BT Connect Cisco SD-WAN aims to help enterprises optimise traffic across their WAN by improving visibility of data flows, BT said. It uses Cisco technology to help customers reduce rish when migrating applications and data to the cloud.
BT is offering it as a global managed service which includes a full Cisco technology roadmap aimed at designing, delivering and evolving an SD-WAN.
Keith Langridge, vice president of network services at BT, said: “Over 90 per cent of BT’s global WAN customers use Cisco technology and the vast majority ask us to manage it. Today’s announcement gives them a choice of physical or virtualised Cisco SD-WAN portfolio delivered as managed services backed by our excellent security credentials.
“We have a wealth of know-how and experience in designing hybrid networks and a global infrastructure engineered for SD-WAN and NFV service delivery. Organisations looking at taking their first step to SD-WAN can be reassured that in BT, they have an established, trusted Cisco partner able to give professional services advice to plan, build and evolve secure and reliable hybrid networks globally.”
The addition of Cisco’s platform is the latest development in a long-running partnership with BT. BT recently added several new Cisco-based solutions to its portfolio, including a customer premises equipment virtualisaton solution; and a network authomation and orchestration software platform.
BT said it will invest in a programme of features for the managed service, with early deployment options including Cisco SD-WAN as a virtual network function (VNF) within the Connect Services Platform. It will also offer an integrated Cisco solution where SD-WAN capability is built into the router itself.
Scott Harrell, senior vice president and general manager, Enterprise Networking Business, Cisco, said: “BT is offering the complete portfolio of Cisco SD-WAN-based solutions as managed services — and doing so on a truly global scale. Cisco SD-WAN, built on Viptela technology, is a great example of how intent-based networking is fundamentally changing the blueprint for networking.”
