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The satellite offices are prime targets for internetworking with ISDN circuits. Voice and fax traffic could ride on the data network, capitalizing on advances in voice over frame relay service. For the truly adventurous, the entire enterprise might use the Internet for transport, with virtual private tunnels providing secure paths between sites.

Yet our pair of respondents took a conservative route, using their existing portfolios and supplementing them with additional hardware, software and services. Both vendors recommended frame relay for the data network, migration of mainframe networks to IP , installation of dedicated Internet connections at the OHQs and their own managed Web-hosting services.

LCI clearly wins CAI's business, providing a nearly complete solution. The vendor met the challenge by combining its frame relay, dedicated and switched services with solutions from its strategic partners. This approach added new capabilities while keeping costs at a reasonable level, using very aggressive voice service rates and attractive frame relay pricing. But it's not simply a case of having the "cheapest" solution; LCI's network management offering is one of the best in the industry.

On the downside, LCI's solution requires installation, administration and maintenance of two large remote-access servers at the OHQs. The high up-front costs associated with new equipment, installation and management could be a barrier to what is an ot herwise attractive offering. However, these expenses are offset by reduced operating costs, providing savings within three years as compared to CompuServe's of fering.

CompuServe recommended its own frame relay network for the data portions of our RFP, suggesting that this bandwidth also could be used for our voice and fax traffic. However, the vendor's proposal does not provide, recommend or support any equipment to accomplish this. CompuServe adequately addressed the needs for remote access to the Internet and intranet, and provided Web-hosting services. Its approach required a lower up-front investment, since CPE (customer premises equipment) is leased from CompuServe and remote-access POPs (points of presence) are owned and managed by the carrier. However, this bid does not represent the best value.

Because the full RFP and the vendor responses are quite large, we provide them in their entirety online at www.NetworkComputing.com/822/822f2.html. The RFP includes detailed technical descriptions of CAI's currently installed equipment and traffic loads. The vendor bids include detailed pricing on the most critical elements.

Consolidated Amalgamated Inc.(CAI) is a fictitious U.S. company with approximately 2,500 employees. Its main headquartes is in New York, which is also the center for East Coast operations. It operrates a West Coast operations headquarters in Los Angles. Both locations maintain data centers housing an IBM mainframe, large PBX, and a LAN internetwork using ATM for backbone services. The majorrity of CIA's staff is located in these two facilities. Like many networrks, CAI's evolved over time, with little overall architectural vision. The result is multiple independent networks, high cost and periodic outages.