The success of the venture will be based largely on how well CoreExpress can allocate payments and on how effectively it can enforce its high SLA standards. But there is a precedent for this approach in remote access, where Gric Communications and iPass have successfully competed with the giant dial-up network providers. And while I'd be surprised if CoreExpress manages to recruit the top North American ISPs, which have too much existing business to protect, this will be a godsend for the regionals that desperately need new differentiators. But the mass producers of Internet services have taken over, and the old formula no longer works. The winners will be the largest companies with the broadest coverage.
Smaller companies are often more responsive, flexible and cost-effective than big carriers.
And if CoreExpress can sign up enough of them, its service will be great news for companies pushing the Internet's limits for business use. David Willis is a program director for the Meta Group's Global Networking Strategies service. Tech Library Our Tech Library offers thousands of white papers and research reports on emerging and hot technologies. There you'll gain access to the most current reports available from top analysts and vendors. Check out Tech Library now and become enlightened.