It is an interesting thing to do to have a conversation with a network engineer about the design of IP VPN platforms and then repeat this conversation with an operations manager and again with someone from portfolio management. I guarantee you three different answers to the same question. This is unfortunate since any discussion about IP VPN strategy should start with the design of the current IP VPN platform and the problems that surround it. In this post I want to tell you what I believe the network platform is, so that when you read about it in my other posts there is no misunderstanding.
How the cloud shapes the corporate WAN
Only fifteen years ago MPLS started out to become the primary WAN technology for connecting corporate office sites worldwide. All the big Network Service Providers jumped on the new opportunity and built out global IP infrastructures based on MPLS that would become money-making machines for the next decade. Within only a few years it was clear that Frame Relay and ATM as previously predominant WAN technologies had come to an end. Now, in 2015 some already announce the end of MPLS networks. I don’t think this is true, but reflects the revolution that is currently going on in the world of corporate networks. A revolution triggered by the rise of the cloud.