Verizon launches new flavor of SD-WAN to help ease businesses' IT burden

Verizon Business Markets has launched a new SD-WAN-based service that was designed to help businesses with complex IT management needs.

Verizon teamed up with one of its SD-WAN vendors, Versa Networks, for its Software Defined Secure Branch solution. The service was designed for small and medium-sized businesses that are spread out over multiple locations as well for state and local governments and educational institutions.

Verizon said the Software Defined Secure Branch service reduced businesses' complex IT management needs while also giving them better visibility, security and control of their networks.

“Software Defined Secure Branch lets our customers focus on their business or organization as first priority, leaving the IT to us,” said Vickie Lonker, Verizon’s vice president of global products and solutions, in a prepared statement. “The simple, intuitive experience delivers rapid provisioning, a mobile management app, service health, application visibility and the security controls needed to protect the business.”

While not mentioning Software Defined Secure Branch by name, Lonker had previously told FierceTelecom that her team had been working on creating tools and capabilities that gave business customers more control of their services and applications.

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The service can be accessed and monitored through the Verizon Enterprise Center web portal, which, in addition to increased network visibility, unifies the purchase, deployment, and management of businesses' services.

Verizon said Software Defined Secure Branch kept networks secure and accessible through a combination of simplified management, the SD-WAN solution and security. The service can also improve video and cloud-based service performance by using SD-WAN to automatically adapt a network on the fly, which results in a better user experience.

Verizon provides active backup for Software Defined Secure Branch through enterprise-grade connectivity and via its 4G network. Verizon is also using Cisco's IWAN and Viptela solutions for SD-WAN.