What's the MPLS Total Customer Experience?

Wide Area Networking This newsletter is sponsored by Akamai Technologies Perk up apps with Web acceleration Discover why one enterprise made the decision to go with a managed Web application service provider to improve application performance. This IT shop decided that a distributed datacenter was too costly and is now reaping the benefits of outsourcing. Its once sluggish application is now chugging along. Network World's Wide Area Networking Newsletter, 08/07/07 What’s the MPLS Total Customer Experience? By Steve Taylor and Jim Metzler With the rollout of MPLS services well under way, Kubernan is in the midst of defining the Total Customer Experience (TCE) for MPLS customers. The TCE is a method that will be used to quantify the overall importance of and satisfaction with a number of components of evaluating, purchasing, and operating an MPLS network. While the components of the TCE have been identified, at least as a first iteration, the weighting of each component is currently being researched. From a top-down approach, the TCE consists of five key areas: 1) Current MPLS VPN Experience: This component addresses the performance of the MPLS network to date. Eleven discrete factors are included here, with reliability, security, and mean-time-to-repair among them. Get Up to Speed on the Latest in WLANs Easily stay on top of the latest developments and issues in WLAN technology, standards, security, telephony, management and more with Network Worlds latest Executive Guide, "Keeping Up With the Wireless Whirlwind." Click here to download! 2) MPLS VPN Buying/Evaluation Process: In this component, which is self-explanatory, factors include pricing, technical knowledge of the sales team, and the company’s ability to deliver on commitments. 3) Delivery/Installation of Services: Again, the component is self-explanatory, and the factors include testing prior to turn-up and having a single point of contact. 4) Support: This category focuses on post-sales operational support including timeliness in problem resolution, self-service tools, and the technical knowledge of the service provider’s support staff. 5) Billing: Indeed, MPLS services are not free. Factors in this component include timeliness, problem resolution, and accuracy. In each category, the research is being conducted to identify both the importance of each factor (for weighting purposes) and the customer’s satisfaction level with each factor. This will allow Kubernan to identify areas where important factors are being satisfied, as well as areas where this is not the case. Additionally, data is being collected from both the supply side and the demand side. As the study is completed, we’ll be sharing some of the results in this newsletter. In the meantime, you may both participate in the study and receive an early copy of the results by responding to a questionnaire here. Also, please feel free to pass this link along to colleagues.   What do you think? Post a comment on this newsletter

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Contact the author: Steve Taylor is president of Distributed Networking Associates and publisher/editor-in-chief of Webtorials. For more detailed information on most of the topics discussed in this newsletter, connect to Webtorials, the premier site for Web-based educational presentations, white papers, and market research. Taylor can be reached at taylor@webtorials.com Jim Metzler is the Vice President of Ashton, Metzler & Associates, a consulting organization that focuses on leveraging technology for business success. Jim assists vendors to refine product strategies, service providers to deploy technologies and services, and enterprises evolve their network infrastructure. He can be reached via e-mail. This newsletter is sponsored by Akamai Technologies Perk up apps with Web acceleration Discover why one enterprise made the decision to go with a managed Web application service provider to improve application performance. This IT shop decided that a distributed datacenter was too costly and is now reaping the benefits of outsourcing. Its once sluggish application is now chugging along. ARCHIVE Archive of the Wide Area Networking Newsletter. BONUS FEATURE IT PRODUCT RESEARCH AT YOUR FINGERTIPS Get detailed information on thousands of products, conduct side-by-side comparisons and read product test and review results with Network World’s IT Buyer’s Guides. Find the best solution faster than ever with over 100 distinct categories across the security, storage, management, wireless, infrastructure and convergence markets. Click here for details. PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE You've got the technology snapshot of your choice delivered to your inbox each day. Extend your knowledge with a print subscription to the Network World newsweekly, Apply here today. International subscribers, click here. SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES To subscribe or unsubscribe to any Network World newsletter, change your e-mail address or contact us, click here. This message was sent to: networking.world@gmail.com. Please use this address when modifying your subscription. Advertising information: Write to Associate Publisher Online Susan Cardoza Network World, Inc., 118 Turnpike Road, Southborough, MA 01772 Copyright Network World, Inc., 2007