WorldCom gives customers a look inside their private networks

WorldCom is offering its customers a way to keep tab on the workings of their virtual private networks through an interactive performance reporting system.

“VIPeR [VPN Interactive Performance Reporting] is tied into WorldCom’s portal for our customers so they can go to one site and get access to any information that they need from WorldCom,” said Janel Crabtree, director of WorldCom Global VPN Services.

This access, Crabtree said, lets customers personally track system performance to “see what is happening with the information as it goes from one site to the next. We’re really giving them detailed information with what is happening to their data.”

About 30 customers so far have logged on to experience the service, said Crabtree, predicting that not everyone will partake, even though it is free and a value add-on to normal WorldCom service. The reporting service offers daily, weekly, monthly and annual reporting formats.

“Some customers will want a report at the end of the month saying everything looks right,” she said. “Other customers want to dig down and find out what is happening between sites, what kind of data is being traversed … what’s happening within their networks.”

In every case, she said, WorldCom prioritized security.

“[They] have to log in through different security features, and they can only get access to their data,” she said.

The system is available to all enterprises employing fully managed site-to-site VPN and does not require any new software or upgrades. It will be extended to other WorldCom IP VPN services throughout the year.

“I really think it sets the bar for everyone in this industry to give customers what they’re looking for,” Crabtree said.