WAN Guide

The Bespoke WANAny Access Technology

network

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It has never been more essential for wide area networks to handle

everything from simple email to cloud and converged applications.

In today’s business world, every site and every user needs instant access to their data and applications, causing legacy network infrastructures to feel the strain. It has never been more essential for wide area networks (WANs) to handle everything from simple email to cloud and converged applications. Add to that, the security implications of the multitude of new access devices and the WAN requires very smart optimisation.

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Network Connect from Eclipse enables businesses to create a bespoke wide area network, giving all sites the same reliable connectivity experience. Different sites with different needs brought together over one secure private network.

Any access technologyfrom private broadband to Ethernet, GEA and mobile you can utilise the best technology available at each site.

Reduce suppliersmigrate all connections into one network to run applications more cost effectively.

Cut costschoose different access technologies to reduce set up and total cost of ownership.

Simplify managementchanges and upgrades can happen remotely making management easier and more cost effective.

Prioritise trafficyour traffic has a private network so each site can have its own dedicated bandwidth and be prioritised accordingto the needs you set.

Increase agilitywhen your business evolves simply add more sites or bandwidth as required.

Guaranteed availabilityour 100% SLA is not an aspirational target to be achieved, it’s a minimum standard we expect of ourselves.

Enter Network Connect

Network Connect managed wide area network extends the

simplicity of the LAN across multiple locations

Performance is critical for any WAN. Connecting every location with fibre Ethernet would produce a very fast, but potentially uneconomical network. Does every site need high bandwidth capability?

Network Connect gives you the flexibility to merge any access technology into your network and build in the capacity for future expansion. We’ll work with you to understand what each location needs to achieve before auditing the best access technologies available.

Whichever ones you choose, we bring them together into one easy to manage, secure network, reducing suppliers and cutting costs.

As new technologies become available and business requirements change over time, we don’t expect your WAN to look the same in three years. The flexibility and technical approach of Network Connect ensures that these things can change whilst the performance, security and availability of the network remains the same.

Private ADSL

GEA

Mobile Data

EFMFibre Ethernet

Private Bonded Broadband

Private Fibre

38% of businesses cite performance as the main issue with their current

WAN. Often as a result of low bandwidth and unreliable connectivity

leading to poor performing applications across the WAN.

Computing survey, September 2013

Any Access Technology

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A wide area network is the best way for your business to move voice, video and data around. With all your business applications existing within the same private network, you’ll increase collaboration by giving users access to the network anywhere and anytime.

Network Connect securely delivers internet access into the heart of the network and manages security via our hosted firewall, allowing your business to take advantage of cloud and hosted solutions such as SIP Trunks, Hosted PBX, Data Hosting, Backup and Microsoft Apps.

In order to support an increasingly distributed and mobile workforce the WAN needs to deliver

the same levels of performance, resilience, security and availability as the local network.

Network based internet access and firewall services

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In terms of what they deliver, WAN technologies are similar. You want a fast, reliable and secure network. The differences come into play when considering how you want your network to be configured, managed and importantly, added to.

MPLS is a traditional Layer 3 network which transfers data between locations using label switching that delivers private network services over a shared infrastructure.

VPLS refers to a network which sits on top of an MPLS infrastructure, creating a Layer 2 Ethernet LAN which provides a single network into which all sites can be connected.

IPSec effectively creates private encryptions and tunnels over the internet to connect locations together into a single network.

To us, the label is not important. It’s what your business wants to achieve that’s key.

Utilising multiple access technologies across your connectivity estate, Network Connect presents a Layer 2 VPLS network which enables businesses to manage their network like a LAN; every location appears as if in the same building. As it sits on top of MPLS, you get all the stability, performance and security as well as simplified management and agility.

• Able to handle legacy protocols and applications as well as IP

• WAN appears to the customers as a single Ethernet network

• Quicker to add new sites

Geographically diverse locations connect together as if on the

same local area network.

WAN Technologies

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With Network Connect, there’s no more ageing infrastructure crippling under the bandwidth demands of your business critical applications.

It’s the ideal foundation to deliver your cloud strategy. Everything existing within the same private network, enables employees to seamlessly access the same data and applications from wherever they are, whenever they want and from any device.

Network Connect mirrors the scalability of cloud services and allows you to plan ahead for future business growth. Along with the flexibility to add more users to cloud applications quickly, with Network Connect you can expand bandwidth to any location when your business needs it.

Your network is a function of helping your business to grow. Network Connect is designed with this future capability in mind

Optimised for cloud services

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Covering multiple locations and multiple connections, complete visibility of your WAN is critical. That’s why Network Connect includes Eclipse Sentinel.

Developed by our own infrastructure engineers, Sentinel is an advanced web-based monitoring tool which enables you to view the connectivity status of every single site, in real time. The interactive geographical map highlights any issues at individual site or exchange level; not only if lines are up or down, but what is really happening on the network.

Some of the network monitoring features include:

• Proactive detection, diagnosis, and resolution of network issues, before outages impact

• Trackable response time, availability and uptime of routers and equipment

• Performance statistics in real time via online dashboards and reports

• Alerts to three devices by SMS or email to specified contacts

Network Connect also supports SNMP access, allowing you to review the bandwidth performance of your network.

Advanced performance monitoring

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As Network Connect is a managed WAN, our engineers have visibility of your circuit and router enabling them to provide true end to end support. On top of this, you have the flexibility to choose failover options at each site for added peace of mind. So if one connection fails, your traffic will automatically switch, keeping your WAN connected.

We have a number of failover options from broadband to geographically diverse leased lines.

• Broadband failover including ADSL and mobile

• Leased line failover including EFM, Protected, Diverse and Diverse Plus

Protected - a second fibre line using the same router and entry point from the premises to the exchange.

