AT&T, Cisco enhance SD-WAN support for remote workers

AT&T announced that its SD-WAN portfolio now includes Cisco Systems’ Teleworker solution, which extends corporate SD-WAN tools and security to companies’ remote workers. AT&T and Cisco also said the carrier’s SD-WAN service now meets the security requirements of the Federal Information Security Modernization Act (FISMA), while giving public sector users more control over their usage policies.

Teleworker uses a remote worker’s existing home internet connection, “and layers on the full SD-WAN stack with one piece of hardware,” allowing those working at home to fully leverage their employers’ enterprise-grade services without suffering from performance issues, according to an AT&T news release. Business traffic can be prioritized over non-business traffic, and service set-up supports zero-touch provisioning.

"Teleworking or working from home is a shift that can put extra pressure on enterprise IT groups tasked with enabling highly secure access to business-critical applications," said JL Valente, vice president of product management, Enterprise Routing and SD-WAN at Cisco, in the release. "Today's distributed workforce needs superior home office connectivity that makes working at home just as fluid as being in the office with consistent connectivity, performance and enterprise-grade security. The AT&T SD-WAN with Cisco Teleworker solution meets these requirements by providing an office-like experience to workers while keeping enterprise assets highly secure."

Will Eborall, AVP, Product Marketing Management for AT&T Business, added, “The workforce is continuing to evolve, and having the right tools is essential to a business – no matter where the business is getting done. AT&T continues to adapt its offerings to align with the customer needs of today, with these enhancements to SD-WAN with Cisco.”

The addition of the Teleworker solution comes after AT&T and Cisco last summer started enhancing the carrier’s SD-WAN offering with the pandemic-driven needs of distributed workforces in mind.

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Meanwhile, FISMA support allows SD-WAN users to stay compliant with U.S. federal government rules for their agencies to develop, document, and implement information security and protection programs. For these customers, AT&T SD-WAN with Cisco also now includes a co-managed option that gives them the power to control and self-manage their business application policies, while still relying on AT&T’s managed service support for configuration, fault and performance management.