Thus seeks VARs for high-speed internet
Operator sets its sights on BT and Sirocom market share
Network operator Thus is looking to recruit more resellers, in a bid to grab a bigger share of the high-speed corporate internet market.
The company has briefed its reseller channel on its new product that provides high-speed internet access over Ethernet. It is now looking to recruit additional resellers to take on the likes of BT and virtual network operator Sirocom.
Falk Bleyl, product manager for high-speed products at Thus, said resellers will be able to offer the service to bandwidth-intensive firms - such as those in the finance, media and government sectors - offering them permanent, unmetered internet connections with speeds ranging from 10Mbps to 1Gbps.
Resellers joining the venture will benefit from favourable rates of commission, training and support, Bleyl said.
Thus claimed the service, working over its Multiprotocol Label Switching network, will offer a more cost-effective way of accessing high-speed internet, beating leased-line speeds of 64kbps to 2Mbps and Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line speeds of up to 2Mbps.
"Ethernet is the most common LAN and firewall interface, which will make it easier to integrate with the network," Bleyl added.
VARs can also offer customers the service at speeds of four, six or 8Mbps using multiple 2Mbps circuits as well as 34Mbps, 45Mbps and 155Mbps services.
Sirocom launched a similar product, VPN100, using BT's network, earlier this year. It boasted 50 per cent savings and speeds ranging from 2Mbps to 100Mbps.
Stuart McNeil, service provider business manager at reseller Total Network Solutions, said high-speed internet over Ethernet services would enable firms to implement new business applications not possible on lower-speed web connections.
But he also warned that firms moving to higher-speed internet should consider the impact the shift will have on security.
"Firms will need to scale up security to match the bandwidth speeds," he said. "There is a chance that people will sign up for these services with existing firewalls and not realise they are not suitable for handling gigabit."