Home » Eric Brooker, Issues, Telecommunications, Volume 2 Issue 1

MANAGED SERVICE PROVIDERS:TRADITIONAL VS. DYNAMIC MPLS

18 December 2009 354 views View Comments

The major difference between traditional and dynamic MPLS is simple: the traditional set up is considered to be the best in class with both the multi-protocol label switching capabilities plus more a traditional voice infrastructure that is separate. While this means some services are redundant, it also means that if there is a problem with the voice network or other services, there will still be some capabilities that remain untouched. However, with the advanced technology involved with MPLS these days, that need may not really be a selling point. If one aspect of the network is down for a period of time, there will still be the option of rerouting call traffic on the fly. 

Dynamic MPLS uses one circuit for data and voice, a disadvantage in the past if the circuits went down because it left you virtually dead in the water; however this is not always the case these days. If you are able to re-route call traffic without any problems then the better option for your business might be dynamic MPLS because it is generally less expensive than the traditional option.

If, as the business owner you are confused it is in your best interest to consult an expert who can show you the best possible set up and solution for your business that is unique to you, your industry and your customers. Having the right services are important not only so that you can get your work done efficiently, but so that you do not pay too much for services that you do not need. 

A managed services provider will discuss the day to day needs of your company as well as the potential for future growth. How will the growth of your company affect the needs of your IT services? Will you need a completely different service plan in a few months, a year or longer? Will your service needs stay relatively the same?

The services provider will also discuss whether or not you need to stick with the more traditional MPLS network, despite its higher price or will your company be better served by the dynamic MPLS network instead? Which is more important to your company: outright dependability and a higher price tag or technological advancements and a lowered price?

Never forget that the primary benefit of having a MPLS network is the lack of dependence on a single technology. If your email server is down, you should still be able to route traffic volume through a different aspect of the network limiting the time that you are technically down to a short blip of time rather than hours or even worse, days while you wait for repairs to be completed.

With many companies switching to a more virtual network, there may not be a tech “guy” on site around the clock meaning that you might have to wait for a crew to get to you unless you have virtually routed systems that can be repaired remotely.

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Author: Eric Brooker (11 Articles)

  • ericbrooker
    Thanks for your response. I do think that in today's environment many companies with multiple locations do need to consider MPLS as a part of their technology strategy. With that being said I think it is naive to say the answer is 100% telco or 100% VOIP. In my tenure in this industry I have learned that every client is different. Some clients are a great fit for an MPLS dyanmic circuit and others may be, as you suggest a good fit for VoIP. I do think that in many cases carriers will suggest their solution is the best as they do, "want to keep billing for voice", this is why I suggest finding a company that can recommend multiple solutions. A managed service provider that can look at your needs and recommend a number of carrriers and a number of solutions would be the best suggestion at this point.



    Also, feel free to look at the Call Center tab under Industry on this site as I think you will find a number of good articles specifically addressing VoIP. Finally, please keep an eye out as you have inspired me to write an article on VoIP providers and, "what to look for". In today's environment there are a number of good VoIP providers in the market, depending on what you are looking for. There is a need however to be cautious as unlike the traditional telco world there are a lot of; garage operations in the VoIP world.
  • Dumontet
    after some experiences with dynamic MPLS ( traffic engineering approach, and G-MPLS )
    difficult point are:
    -ability for standard router to support great number of setting/removal/modification of reservations
    -for multimedia session dynamic linking between mutimedia protocol (H323,SIP) and reserved tunnel
    - managing the unidirectionnal limitation of RSVP
    - desynchronisation beetween rsvp reservation mpls tunnel creation vs FEC affectation (FEC is not known when you reserve) in a reserve before sending invite approach.


    but i think dynamic MPLS is a great and profitable deal for tomorrow

    François
  • DYNAMICTSRAWFUL
    Our experience with Dynamic circuits has been awful and created tension between integrator and customer. If you're considering MPLS as part of a strategic vision, then you may want to add VoIP and part of the solution. Much easier to allocate bandwidth and deploy quality of service. Don't let the telco's fool you into thinking their solution is the best, they just want to keep billing for voice.
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