Massive growth driven by Cloud and Consumer applications is driving Service Providers and enterprises to find an alternative to legacy networking. Long inflexible contracts and slow manual processes no longer match the applications and services that are being deployed. These traditional models make networking the weakest link in the ICT ecosystem. In contrast, network-centric businesses want connectivity that behaves more like their Cloud-based services and applications. A 2017 article on The Economist called this the “cloudification” of the network, where it is “turned into software and can be dialled up and down as needed”.
A new breed of Ethernet providers today offers agile and flexible connectivity using network orchestration, otherwise known as Software-Defined Networking (SDN). According to Markets and Markets, SDN is expected to grow to $54.41 billion market by 2022; driving a revolution in how the network is consumed and used in the new digital economy. While SDN acts as a key enabler, it is only one of the many aspects of delivering a high performance and cost-efficient Ethernet service.
There are many considerations for service providers and enterprises when choosing a Carrier Ethernet provider. At the forefront, SDN acts as an enablement tool in delivering connectivity services. The question is what else should you be looking for in a Carrier Ethernet provider?
Here are a few things you should consider before choosing your Carrier Ethernet provider:
- Simple-to-use SDN portal – Getting started is easy. You should be given an opportunity to try the SDN portal and experience it in real-time. On-demand services mean that users can turn up services straight away without going through a lengthy process. That’s the true difference from the legacy networking model and enable you to expand globally whenever it is required.
- Robust Global Infrastructure – It is important to look under the hood and see what kind of infrastructure underpins the SDN portfolio. There’s a big difference in reliability and performance between a basic switching infrastructure or LAN and a carrier-grade MEF-certified global WAN. The portal and intelligent networking solutions are only as good as the connectivity infrastructure underlying it.
- Hyper-Scalable Connectivity – On-demand connectivity has now become an imperative for many businesses today, whether it is for a medium-sized enterprise connecting office locations or a global service provider connecting across continents. A hyper-scalable network offers the speed of on-demand connectivity as well as the capacity to support the demands driven by the generation of digital services. Your Carrier Ethernet providers will have to able to deliver on-demand 100G connectivity services and beyond.
- Comprehensive Connectivity Solutions – Networking is more efficient and easier to manage if your Carrier Ethernet provider can offer a comprehensive set of solutions beyond point-to-point ethernet. This means being able to turn up services beyond ethernet connectivity which includes services such as global SD-WAN and Voice services with the best possible user experience. That makes it simple for a network-centric business to meet their present needs but also future proof their networking requirements without the complexity of managing multiple suppliers around the world.
- Customer Service Excellence – Your Carrier Ethernet provider needs to demonstrate its dedication to customer service excellence, even though networking solutions can be easily procured and managed online. SDN brings the benefit of self-service and on-demand connectivity, but that does not necessarily mean having a completely hands-off approach. A trusted Network Provider provider should have a strong depth of networking knowledge and experience and be proactive in troubleshooting issues, ensuring customer satisfaction and continually improving user experience.
With over 15 years of experience, Epsilon understands the challenges in global networking. We are committed to partner success and making connectivity simple. If you are keen to experience our award-winning SDN portal, self-register with us today via www.infiny.cloud/auth/login or drop us an email at info@epsilontel.com.
