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Verizon Business Markets just introduced a software-defined branch offering for customers and partners.

Versa Networks powers the Software Defined Secure Branch solution, which is now accessible. Verizon says multilocation businesses, educational institutions and government agencies will benefit from the offering.

Verizon says collaboration and multimedia will work more reliably as a result of the branch offering that helps customers leverage SD-WAN. Verizon’s 4G LTE network serves as a backup, and its threat management and encryption help ensure security. The Verizon Enterprise Center online portal allows users to purchase, deploy and manage the solution from a mobile application.

Verizon’s Vickie Lonker

“Software Defined Secure Branch lets our customers focus on their business or organization as first priority, leaving the IT to us,” said Victoria Lonker, Verizon’s vice president of global products and solutions. “The simple, intuitive experience delivers rapid provisioning, a mobile management app, service health, application visibility and the security controls needed to protect the business.”

Analyst Brian Washburn, Ovum’s practice leader of network transformation and cloud, says the new service helps simplify software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) for businesses.

“SD-WAN is a powerful and complex solution with many moving parts,” Washburn said. “Verizon’s new offer is a simple, yet flexible way for businesses and partners to get technology at the level of features they need, and expand into new features as they need them.”

Ovum’s Brian Washburn

The branch offering has been in the works for some time, as Verizon partnered with Versa last August to use its Software Defined Branch managed service. Versa CEO Kelly Ahuja told Channel Partners at the time that the partnership would allow Verizon partners to build more services.

“Many times they don’t have the capabilities to go and build out a service themselves, because traditionally they’re more of a systems integrator than an operator,” Ahuja said. “They can still go and sell the solution, but they can actually work with Verizon to be able to have someone that’s offering that technology and product as a service, and [Verizon] takes on the burden of management and operations while the partner takes on the task that they do well, which is customer engagement – tying the solution and service solving the business need – and then adding higher layer value to the services around that.”

Ahuja also said the offering reduces network sprawl and improves agility.

Verizon also partners with Viptela (now owned by Cisco) for SD-WAN.