services, such as XO Dedicated Internet Access and XO MPLS IP-VPN on the same Ethernet circuit. The service gives customers the flexibility to choose from a wide range of bandwidth options from 3 Mbps to 1 Gbps.

Because XO Ethernet VPLS is a layer 2 VPN solution, it supports the needs of customers that have an emphasis on network security and prefer to maintain control of their routing, rather than share routing protocols with the service provider. In addition, XO Ethernet VPLS is protocol independent, enabling customers to support both IP and non-IP applications and making it attractive for customers who want to migrate away from costly frame relay and private line-based networks.

XO Ethernet VPLS also provides the intelligence to allow organizations to prioritize network traffic to maximize bandwidth use and ensure that mission-critical applications receive the highest priority across the network. The service offers four Classes of Service (CoS) -- Real Time, Critical, Priority and Standard -- with the unique offering of one flat rate for access to all four classes of service. The service is also backed by robust service level agreements (SLAs) to provide customers with the peace of mind that comes with quality of service guarantees.

XO Communications is a recognized leader in delivering Ethernet services. The company has significantly expanded the nationwide and local availability of Ethernet services through its nationwide fiber networks, Ethernet over copper deployments in more than 75 metropolitan markets and its broadband wireless capabilities. Through its multi-Ethernet access capabilities, XO Communications can deliver Ethernet services to millions of business locations nationwide.

The XO Ethernet Services portfolio includes:

--  XO Ethernet VPLS -- Multipoint-to-multipoint Ethernet WAN solution for enterprises to connect key locations, transport special applications with protocol transparency, and maintain separation of different network domains.

--  XO Ethernet Private Line -- Point-to-point Ethernet connectivity ideal for businesses looking for dedicated bandwidth between office locations.

--  XO Ethernet Hub -- Point-to-multipoint Ethernet solution ideal for connecting branches or offices to centralized headquarters or data center.

--  Ethernet Access -- Affordable, scalable Ethernet access to deliver Dedicated Internet Access, VoIP and MPLS IP-VPN services across the enterprise.