Next Generation Networking

IP addresses are like telephone numbers: every device on the Internet needs a unique one to be connected.

The current version of the Internet Protocol (version 4) has a 32-bit address field which allows for just over 4 billion addresses. The rapid evolution of the Internet, impossible to predict almost 40 years ago when the IP protocol was designed, highlighted its limitations and led to a quick realisation that some radical changes would be needed to allow for future growth.

IP version 6 (IPv6) is the next version of the IP protocol. This became a standard in 1998 to provide an alternative to IPv4 because the address space exhaustion was already foreseen. The IPv6 address field provides 340 undecillion (1036) addresses, or put differently, 56 billion-billion-billion addresses for every person on earth. In essence, IPv6 will not just solve the current address exhaustion problem, but will prepare us for the internet of the future in which almost every device in the home has a unique IP address.

Colt recognizes the importance of upgrading its Tier-1 Pan-European backbone to IPv6 in order to support the need of ubiquitous and pervasive Internet services. For this reason, Colt moved  from “research” to “development” of IPv6 in 2010.  In February 2011, a successful proof-of-concept trial was run at the IPv6 World event in Paris, and a customer beta trial commenced in June of the same year.  A formal launch of basic IPv6 support as a standard product feature is expected later on in 2011, with the IPv6-enablement of the full IP product and feature set continuing throughout the rest of the year and into 2012.

Please click here for our 10 tips to get prepared for IPv6.

Ethernet is the perfect solution to help your organisation with the ever-increasing demands of:

• Improving business efficiency
• Managing risk
• And the need to deliver better customer service

Simply, we believe Colt-grade Ethernet sets new standards for Ethernet in the enterprise.
By selecting Colt-grade Ethernet, you're giving your company access to one of the highest levels of Ethernet service in the world today.

A better class of Ethernet
Colt-grade Ethernet can take your network to a whole new level, offering your wide area network (WAN):

• Additional performance
• Greater flexibility
• And simplified management
• All while being extremely cost effective

Importantly, Ethernet isn't just about point-to-point connections at a fixed speed. Colt-grade Ethernet services can be delivered on multiple topologies including hub and spoke and any-to-any Ethernet VPN.

Ethernet evolution
Colt has been pioneering the use of Ethernet for the WAN for over a decade - introducing enhancements such as:

• The ability to prioritise critical applications
• Improved network resilience
• And allowing customers to achieve full connectivity between all sites at bandwidths to suit their specific needs

Granular bandwidth
You can now buy bandwidth in incremental steps from 2Mbps to 1Gbps, ensuring that you only pay for what you use. And, if your needs change, it's normally quick and simple for us to provision more bandwidth remotely.

Colt-grade Ethernet offers many added benefits:

• Cost-effective, simplified network management - network management is simplified which means your costs go down. Equipment is also cheaper creating further savings. Plus, bandwidth is available in incremental steps so you only pay for what you need. And you have the flexibility to upgrade your network simply, quickly and cost effectively.
• A flexible solution - Colt-grade Ethernet allows you to simplify your architecture and tailor it to your needs using a familiar and proven technology that's both resilient and secure.
• Market leaders - Colt leads the way in the provision of Ethernet services across Europe. Now that those services extend to the USA, and now to Central and Eastern Europe, you can increase your return on investment in Ethernet many times over.

The ultimate test of any technology is the return you get on the investment you make. And in the light of the current economic downturn, understanding your cost base and getting the most out of it is more important than ever. It's a case of balancing the total cost of ownership against the benefits to your bottom line.
Turning to Ethernet technology is no different. If anything, you need to be far more rigorous in your financial analysis because your business depends on an efficient, resilient and scalable network. One that delivers real results every day however fast the environment changes.
In addition to the return on investment you can realise through adopting Colt-grade Ethernet, there are substantial cost benefits as well.

We go further for our customers
Ten years ago we pioneered the use of Ethernet as a WAN technology. Since then we've been delivering Colt-grade Ethernet to organisations in all sectors - right across Europe as well as in parts of the USA. Recently we've seen growing demands from our customers for a higher level of Ethernet service. Demands we've answered with Colt MSP.

