Interview

Asia Netcom pushes next generation of IP VPN services

It’s a new kid on the block. But it wants to create what nobody has done so far. Asia Netcom, in a joint venture with Sify, will be offering best-of-class MPLS-based IP VPN services to Indian enterprise customers. Rohit Arora, country general manager, India subcontinent, talks to Rahul Neel Mani and explains how that will come about.

Asia Netcom owns and operates a network providing city-to-city connectivity, data communications and IP-based services to pan-Asian and multinational enterprises, ISPs and carriers. What is the benefit that the company offers to enterprise (non-IT user companies) customers through this network?

Asia Netcom (ANC) is the only telecommunications operator in the region that can provide connectivity at Network Layers 1, 2 and 3. ANC, therefore, has better control over the infrastructure and also over low-cost structures since its infrastructure does not change hands from a cable provider to a high-end service provider. For an enterprise customer, this unique positioning translates into better service at an attractive cost in a wide geography given ANC’s coverage of the entire Pacific Rim, including the US.

The new offerings from Asia Netcom’s IP VPNs combine MPLS-powered networks of Asia Netcom and Sify to provide flexible solutions for all types of corporate applications. What services will Asia Netcom and Sify offer to corporates through their MPLS-based networks?

Currently we are the only organisation that provides five classes of service in India, thereby allowing customers to map their applications closer to the appropriate class of service quality that each particular application requires. This allows the customer to save on costs.

The company claims that currently no other carrier in the region offers the degree of flexibility that is available through Asia Netcom’s IP VPN solutions. How do you support this claim and how does this claim rate against those made by other carrier-class vendors providing similar services?

At ANC, we understand the growing demands of today’s challenging business environment. That is why we are now bringing to market the region’s most flexible and customisable IP VPN service featuring five different Class-of-Service (CoS) levels and the option for usage-based pricing.

How flexible is Asia Netcom’s IP VPN service?

With Asia Netcom’s IP VPN service, you have complete control over how to deploy your resources for both your intranet and extranet requirements. You choose how your network is configured; you choose the bandwidth you need and you choose the level of service you want for each application.

What kind of future do you foresee for technologies like IP VPN and VoIP in India, where most companies are still focused on legacy solutions?

MPLS-based IP VPN and VoIP are technologies that have the potential to change the cost equation for enterprise networks as well as those enterprises focused on using international networks to execute software services or BPO projects. ANC, along with its partners in India, is in a position to take a leadership role in helping enterprises make that migration and maximise benefits from it.

What is the future course of action that the company has chalked out in India?

Our strategy is to stay focused on the medium to large enterprise market and the carrier segment. We will drive the convergence towards IP-centric networks and focus on networking and related services only. We are a small company (450 employees) with large company assets.

This allows us to innovate and swiftly customise solutions, ANC, along with its partners in India, is exploring how to launch services that are more aligned to specific segments like the BPO market.

What business strategy has Asia Netcom adopted for its India operations?

ANC will leverage its assets in the Pacific Rim to deliver quality and innovative services to customers through its partners in India. ANC will remain focused on delivering traffic in and out of the Asia-Pacific region. Our infrastructure, cost structure and company size helps us to deliver to our enterprise and carrier customers.