Level 3 Communications introduced Adaptive Network Control Solutions via ExpressRoute to Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) Azure, adapting its software defined networking capabilities to its growing cloud service set.
This new capability will address the enterprises' ongoing migration to a private cloud solution that bypasses the latency, jitter and security issues associated with the public Internet option.
The service provider said the new Adaptive Network Control Solutions via ExpressRoute capability will give enterprises additional analytics and visibility into their network performance and the ability to make adjustments to network bandwidth more rapidly to deliver cloud-based business applications.
Leveraging its SDN capabilities, which are incorporated into its Cloud Connect Solutions platform, the Adaptive Network Control services include: Enhanced Management, which provides visibility into and analytics of key network performance characteristics like latency and packet loss on an end-to-end, site-by-site basis; and Dynamic Capacity, which gives customers the ability to scale their bandwidth by up to three times on demand or automatically based on scheduled events or utilization triggers.
Anthony Christie, chief marketing officer at Level 3, said in a release that the Enhanced Management and Dynamic Capacity for Microsoft Azure will give enterprises the ability to "adjust their bandwidth needs as well as garner important network data that can help inform their future network decisions."
Level 3's SDN-based network functionality can support a variety of use cases in Azure, including disaster recovery scheduled backups, managing large ad hoc IT workloads and handling seasonal volume growth. The company said that the SDN capabilities for connectivity to Azure will be available this summer.
While the SDN moves by AT&T (NYSE: T) and Verizon (NYSE: VZ) have gotten a lot of attention lately, Level 3 is being no less aggressive. Jeff Storey, CEO of Level 3, told investors during the first-quarter earnings call that SDN and NFV are key to helping enable its customers to dynamically provision and manage their service experience.
For more:
- see the release
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