Sprint (sprint.com) is a telecommunications company that dates back to shortly after the invention of the telephone. It was founded in 1899 by Cleyson L. Brown, who named it the Brown Telephone Company. After three name changes, Sprint is still alive and well, not only specializing in telecommunications, but also in Internet access and networking as well.

Sprint's VPN offering is more of a portfolio of services than a list of product packages. Like many companies, Sprint customizes each of its VPN to the client. However, there are certain common elements that appear in most, if not all, of Sprint's VPN solutions.

Sprint provides the required hardware for each VPN solution; depending on how a customer would like to operate, the company will either lease or sell the VPN hardware to them. Additionally, Sprint provides its own client and dialing service. The dialing service is particularly helpful for remote users who need to find a Sprint IP connection.

Finally, almost, if not all, the VPN solutions come with full monitoring and troubleshooting. This is ideal for companies that don't have the resources to take care of it themselves.

Connecting to the VPN can be done in several different fashions; not only does Sprint set up the network to run off Internet lines, but clients who are using a different Internet provider, such as remote users, can use that ISP to log onto the VPN. This flexibility gives Sprint an industry edige; they are large enough and have the capacity to offer a fully customized solution, rather than forcing a client into a package.

Sprint can be contacted via their Web site, by telephone at 1-800-786-6272, or by email at [email protected].