AT&T SD-WAN moves include a premise-based OTT option available later this year, or a more comprehensive hybrid approach set to launch next year
AT&T announced a partnership with VeloCloud to deliver software-defined wide area network services to enterprises looking to migrate networks from hardware to software.
The deal calls for AT&T’s SD-WAN portfolio to include a network-based solution combining hybrid networking with multiple network access options allowing for optimized application performance based on customer-selected parameters. The customization option also includes network bandwidth management.
The platform is set to be available next year.
For companies looking to deploy SD-WAN across similar deployment models at various locations, AT&T said its premise-based “over-the-top” solution could be a better fit, with the benefit of the offer being available later this year.
In terms of its overall software moves, AT&T said the hybrid SD-WAN platform is its third integrated option, following its software-defined networking and network functions virtualization launches. Further SD-WAN moves are said to include additional collaborations.
AT&T noted the SD-WAN service includes integration with its FlexWare devices and AT&T Integrated Cloud nodes into the network, which it claims provides an easier transition path for existing VPN customers looking to launch SD-WAN functionality. The carrier earlier this week bolstered its FlexWare platform, which previously operated under the Network Functions on Demand moniker, with a new device option and enhanced feature functionality.
The move is said to allow business customers to set up multiple VNFs on a single device and deploy them in different countries, or manage their network functions using an online portal. The single-device management is available through either a “small” device said to support up to two VNF applications, which joins the previously offered and still available “larger” version designed to run up to four VNFs. AT&T also noted enterprises can “mix and match” FlexWare devices and applications to meet demand.
IDC earlier this year forecast the SD-WAN space to reach $6 billion in technology and service sales by 2020, with a compound annual growth rate of more than 90% over the next five years.
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