The IP-VPN QoS service represents a significant improvement over existing corporate data networking offerings, and will target mid-to-large sized corporations.  The, service, run over an all-IP MPLS network, serves to connect national and international office locations, whilst improving cost efficiency and performance of corporate data networks.

C&W's new regional MPLS network will have a point of presence in most Caribbean islands where the company operates, from Grenada to the British Virgin Islands to Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.  It will be connected to Cable & Wireless' Global MPLS network.  This ensures national, regional and international connectivity for corporate customers with multiple office locations.

Said Lloyd Distant, Vice President for Business Solutions, "this is exciting news for Jamaica, our company and for our customers.  This MPLS-based solution allows us to partner with our customers more closely than ever before, delivering services based on their needs and customizing these services to meet their priorities.  We'll be able to guarantee QoS, and will provide Service Level Agreements to back up our promises.  We expect this to give our customers confidence as they move to running more applications - including voice and video, over one network of converged data services."

The introduction of MPLS technology represents a range of new opportunities to customers:

Efficiency: MPLS enables more efficient, smarter use of existing bandwidth through prioritization of different data and applications.  MPLS is able to assign priority, or Class of Service to different types of data based on customer business requirements.  It also defines the most efficient routes for data… and circumvents failed links and nodes within 50 milliseconds

Quality of Service (QoS): the all-IP MPLS network can provide end-to-end guaranteed QoS- for converged voice and data services

Scalability: Easily expandable bandwidth and access, and easy network re-configuration to changing access technology as client requirements evolve

Security: Secure connections provided with the latest IP tunneling, firewall and encryption technologies

Reliability: minimization of points of potential failure, full redundancy, and 24/7 network performance management.  Service availability guarantees with penalties can be provided through Service Level Agreements, as well as many types of network performance reports

Business Continuity: the MPLS network provides fast transport of data between primary and disaster recovery sites in separate physical locations, ensuring mission-critical data is protected and accessible, enabling operations immediately after a disaster

Interworking: MPLS-based solutions can integrate sites connected via different technologies.  For example, an office connected via Frame-Relay can exchange information across an MPLS backbone, with a regional headquarters connected via Ethernet

Future- Proof: The Class of Service, all-IP model not only means organizations can select the right prioritization of traffic for today, but gives scope for change and growth in the future, as business needs change and new applications become available

Said Dan Rudd, chief technology officer for Cable & Wireless Americas & Caribbean, "Our investment in the first MPLS network in the Caribbean was driven by customer needs for better network availability, guaranteed performance, more efficient use of available bandwidth, and a scalable, flexible, future-proof solution."

"The pricing of regional solutions based on the MPLS network will be comparable with current Frame Relay Services in terms of Bandwidth," explained Brad Mitchell, head of corporate sales, Cable & Wireless Americas & Caribbean, "However, for this same cost, customers gain better returns on their bandwidth investments, and improved performance of applications such as VoIP, video conferencing and security services."

Cable & Wireless invested more than US$10 million dollars in the MPLS network, and is planning to continue investing in this new-generation network, enabling world-class services as technology, applications and customer needs evolve.