Verizon bolstered its SD-WAN platform for greater enterprise visibility, and claimed a successful cross-vendor test of NG-PON2 technology.
Verizon Communications may not make as much noise as rival AT&T in terms of its work on virtualization technologies like software-defined networking and network functions virtualization, but the telecom giant is indeed moving aggressively into the software space.
The carrier this week announced a partnership with SevOne to expand visibility into software-defined wide area networking deployments for enterprise customers. The deal calls for the use of an integrated web interface designed to provide enterprises using Verizon’s SD-WAN solution with an “end-to-end view of services spanning the physical and virtual network.”
The platform is said to allow for analyzing performance of a hybrid WAN; connect disparate metrics into a single-services view across the SD-WAN; automate baseline performance metrics; unify performance metrics across network, security and applications; and boost the ability to react to incoming insight.
“With these new capabilities, Verizon’s enterprise clients benefit from a singular view that spans multivendor technology without the burden of managing disparate monitoring systems,” the company noted in a statement.
The SD-WAN space has garnered considerable attention from telecom operators, with AT&T and Sprint recently announcing deals with VeloCloud to support SD-WAN deployments.
AT&T said its plans call for the carrier’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, with the platform set to be available this year.
Sprint said it is working with VeloCloud to offer a service designed to allow enterprises to more efficiently manage corporate networks, optimize performance and enable policies to improve customer experience. The Sprint service is targeted to begin customer trials by year-end, with a global launch planned for early this year.
A recent report from IDC forecasts 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.
Verizon NG-PON2 trial
Connected to its moves towards the greater use of software, Verizon also said it recently completed what it claims is the first interoperability trial of next-generation passive optical network technology at its lab in Massachusetts.
The trial used equipment from different vendors connected by a single fiber that is said to have shown no impact on services. The trial tapped into Verizon’s open optical network terminal management and control interface specifications, which the carrier said it plans to share with the industry in the next few months.
Vendors involved in the trial included Adtran, Broadcom, Cortina Access and Ericsson in partnership with Calix. Adtran said the trial showed support for bandwidth flexibility that can maximize SDN and NFV network automation and allow for the quicker deployment of services to customers.
This latest round of testing began last summer, with Verizon initially announcing test plans with Ericsson and Adtran.
Verizon said the NG-PON2 technology supports up to 40 gigabits per second of total capacity and up to 10 Gbps speeds per customer over a single fiber, with the carrier evaluating the technology for possible use on its Fios network. The NG-PON2 technology garnered International Telecommunications Union’s Telecommunications Standardization Sector approval in 2015.
Verizon in late 2015 launched its SD-WAN platform using Cisco’s Intelligent WAN technology and targeting enterprise customers. Verizon said the platform supports a better user experience by integrating application optimization designed for faster application performance; enables secure and certified routing platforms; uses intelligent path control to fully utilize multiprotocol label switching and the internet to lower operational costs; and can provision new sites and services faster with a “hybrid WAN to support key business initiatives.”
Verizon’s Enterprise Solutions business last year launched its Virtual Network Service to support enterprises as they migration toward a virtual infrastructure model. Verizon noted the service would enable enterprises to take into account various locations and staffing requirements, network service and bandwidth requirements, and support security needs, which are not possible with current hardware-based platforms.
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