13 August 2018

The partners claim their offering puts users in the fast lane when it comes to cloud deployments and digital transformation.

BT has launched a new global managed service using Cisco’s SD-WAN technology. 

It’s claimed BT Connect Cisco SD-WAN provides customers with a clear view of data flows across their WAN.

The partners say this enables users to optimise traffic to suit business needs, balancing performance and cost. 

They add that improved control also reduces risk when migrating applications and data to cloud networks. 

BT says its orchestration capabilities are an essential part of the new service. 

The firm says this allows it to correlate data from across a customer’s hybrid network, providing a complete picture of incidents and causes to manage day-to-day network operations effectively.  

According to BT, the new service offers a “comprehensive” in-life management and a “class-leading” reporting and analytics package, together with a choice of SD-WAN security solutions to mitigate cyber threats. 

The company has also setup a dedicated team to support customers throughout their network evolution.

In addition, pilot trials are optionally available to help users identify and meet critical success factors unique to their deployments.

Over and above future releases planned by Cisco, BT says it will invest in a programme of features for the new managed service. 

These include Cisco SD-WAN as a VNF within the Connect services platform running on Cisco’s Enterprise Network Compute System, and an integrated Cisco solution where SD-WAN capability is built into the router itself to provide the customer with a single edge device solution. 

BT adds that it will deliver intelligent network control across its customers’ estate irrespective of their existing connectivity providers, managed from the same orchestration platform.

Keith Langridge, the company’s vice president of network services, says: “Over 90 per cent of BT’s global WAN customers use Cisco technology and the vast majority ask us to manage it. 

“[This] announcement gives them a choice of physical or virtualised Cisco SD-WAN portfolio delivered as managed services backed by our excellent security credentials.”