Verizon Enterprise Solutions is giving its business customers that are starting down a path toward network virtualization a new option to combine functions and components into an operating expense software licensing model that does not require a separate hardware cost.
With Verizon’s Virtual Network Services, business customers can get various features including: a single line-item "pay-as-you-go" pricing and billing for hardware, software and management services as well as an option for centralized contracting and billing.
Offering a bundled virtual network service platform follows the service provider’s introduction of its universal customer premises equipment (uCPE) solution, which was built to provide end customers the ability to more rapidly scale and provision new services such as security services and private networking services.
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Vickie Lonker, vice president of Network and Virtual Solutions for Verizon, said in a release that “incorporating universal customer premise equipment (uCPE) into a commercial pricing and billing model is another of the many bottom line business benefits that come from network virtualization.”
Because Verizon’s Virtual Network Services operates on a utility-based contracting and billing model, it offers more flexibility for business customers. It provides network functions in an “as-a-service” fashion, without the associated device or being tied into a long-term vendor contract.
As a result, a business can simplify the complexity of implementing, managing and maintaining multi-vendor hardware and software solutions. Additionally, businesses can reduce the barrier to entry, while being able to change vendors and functionality as business needs dictate. Virtual Network Services - One extends that simplification and flexibility to the pricing and billing model as well.
This latest service capability is also part of a broader effort Verizon is taking to virtualize more of its own network, an effort it says will allow them to save $10 billion in costs by 2020.
In September, Verizon’s CEO and Chairman Lowell McAdam said the company set a goal to take out $10 billion in expenses by 2020 to stay competitive and reduce operational costs.