LightEdge Solutions, Inc., a leading supplier of managed voice and data services, recently announced the deployment of its latest Ethernet Access Devices (EADs) supported by the ML 600 product line and two transport and aggregation switches — the ML 100 and ML 1300, supplied by Actelis Networks (News - Alert). This move is designed to help LightEdge meet the increasing demand for enhanced bandwidth, from their small and medium-sized business (SMB) customers.

 

Chosen over T1 lines for their cost-effectiveness, these devices offer LightEdge customers easy connectivity to its IP network through proportioned Ethernet access connections. Additionally, EADs offer high-velocity Internet access, VoIP services, remote controlled backup and security services, and ability to recover applications and data stored on the company’s data center servers.

 

LightEdge’s main customers include SMBs comprising from 25 to 250 employees. Such businesses seek cost-effectiveness along with advanced quality services. According to Kris Harris, vice president of operations at LightEdge Solutions, the main challenge for them was to provide sophisticated, yet cheap broadband services via their access network to these SMBs.

 

Harris stated, “With T1 lines delivering only 1.5 Mbps, we would have to either add line cards to the router or change routers completely to upgrade the bandwidth service of a customer.”

 

“The Actelis solution is efficient because we can leverage the same equipment for all service levels. This provides our customers the ability to quickly upgrade their bandwidth as much as tenfold without the need for additional equipment or the time necessary to process changes. When customers need more than a bonded 2xT1 line or have foreseeable scalability needs, the Actelis option makes a lot of sense,” he added.

 

LightEdge Solutions’ massive enterprise-grade network facilitates mass production, making it possible for the company to offer customers pieces or scale-on-demand services tailored to their requirements.

 

SMBs prefer to rent out customized services from LightEdge at a fixed monthly cost, instead of making huge investing for developing their own networks.

 

Wade Brower, director of sales at LightEdge, said in a statement, “Small and medium-sized businesses win with this model because technology obsolescence is not a factor, upfront costs are minimal and, ultimately, the network platform is managed by a professional engineering staff.”

 

“Suddenly, small businesses are running on the same high reliability equipment as a Fortune 100 company, but they just aren’t paying the same upfront price tag,” Brower commented.

 

“We see a bright future enabling SMB customers to cost-effectively out-task their voice, data and network needs to a highly managed environment. We believe this provides our valued customers with a competitive advantage in their respective markets and, most importantly, the ability to quickly scale systems as their business grows.”