Hughes Network Systems’ executives are likely smiling today. According to a Vertical Systems Group market analysis, Hughes Network Systems, LLC has earned a third place ranking among the United States’ top telecommunications providers in the IP VPN services market.

Vertical Systems’ comprehensive assessment of the IP VPN landscape covered more than 45 service providers and included both landline and satellite transport systems. The results showed that Hughes has a 17.9 percent share, close to AT&T and Verizon (25.3 percent and 18.4 percent respectively) and surpasses traditional telecom heavyweights such as Sprint and Qwest.

"The managed VPN market in the US is forecast to more than double between 2006 and 2011," said Rosemary Cochran, principal and co-founder, Vertical Systems Group in a Monday statement. "A hybrid technology mix, such as that offered by Hughes, puts distributed enterprises in the best possible position, as it provides a secure and reliable broadband service that is optimized to support mission-critical business applications."