Three Studies Name AT&T The VPN Market Leader

Several recently published studies conclude that AT&T is the undisputed leader in the virtual private network (VPN) services market. According to studies by International Data Corp., Forrester Research and In-Stat/MDR, the telecommunications and network services giant will close out 2004 as the top VPN provider.

The $2.2 billion IP VPN market has experienced significant growth over the last several years, as firms seek to deploy pervasive network access to geographically dispersed employees, partners and offices while pursuing cost savings.

In the recent annual ranking of IP VPN service providers by International Data Corp., AT&T was the leader, with more than double the market share of its closest competitor. It is the second consecutive year that AT&T has taken the top spot.

Additionally, in a September 2004 report titled "Evaluating Managed IP VPN Services," Forrester Research listed AT&T as a leader in the IP VPN space for its ability to operate and manage scaleable nationwide or global IP networks. And earlier this year, research firm In-Stat/MDR identified AT&T as the clear leader in the global IP VPN market.

According to analysts, the combination of AT&T's extensive footprint, wide-ranging VPN offerings and comprehensive catalogue of related network services has a great appeal to enterprise customers. This is reflected in the company's triple-digit growth in IP VPN services."We are proud to be recognized for our leadership in the IP VPN space," AT&T's chief marketing officer Kathleen Flaherty said in a statement. "As businesses and government agencies increasingly put their most critical applications on their IP VPNs, including voice over IP, we are committed to driving innovation and integrating the latest technologies into our suite of IP VPN services to deliver the performance, reach, and security necessary for these strategic global, enterprise networks."

The first provider of multi-protocol label switching-based IP VPN services in the United States, AT&T has recently announced plans to expand its global MPLS network, complementing its IPSec VPN services.