Business Ethernet is one of the most efficient ways to extend a business’ local and wide area network that provides enterprises with the security of private lines without the hassle of extra equipment or bandwidth limitations.

Today, most businesses are depending on cloud computing on some level. Many businesses are looking to the cloud as a way to rapidly introduce new applications in a more cost-effective way, but are quickly realizing the public Internet cannot support the security, reliability and management tools they need to support their mission critical applications.

Cloud-based and SaaS applications are increasingly being adopted for all sizes of organizations. In fact, a recent Gartner (News - Alert) report predicted revenue from SaaS and cloud-based business application services will reach $32.8 billion in 20161.

Different applications require varying amounts of bandwidth, such as with high definition video collaboration apps like telepresence, pointed out Adam Saenger, vice president of portfolio management at tw telecom (News - Alert).

Such apps need significant bandwidth just to run, and any delay is immediately obvious to the user as the application’s performance suffers. Another example he cites is companies in the financial sector commonly perform real-time backups and data analysis, which demand substantial bandwidth. And yet another example is hospitals and other health institutions that make use of remote medicine, and the sensitivity to network performance is very high.

“With these types of critical demands, bandwidth fluctuations add complexity to IT management,” Saenger wrote in a recentblog post. “Cloud-based applications truly make IT managers’ lives easier, but they still introduce challenges to the network. Mission-critical applications are just that, so your network has to be unquestionably secure and reliable.”

tw telecom’s Intelligent Network provides a clear view of network elements, segment by segment – anytime, anywhere – that allows organizations to see what applications are running, monitor their performance and control the bandwidth.

Security remains one of the greatest concerns surrounding cloud computing. But business Ethernet networks have inherent features that add a measure of security, and the ability to monitor Ethernet networks end-to-end enhances that security even further.