Internet Protocol (IP) technology has revolutionised the communications landscape, enabling a variety of different applications to run off a single network, opening up unprecedented integration opportunities for business, says Dean Young, head of telecommunication pre-sales T-Systems SA.
Increased availability, a variety of access technologies and affordability of bandwidth in the local market has meant that these applications, previously inaccessible, have now become a reality for local enterprise. Voice, video and data over an IP network have become known as triple-play, but IP has evolved even further.
From voice and data to multimedia and even business applications, practically any facet of business can be run off an IP network, in what has become known as x-play technology. This technology is available in South Africa and offers many benefits, but in order to leverage the full advantages of x-play, it is vital to have a secure, powerful, flexible and cost-effective network in place.
An IP Virtual Private Network (VPN) delivers the right combination of security, scalability and opportunity for modular expansion, ideal for the provisioning of a variety of IP-based applications.
Using the right IP-VPN solution, organisations of all sizes, both local and multinational, can integrate various sites as well as home offices, remote workers and even extranets, with flexible and scalable bandwidths, opportunities for modular expansion and high security standards. This paves the way for a transition from traditional to IP-based telephony and opens up possibilities for other IP-based applications, including multimedia, back-end and front-end business applications, customer relationship management (CRM) tools and more.
IP-VPN offers anytime, anywhere connectivity, ideal for organisations with multiple sites, a remote workforce or complex communication needs. Security is built in through secure gateways from the VPN to the Internet and vice versa. However, since the needs of all organisations are unique in terms of security, taking mobility, video, VOIP and other applications into consideration, an effective IP-VPN solution needs to be fully modular and customisable. This allows organisations to pick and choose the aspects that apply to their business and will deliver the greatest value.
A fixed connection delivers a direct connection between company sites, regardless of their geographical location. This should be a completely scalable solution that can be customised to meet the exact individual needs of an organisation. It should support multiple access technologies in order to ensure cost-effectiveness, including standard DSL and premium DSL with quality of service (QOS), links, leased links and data centre access, as well as Ethernet with optional classes of service (COS).
Best practices within IP-VPN include data prioritisation with QOS in various COS so that network traffic can be prioritised and transmission quality determined in accordance with application importance and sensitivity. Real-time applications are given priority to ensure quality, but when these are not in use, other applications will be given more bandwidth temporarily. This ensures optimal bandwidth usage at all times. Multi-VPNs can be created using a VPN access point, to enable secure and reliable communications between subsidiaries, partners, offices and so on. DSL traffic offloading is also important for redundancy and business continuity. In the event of a network malfunction, traffic can be diverted to a secure, high availability Internet connection. When the network is functioning normally, this secondary connection can be used for low-priority traffic, increasing the cost-effectiveness of DSL traffic offloading.
Remote connection is a cost-effective, scalable solution that allows enterprises to integrate mobile users, home offices and small branch offices into their networks. This delivers secure, anytime access to a corporate network regardless of location, device or infrastructure with a variety of access options and secure dial-up. Using remote connection, organisations can allow for flexible working arrangements by enabling workers to connect to corporate networks from outside. Networks can be accessed with a user ID via an IP router, or via secure Internet connection. Data transfer is encrypted for security purposes using IPSec or SSL. One-time passwords can also be added for additional security. Remote connection also offers a cost-effective way of incorporating small branch offices into the network.
Fixed and remote connections form the basis of a VPN solution. By adding on an extranet solution, companies can also connect with suppliers, distributors and partners beyond enterprise boundaries via a secure network, taking collaboration and communication to the next level. Using a shared extranet platform for the exchange of data allows organisations to extend their enterprise network and harness to power of real-time communication with suppliers and partners.
IP-VPN offers a host of benefits, including improved business productivity as a result of more efficient network usage, high availability and traffic prioritisation. It is also highly flexible, allowing corporate networks to be easily modified to accommodate changes to company structure, and connections are scalable in terms of COS, QOS, redundancy, backup and multi-VPN.
Harnessing the power of IP-VPN, organisations can gear themselves for growth, with a highly scalable solution that ensures bandwidth is available for the applications that need it, when it is needed. This enables enterprises to leverage the advantages of IP technologies, from VOIP to multimedia, business applications and any other x-play technologies that appear in future.
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Deutsche Telekom
Deutsche Telekom is one of the world's leading integrated telecommunications companies with over 129 million mobile customers, almost 34 million fixed-network lines and 17 million broadband lines (as of march 31, 2012). The Group provides products and services for the fixed network, mobile communications, the Internet and IPTV for consumers, and ICT solutions for business customers and corporate customers. Deutsche Telekom is present in around 50 countries and has over 235 000 employees worldwide. The group generated revenues of EUR 58.7 billion in the 2011 financial year - more than half of it outside Germany (as of 31 December 2011).
T-Systems
Drawing on a global infrastructure of data centres and networks, T-Systems operates information and communication technology (ICT) systems for multinational corporations and public sector institutions. T-Systems provides integrated solutions for the networked future of business and society. The company's 48 200 employees combine industry expertise and ICT innovations to add significant value to customers' core business all over the world.
T-Systems generated revenue of around EUR 9.2 billion in the 2011 financial year.
Since the inception of T-Systems in South Africa in 1997, the company has cemented its position as one of the most successful T-Systems companies outside of Europe. A leading ICT outsourcing service provider locally, T-Systems offers end-to-end ICT solutions in both the ICT operations and systems integration markets. Its extensive portfolio of services covers the vertical, horizontal, IT and TC space. T-Systems South Africa's head office is located in Midrand, with another major office in Cape Town, and 20 further representative offices in locations throughout southern Africa.
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