Sprint is about to enter the burgeoning SD-WAN market with plans to offer the service to its business clients globally starting early next year.
Working in tandem with VeloCloud, Sprint will begin SD-WAN trials in the fourth quarter.
What’s driven Sprint to move forward with SD-WAN is that a growing majority of its business customers are migrating voice, video and data onto an all-IP network. By offering SD-WAN, Sprint said its end-customers will “benefit from automation, increased visibility and improved performance for real-time and cloud applications across their distributed locations.”
A key point of Sprint’s SD-WAN offering is providing an access-agnostic platform. Businesses that sign up for the SD-WAN service have the option of using new or existing Sprint MPLS or broadband internet connectivity as well as using broadband services from a third- party telco or cable provider.
Regardless of the underlying access mechanism used, Sprint will manage the customer’s SD-WAN solution across transport vendors, providing an integrated end-to-end experience.
Besides providing flexible access, Sprint’s SD-WAN product will offer enhanced security and management.
Security has been integrated into the Sprint SD-WAN solution, providing real-time protection against malware, viruses, and cyber threats for all sites and endpoints, including the mobile workforce.
Sprint will also offer various management tiers to enable customers to select the level of support they need, including a Sprint fully managed solution.
“SD-WAN enables enterprises to lower their network costs while dynamically supporting converged services such as SIP Trunking, cloud services, and hosted applications,” said Mike Fitz, VP of the Sprint Global Wireline Business Unit.
Sprint’s SD-WAN move follows the company’s effort to revamp its wireline business by launching the Sprint Global Wireline Business Unit.
The SD-WAN service market continues to get more crowded. Sprint will not only have to compete with traditional telcos like CenturyLink and Verizon, but also TelePacific, which is proposing a nationwide SD-WAN product.
For more:
- see the release
Related articles:
Sprint, Frontier, Windstream back Verizon-Incompas price cap proposal on BDS
Sprint challenges telcos, cable operators on Ethernet over HFC claims
Sprint revamps wireline focus with new unit, but move doesn't allay rumors of asset sale
Sprint launches wireline business division, taps company veteran Fitz to lead division