Diverse - two independent access circuits into the premises connecting to a single network point.

Diverse Plus - two independent access circuits at the premises connecting to two geographically diverse network points.

Resilience

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Your network is important to us. As it’s designed for your business by our engineers, they implement and manage it, giving you complete peace of mind that every connection is doing what it needs to do.

At Eclipse we develop long term relationships and we mean what we say. We not only provide a great network but we’ll advise and work with you to find new ways of accessing and utilising emerging technologies. You’ll get a dedicated Project and Account Team who understand your marketplace, your business and your connectivity portfolio.

We’ll hold annual, quarterly or monthly reviews to ensure the network continues to meet the demands of your business and evolves with the organisation.

We provide Service Level Guarantees for:

AvailabilityPerformance

JitterDelay

Packet loss

Calls answered in less than60 seconds, dedicated corporate

support teams and 70% of technical issues resolved at first

point of contact.

A relationship, not just support

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Advice for WAN buyers

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Making sure your financial commitment is focussed at the right sites and with the right technology is critical to the WAN decision. Here are some questions you need to ask yourself when considering a WAN:

1. What does my business need to do? How many employees need access to the network and from where? What applications will they need to access?

2. Where do I see my business in 3 years? How does the IT strategy fit with overall business goals? The network should support your journey from anticipating bandwidth requirements to adding more sites or upgrading access technologies.

3. What budget do I have available? Understanding strategy and objectives as well as budget will enable you to make more straightforward technology decisions.

4. What guarantees do I need? Can your business afford to have downtime? Failovers and SLA’s should be considered, along with how you’re notified of issues.

5. Do I have the in-house skills to manage the WAN? Whether you need to manage the network yourself is key to the type of WAN your business may need.

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Furniture Village54 sites

The Eclipse network means Furniture Village can roll out new communications services and business applications cost effectively to sites that previously didn’t have the connectivity to support them.

The 3-year contract includes the provision of access services including Ethernet leased lines, private fibre, private bonded broadband and traditional broadband; integrated within a single network to give Furniture Village the right mix of connectivity they need to meet the demands of their busiest trading times.

“Eclipse has brought a level of dynamism to our data communications which is sorely needed in today’s retail environment. Eclipse has been extremely helpful, professional and has become ‘one of the team’.”

Ian McBethGroup IT Controller

The RSPB200 sites

Eclipse is excited to be providing the new managed communications network to support the work of one of the country’s largest nature and conservation charities.

The RSPB network sees over 200 locations being connected across the country, many in hard to reach rural areas, allowing deployment of new ways of working, such as access to real time video. As part of this partnership, we’re delighted to be holding an annual charity day for the RSPB.

“The new network is going to make a huge difference to our work, and we are also really excited that Eclipse has organised a charity day for us. It was great to see everyone enjoying themselves whilst raising much needed funds to help give nature a home.”

Sue Pickin, Senior Community Fundraiser

At Eclipse we’re proud of the services we deliver and the businesses we partner with. Over 70% of our business comes through word of mouth and referrals. In fact Network Connect was created from customer feedback, bringing wide area networks firmly within the grasp of all businesses.

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Sports Direct 700 sites

The connectivity solution for Sports Direct includes Ethernet leased lines, ADSL business broadband and Bonded Broadband services to their 700+ stores across the UK.

“In today’s economy retailers feel the effects of consumers spending less on the high street and buying more online. The pressure to keep infrastructure costs down is constant. At Sports Direct, we annually review our network to ensure it continues to be reliable, robust and value for money.

When we added the JJB portfolio in 2012, Eclipse’s speed and flexibility ensured we had the right technology to meet our business plans. I have no doubt that the strategic partnership will continue to evolve and develop as we plan to integrate further stores into the network”.

Nick DentonNetwork Operations.

Timpson950 sites

Timpson is a diverse and dynamic family run business selling services from shoe repairs and key cutting to photo processing and dry cleaning.

The solution we provide combines fibre leased lines, private broadband and managed firewall and centralised internet breakout services.

“We chose Eclipse for their network reliability and service reputation. Over the last 3 years Eclipse have worked closely with the Timpson Group. The network now supports over 950 outlets nationwide across the Timpson, Max Spielmann and Snappy Snaps brands. We have no hesitation in continuing to transfer all our new connections to Eclipse”

Paul ChurchillHead of IT

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Our WANs are delivered as access products on the Eclipse Core Network and by using multiple and diverse interconnects into national wholesale Ethernet networks.

The Eclipse core network is a highly resilient MPLS/IP network, with an underlying core architecture built upon 10 Gigabit Ethernet. The core and access networks operate on an N+1 model to ensure maximum availability.

For resilience across the core, Network Connect solution designs leverage delivery in geographically diverse data centres and on geographically diverse aggregation links. The Eclipse network also benefits from accessing internet transit and peering across multiple geographically diverse locations.

The Eclipse network

Network Connect delivers robust connections between your end user sites and provides full coverage across the whole of the UK.

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A specialist connectivity and communications provider, everyday Eclipse helps businesses deploy tailor made WAN solutions, enabling them to seamlessly connect with customers, colleagues and suppliers, wherever they are.

Established in 1995, we’ve been around since the very start of broadband. Responding to customer demands, Eclipse have transformed from a broadband provider into a multi service connectivity and communications specialist offering a range of products and services, from business broadband, leased lines and wide area networks to voice, cloud and hosted applications.

Pioneers of bonded broadband solutions, our technology never stays static. We continue to evolve and create products and services that work together for all your connectivity and communication needs.

Visit: www.eclipse.net.uk | Call Free: 0808 163 9106

About Eclipse

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0808 163 9106

[email protected]