Verizon Launches SDN Services for Equinix Data Centers, Grows MPLS

Written by James Anderson
July 22, 2019

SDI makes the connection to Equinix data centers without using "costly" traditional infrastructure.

Verizon is giving customers faster and less expensive data center colocation and interconnection services through an Equinix partnership.

The carrier on Monday announced Software-Defined Interconnect (SDI), which connects businesses to any of the 115 Equinix International Business Exchange data centers. SDI makes the connection without using “costly” traditional infrastructure. Customers with a private IP network can provision their network traffic through the Equinix Cloud Exchange Fabric (ECX).

Equinix bought 29 Verizon data centers in 2017.

Vickie Lonker, Verizon’s vice president of product management and development, said enterprises will hurdle a major digital-transformation obstacle by “virtually connecting” to private IP services with the help of the ECX Fabric.

Verizon’s Vickie Lonker

“SDI is an addition to our best-in-class, software-defined suite of services that can deliver performance ‘at the edge’ and support real-time interactions for our customers,” Lonker said. “Think about how many devices are connected to data centers, the amount of data generated, and then multiply that when 5G becomes ubiquitous.”

Courtney Munroe, IDC‘s group vice president, said Verizon gains a competitive advantage by enhancing its MPLS network with software-defined networking (SDN).

“Verizon’s new Software Defined Interconnect addresses one of the leading issues for organizations by improving colocation access. This offer facilitates a reduction in network and connectivity costs for accessing colocation data centers, while promoting agility and innovation for enterprises,” Munroe said.

Light Reading analyst Mitch Wagner wrote that Verizon is pitching its new solution as simple and efficient.

“The operator claims its new service provides a faster, more flexible alternative to traditional interconnectivity, which requires costly build-outs, long lead times, complex provisioning and often truck rolls: APIs are used to automate connections and, often, reduce costs, boasts Verizon,” Wagner said.

Verizon says its MPLS network traffic is growing at a double-digit rate year over year as colocation services “proliferate.” One Verizon executive declared last year that SD-WAN technology has led to increased MPLS revenue for the carrier.

Equinix last month announced Network Edge services, which is the latest installment of the company’s interconnected data center platform. The platform works in tandem with Equinix Cloud Fabric to help customers launch virtual network services.

“By allowing enterprises to virtually connect to Verizon’s private IP services using the proven ECX Fabric, SDI makes secure colocation and interconnection easier – and more financially viable – to implement than ever before,” said Bill Long, vice president of interconnection services for Equinix.

We wrote earlier today about Verizon’s victory in the recent JD Power Wireless Network Quality Study.