The public network provides greater scale-ability and leverage at a lower cost. A typical T1 leased line between a corporation and a local Internet service provider costs hundreds per month. But, because T1 charges mount as distance increases, a T1 connection running across the country can cost thousands of dollars each month. Most companies could save thousands of dollars a month on data communications costs by replacing leased lines with Internet-based VPNs. To make building a VPN over the Internet even more attractive to corporate users, the big ISPs have beefed up their points of presence, security offerings, and service-level agreements.
Internet providers partition their networks to provide VPNs to many corporate users.
More network managers are proving to themselves that building a WAN infrastructure with the Internet as a backbone makes sense for their business and offers levels of security and bandwidth they can live with. And for net managers willing to take their chances on the Internet, the savings can be great. Many organizations are exploring new business opportunities which are creating a need for the special strengths of VPNs. The growing use of the Internet, as well as the emphasis on the browser as the user-interface for many applications is creating a fundamental change in connectivity requirements. Use of the Web for access, routine remote access to corporate databases and other resources is becoming the norm as the networking of corporate computers continues at rapid pace.