Intelsat to offer managed SD-WAN from Versa Networks

Satellite operator Intelsat is adding SD-WAN to its FlexEnterprise connectivity layer to provide enterprises with more connectivity options. The company will use Versa Networks’ SD-WAN solution, which is part of Versa’s secure access service edge (SASE).

Intelsat said that by incorporating Versa’s SD-WAN into its product portfolio, it hopes to simplify the user experience and add an extra layer of security. “SD-WAN can prioritize traffic and ease congestion,” said Brian Jakins, general manager and VP of Intelsat’s Networks business unit. “When you need to guarantee a certain quality of service, then SD-WAN is the magician that can prioritize traffic.”

Intelsat sells satellite and terrestrial connectivity to both enterprise customers and large mobile operators that then offer these services to their enterprise customers.

Versa’s SD-WAN product will be part of Intelsat’s FlexEnterprise connectivity platform. Jakins said that the company selected Versa as its SD-WAN partner after conducting a lot of testing and the company liked that Versa offers an end-to-end service.  “As a virtualized solution, we need to make it affordable and easy to use,” Jakins said. “Versa had a competitively priced solution and that is why we adopted it.”

Nevertheless, Jakins said that if Intelsat customers have their own SD-WAN solution, the company will integrate it.

This is Intelsat’s latest collaboration for its FlexEnterprise platform. Earlier this year the company partnered with PCCW Global to integrate PCCW’s software-defined interconnection platform with FlexEnterprise, enabling companies to more easily connect with private MPLS networks. In addition, it also is teamed with Microsoft Azure to demonstrate how the two companies can create a private cellular network using Azure Private 5G core deployed on an Azure Stack Edge device.