Verizon Business and Equinix expand partnership, bring automation capabilities to SDI

Verizon Business is expanding its Software-Defined Interconnect (SDI) solution with automation capabilities in collaboration with Equinix.

The new capabilities are designed to enable global enterprise and public sector customers to connect their MPLS and Ethernet private networking services to hundreds of cloud, infrastructure and service providers with automated, same-day connectivity.

According to a statement, customers can now get quick activation of network services, lower access costs and increased networking agility. The SDI solution is part of the Verizon Business Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) strategy.

Since the launch of SDI in 2019, Verizon and Equinix have worked to improve Verizon's capabilities to handle the significant shift in enterprise and public sector connectivity demands due to the pandemic.

The service initially included same day provisioning of Private IP to Equinix's colocation environments and will now support Ethernet E-Line and E-LAN wide area networks.

Verizon and Equinix have invested heavily in agile services and expansion into new markets. This enables customers to leverage Verizon's high-speed network (up to 10 Gbps), coupled with Equinix Fabric, to expand and enhance connectivity to Verizon's MPLS and Ethernet customers globally.

The scalable bandwidth and provisioning automation are a foundational component of Verizon's NaaS capabilities being rolled out at Equinix, the company states.

Commenting on the evolving partnership, Verizon Business senior vice president of global enterprise Massimo Peselli says, "Organisations are seeking more agile ways of working from anywhere on any device.

"To take advantage of new solutions built on 5G, from real-time data analytics and AI, to enhanced security and AR/VR, they need a flexible, programmable, scalable and reliable platform that delivers network services in a much more resilient and cloud-centric way than traditional network infrastructures.

"Equinix is a trusted strategic partner who helps enable our Network-as-a-Service approach to managed services, and this SDI expansion provides our customers with the agility they need to meet their needs as they migrate to the cloud.

Equinix senior vice president core product management, Bill Long, also commented on the announcement.

He says, "As enterprise and public sector companies continue to digitally transform, they require network delivery solutions that are globally consistent, aligned with industry standards and delivered as-a-Service in order to create digital advantage.

"To meet these needs, over the past two years, Verizon and Equinix have been delivering to the market a software-defined interconnection solution that helps customers interconnect their foundational infrastructures, and this next round of evolution incorporates the next-generation of features our customers demand.

"By expanding the global automation and connectivity capabilities of the Verizon SDI solution, customers can now take advantage of the Equinix Fabric interconnection service and Verizon's Network-as-a-Service offering to privately and securely connect their digital supply chain ecosystems including wireline, wireless 5G and public cloud networks.

Verizon was recently named the 2020 Equinix Social Impact and Trailblazer Awards winner.

Omdia research director Brian Washburn says, "Many enterprises are working through major changes in how they connect and inter-work between data centers, networks, and cloud and hosting services.

"Verizon's expansion of SDI capability is a good example of how networks can adapt at the speed that businesses build and migrate applications."