MPLS: Big Companies vs. Independent Providers

Even with all the technical knowledge in the world, it can sometimes feel like it’s impossible to make a decision on who should set-up your office network.

This decision only gets harder when it comes to the world of MPLS: it’s a technology that can be particularly hard to understand, and comes with a lot of decisions that depend on what business you’re running, and what type of network you already have.

Once you’ve gone through all these decisions, and fully understood MPLS, you might think you’re done. However, it’s not unusual for certain companies to only provide certain types of MPLS networks, or to have limiting MTUs or restrictions on the amount of ethernet MAC addresses you may have.

Depending on your needs, you may find obtaining a service provider easy, or decidedly hard. Either way, it helps to understand what type of people you might be buying from.

Large-Scale Providers

Suffice to say, the industry’s biggest providers are that big for a reason: they can sell a lot of people the same thing.

What this means for you is that you will often be restricted to using that company’s infrastructure, or infrastructure that they are renting from an even larger company. More importantly, large-scale providers will not have a consistent presence everywhere, which can add a lot of costs if you’re not situated in the right area.

However, the biggest problem many people find with large-scale providers is a lack of flexibility: as we discussed above, there are many facets of MPLS that can be tailored to suit your own network, and if it’s not convenient for the company you’re buying from, you may find yourself with a hefty price tag - or, for better or worse, a flat refusal.

Independent Providers

With a lot more flexibility and often offering completely-tailored SLAs, independent providers are a growing choice for many companies in the market for MPLS solutions. Smaller companies can offer far more personalised support, and are more eager to create one tailored network for one customer than to sell the same network ten times over to people who don’t really need it.

This is because small companies - especially ones that offer support as well as installation - are flexible enough to create a network that satisfies the customer, and is easy to support and maintain.

At Vostron, we offer this service. As well as tailored networks, and a single support number that will put you through to the same people who set up your network, we are proud to offer integrated IP telephony, mix-and-match carriers for different locations, flexible connectivity for any type of existing network, and - you’ll be pleased to hear - competitive pricing.

So why let MPLS be a hassle? Give us a call, and we’ll be happy to discuss your needs.