Qwest concentrates on putting VPN technology at its network's edge, Schroeder says. The classic VPN model entails dedicated customer premise equipment inside the enterprise, truck rolls, repair maintenance and a capital depreciation schedule, he says, all of which is an expensive proposition. We don't have to roll a truck, or test the box. I can activate the service very quickly. Security also is easier in the Qwest Internet cloud, he says.
Every connection is protected when it comes through the network.
Qwest's nationwide backbone also makes VPN a natural business for the company. Schroeder says Qwest has installed hundreds of VPNs, but hasn't made a public splash about its efforts. In one case, Qwest helped an architecture firm sent up a VPN so employees could share data-heavy design drawings on a wide area network. Before, the company shared drawings by sending Federal Express packets to 15 offices. And Qwest's 25,500-mile fiber backbone can handle future VPN traffic, Schroeder says.