Network-Based VPN Services: Page 7 of 12

At $4,240, TManage's monthly fee fell in the middle in our group of respondents. The vendor can keep this price down because, like Virtela, it doesn't have a network of its own, and instead relies upon the Internet for transmission. Locations are connected to the Internet via SDSL or T1 connections. TManage uses IPsec with 3DES encryption to tunnel between offices.

Since TManage uses other networks, an enterprise could put together the exact same solution. What distinguishes this offering from a do-it-yourself setup is that TManage acts like part of your IT department to manage the connection. This arrangement is different from Virtela's, because TManage's hardware resides at the customer's premises rather than at the PoP. The company also acts as a single point of contact for all Internet connections, regardless of what provider is delivering the service.

To manage the network, TManage connects an out-of-band modem to each location's routers. This line gives the vendor access to each router for configuration changes, diagnostics, status and statistics, even if the main connection is down. TManage also creates a tunnel from its network operations center in Austin, Texas, to the enterprise's corporate router for management.

Once the circuits are up and running, TManage provides reports on tunnel performance--availability, latency and packet loss--for each connection. Usage charts and management reports are also available, all from a Web-connected browser. Trouble and support tickets can also be viewed online.

TManage's service has one unique feature: bandwidth changes on the fly, loop bandwidth permitting. TManage asks for 60 to 90 days to install additional loops or make changeouts. As with its basic installation time, this window seems lengthy.