There’s a new look to Sprint Managed Network Solutions, and it’s all about addressing the challenges that convergence brings in terms of network complexity. The bottom line is that we have completely redefined what it means to provide managed network solutions to customers.
For enterprise customers, this change means more clarity into how Sprint can partner with the customer to solve their needs. Whether that means running their network from soup-to-nuts, or just providing a baseline network monitoring service, our goal has been to ensure that customers have the necessary support they require when implementing converged or unified communications solutions. By creating three simple bands, or tiers, Sprint can meet the needs of enterprise customers everywhere, in almost any circumstance, and with an eye on the future.
Let’s start with MNS Complete. This level of support is designed for an enterprise that wants to turn all of its network management needs over to Sprint. In this situation, Sprint is supporting all aspects of the customer’s WAN solution from beginning (design, implementation, delivery) to end (service assurance, change, etc.). For customers that only need support during the design and implementation stage, Sprint offers MNS Collaborative, with the customer and us sharing the management. Finally, there is MNS Support, which lets the customer select specific elements of network assistance. Everything from just implementing the design through monitoring the network.
Despite the new look, Sprint MNS remains a means by which customers can accomplish three key objectives:
• Manage costs while maintaining a secure, reliable, and flexible network
• Manage and monitor an increasingly complex network infrastructure to maximize security and minimize downtime
• Optimize their IT resources, devoting them to strategic business initiatives rather than keeping up with evolving network technologies and convergence.
For instance, the new Sprint MNS Complete offers a single point of contact for a totally managed solution, along with ironclad security, end-to-end SLAs, a global reach, web-based customer control tools, and more. All this plus a highly reliable IP/MPLS network that enables truly smooth convergence.
One thing is clear: Today, managed solutions need a holistic view, targeting proactive management of an organization’s IP/MPLS network, not just the CPE. A solution must be flexible, combining service elements and levels of support in such a way that it becomes a perfect fit for the customer’s needs. It must also protect corporate data, eliminate downtime, and increase the availability and utility of the network infrastructure.
What else is important? How about visibility, so that whatever MNS tier a customer chooses, the network’s status and health are easy to monitor. That’s where the Compass portal comes in, as it remains an integral part of the new-look MNS.
Networks are the lifeblood of today’s enterprises. That is why the time is right for managed network solutions that incorporate voice, data, and wireless, blending all the components smoothly and seamlessly. Goodbye silos, hello fusion.
-Steve
