Abstract :
Internal and external communication needs are a vital part of today´s business environment. The solution a business chooses to satisfy these needs can be driven by many factors including financial, functional, and service considerations. The use of virtual services to satisfy these needs is growing, with virtual private networks (VPN) and Centrex offering an alternative to more established solutions. This paper explains what these services are and what makes them attractive to customers. The FeatureNet service, offered by BT, is used to illustrate implementations of virtual services in the market place