In addition to a standard set of offerings based on core components, the carrier's product portfolio must include premium offerings with extra components. These comprehensive end-to-end solutions would include such options as managed equipment, professional services, disaster-recovery options, and customized applications.

Equipment

To meet their financial-planning needs, customers need the option to buy or lease equipment. They often need financing options as well.

Equipment Management

A customer may want the carrier to manage the equipment. The carrier's management responsibilities can include installation, configuration, maintenance, and upgrades. A customer may want time-frame options for service delivery (for example, by next business day or in four hours). In some cases, a customer may want a support person on site.

Staging of equipment in a carrier's laboratory allows the simulation of a customer's network to make sure it meets application requirements. A carrier is in a good position to offer staging as an equipment-management option. Carriers normally have the necessary equipment, personnel, established procedures, and expertise.

Disaster-Recovery Options

Many customer networks carry mission-critical traffic. As a result, those customers are willing to pay for disaster-recovery options. Hence, the carrier must offer redundancy options for both service and equipment.

Service redundancy options should include the ability to use one transport service as a backup for another service (for example, ISDN as a backup for frame relay). The carrier should also analyze the customer's network, identify possible points of failure, and recommend recovery options. Equipment redundancy options should include power, interface cards, common logic, and shelves. Backup equipment or even a backup center can be options available to the customer.

Service-Level Agreement

SLAs are an essential part of the managed multiservice solution. Customers expect specific commitments in writing. They also want to know what the consequences will be when a commitment is not met. The carrier must establish an SLA for each component of the managed multiservice solution.

Technical-Consulting Services

Given the rapid pace of technology advancement, many enterprises have difficulty maintaining the necessary expertise to keep pace. Consequently, a carrier can offer a technical-consulting service to help customers meet this challenge. The service can include training as well as identification of network requirements.

Security Options

The customer needs security options because of today's network environment. Companies are conducting business electronically through intranets, extranets, and the Internet. Security options can include remote access and firewalls, as well as the development of policies and procedures.

Applications Development

Networks are increasingly taking an external focus. As part of that focus, companies need network-based applications to support electronic commerce, which is a promising market opportunity for carriers. In addition to outsourcing their network operations, many companies would like to outsource the development and delivery of special applications. By partnering with a computing company, a carrier can offer a wider range of applications in its service plan, such as the following:

• Web hosting
• videoconferencing
• telecommuting project
• Internet access with special features