Since Platformity is more then just a VPN provider and operates its own data centre, it can scale to meet any clients needs. Thus, it is able to offer a range of solutions from a basic ADSL VPN, all the way to a corporate Diginet connectivity or even the provision of disaster recovery services.

“The Platformity option is an extremely reliable one since it utilises integrated hardware devices and not Linux-based PCs,” commented Julian Swart, MD of Platformity. “Additionally, we have built in an ISDN back-up capability and to guarantee a better speed and uptime experience for everyone, a mix of old and new technologies are often exploited. For instance, we often connect the Headoffice to the VPN cloud via Diginet, which gives us a guaranteed quality of service (QOS.) on the most important link. Furthermore, IPSEC tunnels are deployed to ensure our clients data is encrypted over the entire network.”

In addition to the facilities mentioned above, Platfomity's VPN capability can be extended to include other means of connectivity such as Diginet, dial-up, GPRS, 3G and Wireless. There is also the option for a client to co-locate their servers with Platformity, a popular choice for clients with many branches, as it allows the branches to function even if the Head Office burns down, or more likely, has an extended power failure. Platformity’s data centre allows clients to have guaranteed power, and access to more reliable connectivity, with lower costs and is another example of the merging of older technologies with the new. VoIP services can also be extended over the network.

“We see a positive uptake in the use of ADSL VPN as clients start to realise that there are significant savings to be made and speed increase benefits to be exploited when compared to the use of traditional Diginet networks,” concluded Swart. “We already have customers with up to 33 branches using our system including a 16-branch company in the retail sector.”