Wave Issue 9039 X/XX/99 Article 1-04

***Communications Industry Researchers Issues White Paper on
Virtual Private Networks
(April 6)

Communications Industry Researchers (CIR), a market research and
consulting firm specializing in communications technology, has
authored a new white paper on Virtual Private Networks, which is
now available on its Web site.

The paper, Why VPNs are Not a Fad, provides insight and analysis
on what CIR believes will be a major networking trend in the 21st
Century. This paper is based on the research carried out for
CIR's soon-to-be-released market study, Virtual Private Networks:
Market Opportunities and Implications for Service Providers and
their Suppliers. This research has convinced CIR, that unlike
some new communications technologies that promise capabilities
that no one really wants, VPNs could signal a sea change in the
way that business communications are conducted in the 21st
Century.

Why VPNs are Not a Fad, explains this evolution. While VPNs are
often touted as providing cost savings, compared to private
networks, the new CIR White Paper predicts that such improvements
"will seldom amount to the order of magnitude improvements that
would be required for VPNs to deliver the killer blow to more
traditional forms of corporate networking." But while directly
measurable cost improvements are clearly of great importance in
shifting the world to VPNs, like all of the best technologies,
VPNs do not just save money, they enable applications and new
functionality that could not easily be achieved any other way. In
particular, Why VPNs are Not a Fad states that VPN's
characteristics are in tune with some of the key business and
technology trends of today. VPNs enable businesses to respond to
rapidly decreasing product life cycles and fast paced
individualistic lifestyles. VPNs are also well designed to
respond to the trend towards more teleworking for corporate
employees and outsourcing of specialized functions to smaller
businesses. Finally, Why VPNs are Not a Fad discusses how VPNs
help organizations cope with the growing shortage of network
management talent.

To access Why VPNs are Not a Fad, visit the white papers section
of CIR'sWeb site, and fill out the registration form, then click
on the desired white paper. Registered users will have immediate
access to this new white paper.

www.cir-inc.com