Verizon Enterprise Solutions with Viptela
Verizon Enterprise Solutions has launched Virtual Network Services, a new SDN and NFV service for enterprise clients, in collaboration with Viptela, which provides control cloud network components such as SDN-WAN controllers. The new network-as-a-service is meant to help businesses migrate to virtual infrastructure models for increased agility and on-demand resources.
Virtual Network Services will be made available immediately to Verizon clients worldwide and transform the network into software-based solutions running on open platforms. The service will allow clients to quickly adjust their networks according to parameters such as the number of branch offices, the number of users, the bandwidth required by applications, and application use by employees.
The benefits to businesses include increased agility, reduction in TCO (via a flexible pay-as-you-go pricing model and reduced hardware needs), end-to-end management of the platform, and flexible service tiers. The service also offers technical improvements, such increased flexibility, dynamic scaling, rapid and easy service deployment, and access to a rich ecosystem of technology partners (including Cisco, Juniper Networks, Fortinet, Riverbed, Palo Alto Networks, and Viptela).
“The way in which network services are delivered is going through an unprecedented shift—the biggest we’ve seen since the broad adoption of MPLS,” said Shawn Hakl, vice president of networking and innovation, Verizon. “Today the network is transitioning to a virtualized model using similar technology that drove the disruption in the data center market. With our new solution set, enterprises will be able to balance agility, performance, cost and security necessitated by the growth of mobile-to-cloud applications and the Internet of Things.”
Verizon is offering three deployment models for its virtualized services: premises-based universal customer premises equipment (CPE), cloud-based virtual CPE services (available Fall 2016), and hybrid services, which combines premises-based and cloud-based models.
Verizon is also initially offering the service in three packages with varying focuses: Security, WAN Optimization, and SD-WAN services.
AT&T and VeloCloud Offer SD-WAN
AT&T has partnered with VeloCloud to offer SD-WAN over a variety of network connections. The SD-WAN will be offered as both a network-based system and an on-premises-based system.
The network-based SD-WAN, due to be available in 2017, can easily be implemented on top of an existing MPLS connection. VeloCloud’s gateway technology is configured to be integrated into MPLS equipment at the network core, meaning enterprise customers can easily deploy the SD-WAN to seamlessly manage multiple types of networks connections to its branch offices.
The on-premises option, slated for release later this year, can be used by customers without AT&T MPLS connections to manage various wired and wireless third-party Internet connections.
VeloCloud has also been incorporated into AT&T’s Integrated Cloud (AIC) ecosystem, a network of data centers supporting the wireless carrier’s virtualization efforts. AIC has also partnered with familiar names, including Juniper, Cisco, Fortinet, Riverbed, Radcom, and Palo Alto Networks.