Giving you the competitive edge:

• Feature-rich services: Colt-grade Ethernet services are available in a full range of topologies and give you added value with class of service (CoS) and multi-port options, maximising use of your Ethernet service without compromising performance.
• Unmatched coverage: We deliver consistent Colt-grade Ethernet services on a metro, national and international basis across 13 countries in Europe. We do this via our wholly owned 25,000km fibre network and our DSL and Ethernet in the First Mile (EFM) infrastructure.
• Stringent SLAs: We give you a comprehensive service level agreement for all Colt-grade Ethernet products (covering service delivery, fault handling and availability) and backed by service credits should the required level of service not be met. You have a choice of resiliency options including our Platinum Service offering 99.999% service availability.
• Off-network connectivity: Colt has Ethernet interconnects with more than 85 partners in order to complement our own network coverage in Europe and provide services to Asia and the USA. Each of these partners is validated to ensure that features, technical specifications and services are compatible with Colt's end-to-end service guarantees.
• Multiple access methods: Colt can connect your business using multiple access mechanisms including fibre, native Ethernet, SDH, DSL and EFM so you can benefit from a Colt-grade Ethernet service wherever you are.
• Experience: As a pioneer of Ethernet, Colt has more than 12 years experience and a proven track record of delivering leading edge customer solutions across Europe.
• With enhanced Ethernet offerings:
• Portal: All Colt-grade Ethernet services are integrated into Colt Online to give you direct updates on order status, billing and fault trouble ticketing. InfoVista performance reports covering network availability, packet loss and round trip delay are also available via this portal.
• Value-added services: We offer a full range of professional services including Ethernet consultancy, network design, project management and service management as value-added services. These are delivered by local language staff in each country.
• CoS: We offer classes of service enabling you to prioritise traffic and improve delivery of real-time applications including voice over IP (VoIP) and video conferencing.
• Bandwidth granularities: We offer a range of bandwidth options from 2Mbps to 10Gbps. You can order circuits in 2Mbps increments - simply choose the level that suits your needs. That way you only pay for what you use.

We offer a flexible solution
We quickly respond to what the market demands. This means our technology is constantly evolving to keep you one step ahead in an ever-changing environment. Together with key vendors and system integrators, we ensure you always get the best solution.

We look to the future
We are committed to evolving our Ethernet services and are active members of the Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF). The Colt Ethernet portfolio received MEF certification in September 2006.
 

Colt Multi Service Platform (Colt MSP) is a next generation service that extends and enhances Colt-grade Ethernet. So, in addition to the existing feature-rich services, unmatched coverage and bandwidth granularities, you also get:

• Even better performance
• Rock-solid resilience with dual homing as standard
• Predefined paths with protection

Colt MSP has the ability to make some dramatic differences to your company. For example, it will:

• Optimise your business by increasing application speeds and allowing access to greater capacity
• Deliver world-class resilience, protecting your business against the threat and associated costs of disruption
• And, all importantly, future-proof your business allowing you to grow beyond the limitations of legacy networks and providing a foundation for additional services

All the following services can be delivered over Colt MSP:

• Ethernet networking
• IP VPN
• Internet access
• VoIP services
• Managed services
• Managed messaging
• Managed storage and backup
   

What is Colt MSP?
Colt Multi Service Platform (Colt MSP) is an end-to-end network transporting Ethernet in the access ring and through the core network. This means there is no need to encapsulate Ethernet frames into SDH frames at any point. Because it avoids encapsulation, you benefit from lower latency and consequently better performance. In fact, this saves up to 2.5 milliseconds at both the A-end and B-end of a link.

How does Colt MSP work?
Colt MSP provides a high performance connection orientated Ethernet transport network. This is possible because we keep our Colt MSP network totally separate from our IP network, enabling us to use predefined data paths and significantly reduce latency. The end result is that we can offer stable, optimised performance and avoid the variability that plagues networks using routing algorithms to try to minimise congestion.
Colt MSP uses MPLS as the main protocol to create paths across the network. As such it can support multiple services while offering a more robust recovery framework than that provided by legacy SDH. In addition this offers network administrators better traffic management helping to ensure high quality of service (QoS) right across the network.

Physical redundancy
With Colt MSP, dual homing comes as standard. So there are always two physically separate pieces of equipment wherever access rings start and terminate. This means that should something happen to one, the other can immediately take over (a process that takes a mere 50 milliseconds).
So what might be a disaster for many other networks is just the most minor of inconveniences for Colt MSP.

The best of both worlds
Colt MSP gives you the security and performance of SDH with the flexibility of Ethernet. The result is lower latency, reduced jitter and a stronger class of service (CoS) capability. And with Colt MSP, provisioning is quick and upgrades are simple.

Less space, less power, incredible scalability
All of the Colt MSP services are delivered over a single compact box. This means you can dramatically save space and reduce power no matter how many services you add. And each box can scale from 2Mbps to 1Gbps giving you significant scope for growth without the time and the hassle required to change equipment.

Multiple services, maximum flexibility
With the CPE in place, you can pick and choose services depending on your business needs. These include:
•    Ethernet networking
•    IP VPN
•    Internet access
•    VoIP services
•    Managed servers
•    Managed messaging
•    Managed storage and backup