JACKSON, MISS. - MCI WorldCom has turned its frame relay performance-measurement offering into a service users can pay for month-by-month.
The carrier last week introduced MCI WorldCom Circuit View, a service that employs intelligent DSU/CSUs at each frame relay customer site to capture and analyze packet throughput, delay and loss across the WAN.
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By dialing in to the server over the frame relay net, corporate network administrators can check MCI network performance against their service-level agreements. They can also examine whether their networks are over- or underutilized, view the comparative performance of traffic according to Layer 3 protocols and check historical information on their frame relay nets.
MCI last year began offering the Visual Networks system, including ASE boxes and a dedicated PAM server installed either at MCI or a customer's site (NW, Jan. 19, 1998, page 23). But that offer was limited to managed frame relay customers and required upfront payment for the network devices. Although MCI did not release prices at the time, ASE boxes generally cost more than $1,000 each and the PAM server costs upward of $20,000.
By contrast, Circuit View is available to all MCI frame relay customers at $38 per site, per month or less, depending on the contract. That price is added to the user's frame relay port and permanent virtual circuit charges. The ASE feeds data to the remote server at the MCI operations center over a separate management PVC included as part of the Circuit View price, explains product manager Rebecca Lewis.
AT&T already has a pay-as-you-go option called Frame Relay Plus, introduced nearly a year ago and also based on Visual Networks gear. The AT&T offering includes a number of service options with various prices and report privileges.
By contrast, MCI WorldCom officials say they hope their flat per-month price structure is simpler and will induce more users to buy. Officials promise that all available reports will be available to all Circuit View users.
