And many thanks to our sponsors of the showdown.

In this Showdown, Webtorals Analyst Steven Taylor will be moderating a discussion among the leading suppliers of WAN Ethernet and VPLS services.  We welcome and encourage your active contribution to the discussions.

Imagine that you've just entered the elevator with an IT executive, and you know that (s)he is getting ready to recommend a competitive service for WAN Ethernet / VPLS to the CFO in a meeting on the 20th floor.  Why should this decision be reconsidered and you should have a shot at the account?

One of the issues for using any managed service, including WAN Ethernet / VPLS services, is giving up direct hands-on management capabilties.  What type of management capabilities do you offer, and ho do you think this positions you from a competitive perspective?

The last time that it was easy to compare service pricing head-to-head was for private line services.  From frame relay to ATM to MPLS to Ethernet, each service provider has a different set of metrics for pricing.

Can you please briefly explain your pricing structure - and why you chose this model?