"ICOZA makes every effort to extend the available services to our customers and to add value to our range of ISP services. We are uniquely positioned, with our partner, Internet Solutions, to provide a multi-homing capacity to our customers," says Rodney de Koch, CEO of ICOZA (Internet Company South Africa).
A network is multi-homed when it is connected to more than one upstream ISP. In other words, the network has more than one path to the Internet. In the South African context, multi-homing can be implemented for redundant access to local sites only (ie the South African Internet) or it can be done for full redundancy with all local and international sites.
This safeguards against downtime risks should there be a network connectivity failure at a particular service point, as it provides alternative routes to the customer network to remain online. It also provides further capacity to such networks during periods of overload or connectivity disruptions from any particular supplier.
By means of a multi-homing strategy from IS and ICOZA (two fully redundant infrastructures) we can offer our clients maximum network reliability. This is achieved by placing multiple lines into the two ISPs, which provides you with a cost-effective solution while minimising any technical risks associated with traditional multi-homing solutions.
ICOZA was established as a joint venture between J&J and Internet Solutions.
"This initiative provides SA with its first economically empowered first tier Internet services company. The aim of ICOZA is to provide the new SA with a world-class delivery of network services," says De Koch.
ICOZA offers a complete and resilient multi-homing solution and avoids the potential risks associated with this type of strategy. By removing the requirement for portable address space, you are able to enjoy local and/or international redundancy as if you were multi-homing with two completely separate ISPs, but with the additional simplicity in router implementation and management provided by a single supplier.
Neutral peering
Neutral peering points are used for peering into other ISPs. ICOZA currently peers with Internet Solutions, SAIX and AT&T at JINX (Johannesburg Internet Exchange). As the South African Internet becomes more widely accessible, we will continue to peer with other major ISPs to ensure the best possible connectivity to our customers.
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