(snippet from) Reviewing SNI's Strengths as the Standard for Interconnection

The concept of an SNI (Shared Network Infrastructure) has long held promise as a vehicle for securing the delivery of IBM outsourcing services worldwide. SNI Development has demonstrated that SNI can support this business while complying with all IBM security guidelines. As it considered corporate certification, the committee reviewed the advantages of deploying standardized SNI sites.

Unified Perspective
IBM Global Services's goal of establishing a global solution for network interconnection while delivering the services of Managed Operations requires a unified perspective that stretches beyond the boundaries of the independent delivery sites. 

Monitoring and Testing
A major advantage of standardization is that SNI installations worldwide can be more easily tested and monitored to assure that they meet the requirements of corporate security policies. Compliance and Assurance testing becomes much easier to automate and complete.

Other Advantages
Some of the many advantages of standardized SNI sites discussed at the Boulder meeting include:

1. If security requirements are standardized, processes can be defined and become much easier to enforce.
2. Standardized installations are easier for SNI Development and local support staffs to maintain. 
3. Demands on SNI Development resources for custom-designed system modifications are eliminated, thus reducing staffing demands.
4. Security exposures can be identified and closed quickly.
5. Backup and Disaster Recovery plans can be more easily instituted across geographies.
6. Corporate Computing Security and Manged Operations will have the SNI Development organization as a common body for driving secuirty solutions.
7. Manged Operations can install SNI as the "standard for interconnection" anywhere in the IBM world.