Earthlink adds DSL solution for SOHO market

Earthlink introduced this week a fixed-IP digital subscriber line (DSL) service that is targeted to small office/home office (SOHO) customers and positioned as a midpoint between the company’s asymmetrical DSL (ADSL) offering for consumers and its symmetrical DSL product for business.

The service will let customers use the same Internet Protocol (IP) address each time they use their Earthlink account, which will let them run a Web server, connect to their company’s virtual private network (VPN), or link to a corporate network.

Typically, ADSL services use dynamic IP addresses; every time a user logs into the service, he or she is assigned a new IP address. Firewalls protecting VPNs and corporate networks require users to have a static IP address for security purposes.

Consequently, the service will be most compelling to telecommuters, said an Earthlink spokesman.

“People who haven’t been able to use their broadband connections at home to log in now will be able to get T1 speeds and talk on the phone or send faxes at the same time,” he said. “It’s a real productivity tool.”

The service will be attractive to smaller businesses that can’t afford--in terms of time and money--to experiment with, and implement, new technology, said Darryl Sterling, technology industry analyst for Mainspring.

“Is this revolutionary? No. Is it a good idea? Yes, because technology is becoming more and more important, and if you don’t have it, you’re at a competitive disadvantage from the get-go,” Sterling explained. “Earthlink is trying to take its competencies in the consumer market and extend them to the small and medium enterprise market by providing wideband access to hosted VPNs. They’re essentially letting SOHOs lease the technology on an ongoing basis without having to expend money up front.”

Earthlink hopes many of the SOHOs signing up for the service--an offering that will cost $15 per month on top of the $49.95 per month the company charges for its consumer DSL service--eventually will upgrade to its more-expensive business DSL service.

“We try to roll out a wide variety of products to satisfy all sorts of customers. Our goal is to be a one-stop shop for any type of service,” the Earthlink spokesman said.