InformationWeek

orldCom last week launched a virtual private network service that lets businesses outsource the building and management of complex networks, while giving IT administrators the ability to control access to network resources, make changes, and set security policy.

Analysts say WorldCom's IP VPN Customer Directed service is the first to give IT managers real-time control of an outsourced VPN through a Web interface. Administrative tasks such as setting and changing security policies and adding employees at existing sites can be done in real time or on a prescheduled basis. The service lets IT workers request connections to additional offices and business partners to form an extranet. WorldCom provides, monitors, and manages all VPN equipment and access connections to its international IP network.

Native American Systems Inc., which builds LANs for the federal government and reservations, is one of the first customers. "This package is appealing," chief technology officer Scott Singer says. "We didn't want the headaches of managing our own private network and found WorldCom's package made it simple enough for a junior technician with some knowledge of encrypted connections to administer moves and adds."

Native American Systems uses the service to link its Denver headquarters with sites in Phoenix and Albuquerque, N.M., and to support E-mail and office applications as well as its accounting system.

To create the user-control capabilities, WorldCom teamed with software vendor SmartPipes Inc., which wrote an application comprising 7 million lines of code running on 70 servers that's linked to the carrier's order-entry and management systems.

"The service provides a happy medium for companies in the financial services, health-care, and legal industries that want to control security internally but want to get rid of VPN complexities," says Rob Carlson, a senior analyst at consulting firm Current Analysis. "Administration can be done fairly easily and cheaply with the Web interface and the SmartPipes system."

The IP VPN Customer Directed service, which supports Triple DES and IPsec security protocols, is available in the United States and in 28 countries for U.S.-based firms. It supports site-to-site connections and will support mobile workers and telecommuters by year's end.