Ever-greater volumes of traffic traversing the Internet exert ever-greater pressure on this "network of networks."  Because the relationships between IP backbones are based on peering, rising traffic loads increase the chances of peering congestion.

Although consumers may not notice Internet performance issues, enterprise IT executives clearly need a more reliable, secure, predictable and controllable cloud-networking solution.

They recognize that a private-network approach based on Ethernet and MPLS-based IP-VPNs offers a far more reliable approach to cloud networking. Backed by strong SLAs, a private-network approach offers enterprise IT executives the control and visibility into their cloud networks that they need to ensure the highest-possible performance of their mission-critical applications and services.

Knowing that cloud solutions are only as good as the network that supports them, savvy IT executives understand that just as all enterprises are not alike, neither are all networks the same.

When vetting potential network partners, IT executives begin with one basic question:  can your network adapt to the unique requirements of our particular enterprise and thereby deliver the promised benefits of cloud computing to us?

Many enterprises are turning to a private-network approach, one specifically designed to deliver cost-effective reliability, security and performance. 

They are looking for a private network that can flex to accommodate the enterprise's changing requirements. Therefore, IT executives want a network that can adapt to the unique requirements of the individual enterprise and offer:

• Burstable scalability for each enterprise location, with no need to pay for idle capacity

• Transparent support for all network-access technologies that exist across the entire enterprise, thus allowing the enterprise to leverage its existing hardware and software investments

• Rapid provisioning-in hours and days, rather than weeks and months—of new connections and fast turn-up of new services

• Geographic reach from any enterprise location to any desired end point in the world

In addition, IT executives obviously want that network to perform reliably and securely when transporting data between enterprise locations and the cloud. Finally, they want a private network that delivers all these capabilities at a price that does not break the enterprise CapEx and OpEx budgets.