Carrier rolls out Multiprotocol Label Switching and SSL offerings Sprint Corp. Wednesday announced three new VPN choices for users including its first Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) and Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) offerings.Earlier this week, Network World reported Sprint’s intention to introduce both services in conjunction with ComNet 2004, but the carrier would not comment on the story.Six months after revealing its intentions to support an MPLS VPN service, Sprint is finally rolling the offering out. Six months may not seem very long, however, all of Sprint’s competitors have been supporting some form of MPLS VPNs for up to three years. The carrier’s MPLS VPN service will allow business users to set up a fully meshed secure network over Sprint’s IP backbone. The service is based on the IETF’s RFC 2547bis specification.Sprint says in a press release that its MPLS VPN service will support class-of-service and multicast features and will carry stringent service-level agreements (SLA) if the carrier fails to meet its guarantees.Initially, Sprint’s MPLS VPN will only be available domestically. The carrier says it will roll out the service globally later this year. And while Sprint has been slow to hop on the MPLS bandwagon, the carrier says this is the first of several MPLS offerings. The service provider says it will roll out MPLS network-based firewall, filtering, secure Internet access, integrated remote access and Layer 2 internetworking services.The carrier is exclusively using Cisco Systems Inc. gear to support its MPLS efforts.Sprint also announced a new SSL Remote Access service. Although Sprint’s press materials did not mention Aventail Corp. by name, sources say the vendor’s products are being used to support the service. The service will allow remote workers to securely log on to their corporate networks from a Web browser. Sprint says the service will support automated configuration, user administration and deployment tools. The service will also offer strong SLAs, according to the carrier.The offering features automated configuration, user administration, deployment tools and SLA options. Sprint is not the first to offer Aventail SSL based services. AT&T Corp. and Infonet Services Corp. support remote access services based on Aventail’s technology.Sprint did not disclose pricing or availability. Technology Industry