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NGN carrier MASERGY has launched a new secure Video Extranet service to enable B2B videoconferencing across an end user’s partners, suppliers and customers, using high definition, telepresence or standard video conferencing equipment.

So what’s special about this offering, considering MASERGY’s relatively small customer base (a few hundred companies), sparse network footprint (though national, MASERGY partners with many providers for local access and international reach), and the fact that AT&T is set to introduce a similar, higher-end telepresence and/or videoconferencing service later this year?

Well, for starters, there’s MASERGY’s experience with next-gen services like MPLS and VPLS, having been an early adopter of both; the carrier designed its relatively newly built network to carry such leading-edge technologies for apps such as VoIP, IP VPNs and Video over IP. Though it lacks the clout and extensive service portfolio of Tier 1 carriers, MASERGY has been able to win over medium-to-large enterprise businesses on this basis.

Moreover, MASERGY is emphasizing its highly secure network for the new service. Within a managed QoS network environment, Video Extranet provides secure inter-company videoconferencing through a VPN bridging functionality that links customers on a route-specific basis that allows only video session traffic to pass between the two private networks. This allows customers to leave their VPNs up for non-video sessions, since neither company would have access to or visibility within the other partner’s VPN. Video traffic need not be separately encrypted.

In terms of bandwidth, the service can support tens of megabit levels (Cisco Telepresence conferences can run from 15 to 35 Mbps), as well as lower-end videoconferencing capacity increments (such as those used by ISDN and H.323-based videoconferencing systems). MASERGY’s network management system allows end users to instantly and temporarily adjust bandwidth as needed.

Though the service is available to MASERGY customers and non-customers, each site does require at least one connection to a suitably-equipped MASERGY POP. As an add-on service, MASERGY’s proprietary diagnostics tool, Insight, provides a “real-time” snapshot of all network components and allows network managers to monitor and manage the QoS parameters of the video traffic and simplify troubleshooting.

It should be noted that Video Extranet has been available on a customer-specific basis for some time; this latest launch certifies that service pricing is now standardized for all customer segments.

Comparing Video Extranet to other offerings, David Hold, a senior analyst with Current Analysis, opined “For MASERGY customers, the new offer matches what is available from AT&T, with the exception of installation of high-end Cisco Telepresence solutions. But a full-blown telepresence solution as offered by AT&T would be limited by cost to just the largest corporations, and even that capability can be provided by various VARs with whom MASERGY has reseller relationships to provide a full soup-to-nuts solution serving the vast majority of the market.”

“MASERGY should also put together a turnkey package with unified pricing, for a fully managed videoconferencing and/or telepresence solution combined with network access, transport and monitoring.”

Source: telecommagazine.com