For those among us not well-versed in the language of IT, it can be extremely confusing to deal with an ever-expanding Business IT Network.

One term you may have come across is ‘MPLS’ - but this term is an aspect of business IT networks which is really worth getting your head around. To make this task a little easier, we’ve put together this simple guide to understanding Mpls - read on to find out what it could mean for your business.

Defining MPLS

First, let’s break down the acronym. MPLS is short for ‘Multi-Protocol Label Switching’. If you’ve heard of it before, it was likely brought up in conversations involving ‘connections’. But don’t let that fool you - MPLS isn’t about connecting your network to existing networks out there, it’s a management technique meant for the data that passes through your network and its connections.

Now let’s look at the individual parts of the acronym. MPLS works no matter what language (protocol) your network’s devices use to communicate - this is what’s meant by ‘Multi-Protocol’. The term ‘Label’ refers to a very small, additional chunk of data which is given to the data already making its way through your network. This label is added so that a LabelSwitch Router (or LSR) knows exactly how each piece of data needs handling, according to its label. That’s where the ‘Switching’ part comes in.

Data delivery spanning your network

It can be helpful to imagine your data as being hundreds of little packages, all of which need to be delivered, over a large location.

What you don’t want is your delivery drivers carelessly zooming off to the first address, then realising when it’s far too late that the second address was simply across the road from their original location. This kind of situation is prevented by MPLS. Regardless of the protocol of the data, the label system allows its delivery destination and its priority to be identified, and the order it’s delivered can be rapidly altered on the fly, depending on what is required by the network, by the switching system.

What MPLS really means for businesses

Hopefully now you’ll have a bit better of an understanding of what MPLS actually is, and how it works. However, it’s important that you, the one making decisions for your business, has more than just a brief impression of MPLS. You need to know the advantages of implementing an MPLS system in order to decide whether or not it’s worth investing in.

To that end, here’s a further look of the possible benefits that MPLS could bring you and your business.

Improving the experience of users

More and more, companies make use of apps based in the cloud, and real-time apps, in order to ensure customers and end-users have the best experience. This can be often hindered by a badly performing network. MPLS makes it so their experience should remain consistently positive. Anyone who has ever suffered loss of data due to latency issues will agree that this is a huge benefit - MPLS prevents data connections being swamped, meaning the network won’t have to drop data to stop apps from freezing.

Boosting the speed of your network

Business IT networks can get incredibly busy, and in a busy network, congestion can be common. This is even more likely if your network has to contend with various different types of data. An MPLS system can send your data down unconventional routes if it needs to, in order to prevent the network traffic from getting congested, speeding up your data’s delivery.

Making your network more simple

It’s possible for a business to set up an MPLS connection linking two physical locations, almost like having an incredibly long ethernet cable between them. This is admittedly an over-simplification, but the end result is the same. Data can be quickly sent across your network - given it has the correct label - meaning your network will start to look and act a whole lot simpler. A simple network is always a positive thing - as many IT technicians would agree - as it means less has to be considered if there are ever issues that need resolving.

Maximising your efficiency

With MPLS’s method of dynamically managing different network traffic’s priority, ensuring a real-time system stays online is easy - simply change your MPLS settings to make it happen. The clever system is able to borrow bandwidth as and when it needs from other traffic, in order to make sure the apps and systems with a higher priority stay working, even when the network is under stress.

Increasing the amount of uptime

Managing your network can become a breeze once your network is made more efficient and simple. Usually, managing a network isn’t a huge problem for IT teams or contractors with plenty of experience, but the more people that work on a network, the higher the risk of human error occurring. If the need for many people tending to a network is reduced, the chances of your network staying online are increased, meaning your network is there when your business and customers need it most.

Amplifying your rate of expansion

It’s common for methods of network expansion to involve a system of ‘tunnels’being created to keep routes safe for data to travel through, so it gets where it is needed with speed and accuracy. With an MPLS system, this becomes unnecessary, as it is made simple to make sure your data is able to travel to its destination along the most efficient path.

How to go about implementing MPLS

So - should you or shouldn’t you implement MPLS in your business? In truth, there isn’t one simple answer. Instead, it’s important to consider the following:

-        Is ensuring uptime over various locations crucial for your business?

-        Is your network making use of multiple different types of data, utilising the same connections?

-        Is voice and data a key component of your business IT network?

-        Is your network suffering from congestion?

-        Would you find it useful for your growth to be able to quickly set up new sites?

If you found yourself answering ‘yes’ to any of the above questions, MPLS could very well be what your business needs. It probably won’t be the cheapest option, but it will be effective. Nonetheless, you need to ensure you’re getting the best possible service you can, which is why it’s crucial to speak to providers, and also your IT team or MSP. Making sure you’re in agreement is the key to getting a service tailor made for your needs.