Global Cloud Xchange launches expanded SD-WAN portfolio

Global Cloud Xchange (GCX), the global managed service provider, has launched its network underlay portfolio, expanding its SD-WAN offering, as it furthers its mission of Data Made Scalable. Comprising of four elements – managed (or proactive) underlay, reactive underlay, fully managed underlay, and a fully managed service - the expanded offering is designed to meet the diverse requirements of organisations’ network managers amid a growing appetite to manage their network overlays in-house.

Businesses are increasingly turning to SD-WAN to reduce costs, strengthen connectivity, and to gain greater control and visibility of their networks. Many organisations are choosing to self-manage the overlay – the logical network component of SD-WAN, which uses network virtualisation to build connectivity on top of physical infrastructure. However, with most organisations using more than one network or cloud provider, identifying and addressing any challenges with the underlay – the physical network connection, typically the internet – can be a complex business.

With the launch of the new network underlay services, customers can procure support for their specific SD-WAN management needs, allowing GCX to augment the capabilities of customer in-house teams rather than duplicating their efforts.

Jonathan Wright, Director of Products and Operations at GCX, explains: “Recent advances in SD-WAN management software mean organisations that would never have dreamed of managing their wide area networks are now able to. However, the underlay aspect can still be complicated for many.

“We want to ensure more organisations’ Data is Made Scalable. And that means adapting how we engage with them to meet them when they need support. Our expanded network underlay portfolio offers companies the option of employing us as an intermediary with carriers and vendors or choosing a full end-to-end managed service. Either way, as many move toward self-management of the network overlay, they’re able to augment their existing SD-WAN solutions without the headache of having to manage the complexity of the underlay.”

GCX's SD-WAN portfolio comprises the following:

Fully managed service – An end-to-end service in which GCX designs, builds and operates a fully managed SDWAN solution; procuring all aspects of underlay and overlay, liaising directly with network carriers and hardware vendors on a worldwide basis to provide a fully managed service underpinned by a single, globalSLA.

Fully managed underlay service – A true co-management option, GCX designs, builds and operates the network underlay and the customer manages its own SD-WAN overlay. GCX will proactively manage all elements of the underlay which are governed by a single, global SLA.

Proactive underlay – Where customers procure their own underlay circuits, GCX can proactively identify, analyse and mitigate any challenges that may arise with the underlay. Furthermore, GCX can procure and configure the hardware and overlay if required.

Reactive underlay – GCX procures the underlay circuits for the customer, but the customer deploys and manages the overlay devices. The customer notifies GCX of any challenges, and GCX steps in to remediate with carriers and vendors on a global basis.