Verizon has won a large managed services contract with Ericsson to transition the Swedish company’s corporate IT environment toward a virtual services implementation.
Positioned as part of a broader deployment of managed services, the initial implementation will focus on deploying Verizon's Managed Software Defined Wide Area Network (SD WAN) service integrated with virtualized security services and Managed Enterprise Radio Access Network (E-RAN) solutions.
Ericsson, which is one of Verizon’s key SD-WAN suppliers, will use the telco’s SD-WAN solutions to automate operations, maintain application performance and enable on-demand implementation of WAN policies.
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“Verizon will accelerate our adoption of the virtualized networking technologies that are transforming the communications industry,” Johan Torstensson, chief information officer and head of IT at Ericsson, said in a release. “In addition, the use of E-RAN, which leverages the Ericsson Radio DOT System and Pico RBS, will enhance the performance and appeal of our corporate facilities paving the way for new applications to be delivered by indoor mobile network infrastructure."
Verizon's Managed SD-WAN and Managed E-RAN solutions are part of the service provider’s network-as-a-service offerings. The management layer delivering these services is a joint development effort that incorporates Ericsson's Dynamic Orchestration, Closed loop service assurance and Automated Validation and Onboarding Platform.
Under the terms of the contract with Verizon, Ericsson will consume virtualized network functions (VNFs) as a utility in a pay-as-you-go, usage-based model. This solution will allow Ericsson to expand the global reach of its corporate IT infrastructure using Verizon's Global IP network for public and private networking solutions.
Being able to name Ericsson as a customer serves as a new proof point for Verizon’s SD-WAN and overall managed services vision it is touting to its larger enterprise customer base.
It also helps to highlight the work Verizon and Ericsson have been doing on the virtualization side. In February, Verizon tapped Ericsson’s dynamic orchestration, closed-loop service assurance and VNF onboarding and testing.
From an SD-WAN perspective, Ericsson’s technology allows Verizon to manage and orchestrate hybrid client networks in real time.
To deliver SD-WAN, Verizon uses software from Viptela and Cisco. The service provider said it has over 90 active SD-WAN implementations and 16 full-scale deployments. It also has 30 participants taking part in a universal CPE program trial.