China Telecom announces global SD-WAN service
China Telecom Global (CTG) has announced selecting Versa Networks to provide its software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) technology and software-defined security (SD-Security) solutions.
CTG -- the international subsidiary of state-owned China Telecom -- will deploy Versa's portfolio of virtualised network and security functions in 15 cloud hubs across the globe to attain "distributed reach and centralised control".
Versa, which is backed by Verizon Ventures, Sequoia, Mayfield, and Artis Ventures, will use its multi-tenant SD-WAN services to enable a cloud-native, software-based network architecture for CTG with integrated SD-Security, allowing customers to monitor, manage, and control network applications and data traffic flow.
According to Versa, CTG will then deploy SD-WAN software on x86 devices at its customers' offices.
CTG's network enables Chinese corporations to scale globally -- with the addition of SD-WAN also strengthening the provider's own efforts to gain more local and international customers.
"CTG's cloud-native, Versa-based network architecture will benefit enterprises in China as they look to expand beyond the mainland," Versa said.
"CTG SD-WAN, for instance, enables customers to connect their international branch offices to their corporate headquarters using internet connectivity and robust application identification, security, and policy enforcement. The result is faster time to service, simpler branch infrastructure, and lower administrative burden -- all key requirements when managing large global networks."
China Telecom's newly unveiled solution follows Telstra in March saying it would add SD-WAN to its Pacific Business Services (PBS) Pacnet joint venture's product suite in China.
The announcement came after Telstra's venture-capital arm revealed a strategic partnership with SD-WAN specialist VeloCloud after backing VeloCloud alongside Cisco during a $35 million Series D funding round.
Telstra had said it would use VeloCloud's solutions for simplifying and automating enterprise branch SDN functionality in addition to an SD-WAN solution powered by Cisco's intelligent WAN (iWAN) solution.
VeloCloud routes traffic across both private and public access, enabling the customer to retain control over a hybrid network from one location rather than having to manage multiple routers or replace their existing hardware.
"We expect SDN will continue to transform enterprise networking around the world, and VeloCloud SD-WAN can help companies achieve more agile and responsive networks as well as reduce costs," Telstra Ventures MD Mark Sherman said at the time.
"Our first step will be to offer VeloCloud technology to customers in mainland China."
VeloCloud, which counts Macquarie Telecom, Sprint, AT&T, and IBM among its global customers, this week unveiled a program for setting providers up with an SD-WAN solution in 30 days or less.
In addition, Australian carrier Optus earlier this week announced its own SD-WAN technology, saying it is one of the first managed service solutions able to be deployed over the top of any business network.
Optus Fusion SD-WAN was added to the provider's business software-defined networking (SDN) portfolio, and is used to monitor network traffic from applications in real-time in order to gain information on where bandwidth is being used across a network.
As a result, businesses will be able to prioritise data traffic to such business applications and cloud services as Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services (AWS).
Enabled by the Riverbed SteelConnect platform, Fusion SD-WAN is able to be deployed regardless of which provider or connection a business is using, Optus said.
"Business is moving at an unprecedented pace and, in an effort to remain relevant, organisations have deployed technologies from multiple providers," Enzo Cocotti, director of Optus Business, said on Thursday.
"With real-time insights into how network components are working together and performing, CIOs, network architects, and developers are empowered with information shaping existing and future IT strategies."
In the United States, cable provider Comcast Business also launched an SD-WAN service this week, with its ActiveCore platform a bid to attain more customers and larger companies, while United Kingdom carrier BT told ZDNet it plans to offer on-demand SD-WAN capabilities in future using Cisco and Nokia iWAN products.