Welcome to Ask the Experts, brought to you by CloudServicesUniversity.com. In this video, Intelisys’ SVP Cloud Transformation Andrew Pryfogle discusses how Sales Partners can integrate VPN technologies into an overall MPLS strategy with Windstream’s David Morgan. Visit Cloud Services University to learn more about VPN and MPLS solutions: https://cloudservicesuniversity.com/
| Andrew: | All right guys. We’re moving right along to our next Ask the Experts session. I’m joined by David Morgan, VP of Sales Engineering for Windstream. David, welcome. |
| David: | Hey. Thanks. Thanks, Andrew. Glad to be here. |
| Andrew: | All right. Hey, we’ve been talking a lot about MPLS and VPN and as two separate technologies, but you guys have a unique approach to this. A lot of companies are now starting to tackle this idea of how can I leverage VPN technologies to integrate with an overall MPLS strategy. I wanted to ask you that question, that one question. How do those two technologies co-exist? Talk about those use cases for a moment. |
| David: | Yeah, glad to Andrew. Really, I’d like to go two different directions. In one direction, with a lot of multi-site location networks, you can often find yourself in a situation where one carrier isn’t competitive or can’t meet the requirements for all locations. So you could put an MPLS network in place with the carrier that has the most sites, and then you could use VPN/IPSec tunnel, nailed up at one of those sites with the second carrier or an alternate carrier that’s always connected back to, for instance, in Windstream, we would use a cloud-based firewall. It would be an IP/VPN tunnel setup, always on, and it would look just like another segment off that MPLS network. |
| Andrew: | Very cool. |
| David: | That would be the first scenario. |
| Andrew: | Very cool. Let’s talk about that for just a second. I’ve got 17 locations and 14 of those sites are on a Windstream MPLS network and the other three sites–for whatever reason, maybe they’re under a contract with a different provider, or they’re not on the Windstream footprint or whatever–you can actually still have those other sites connected over a third-party provider into your MPLS network using a VPN technology. |
| David: | Correct. Correct. |
| Andrew: | Yeah, very cool. Very cool. Got it. The other use case you mentioned, that was for remote users, speak to that real quick. |
| David: | Again–and maybe the more common use right now–is with VPN and MPLS, with our cloud-based firewall, you can have remote users connecting over, bringing their own access, any internet provider, really anywhere, anytime, unlimited number. I think as you talk about remote users or those who are traveling, then, of course, that VPN solution is available. Totally in sync with our MPLS solution. |
| Andrew: | Very cool. Gosh, when you think of the number of remote users and how mobility is exploding right now all around us, hard to imagine an MPLS network without remote users, right? This has got to be a really common requirement. Yeah. |
| David: | Yeah, it’s table stakes. |
| Andrew: | Yeah. Yeah. Perfect. Got it. Hey, that’s great insight, David. Thanks so much. Guys, that was David Morgan, VP of Sales Engineering with Windstream, one of our go-to providers in our portfolio and a big part of the University. Do make sure you check out their learning center here in the University and be listening for more great insights from David. David, hey, thanks for your time man. Great stuff. |
| David: | Absolutely. Glad to be here. |
| Andrew: | All right guys. Good selling. |
