Telstra has outlined its plans to transform its core network with software-defined networking (SDN) and network function virtualization (NFV) capabilities. The result will be services offered from a single cloud platform that encompasses all of its data centers and global networks.
The network-as-a-service offering is called the Telstra Programmable Network, and it’s aimed at helping businesses quickly add new capabilities without significant infrastructure upgrades. It will also allow secure, on-demand provisioning and access to multiple cloud services via a simple user interface.
“The Telstra Programmable Network is designed to help our customers meet the rapidly growing global demand for data and the proliferation of applications, as well as embrace cloud computing by offering flexible and dynamic access to our high bandwidth, low latency and secure networks,” said Jim Fagan, director of global platforms at Telstra. “Our vision for the Telstra Programmable Network is to help businesses optimize their IT by offering automated, on-demand and near real-time provisioning, consumption-based pricing and new data insights on network usage. The Telstra Programmable Network brings together all of our SDN technologies such as PEN, Telstra’s first globally connected on-demand networking platform, and continues their development under one vision, architecture and investment program.”
International IP VPN customers also will be able to access the Telstra Programmable Network’s capabilities from any of 2,000 points of presence worldwide after launch. This includes extending their network via Telstra’s portal or API to access the internet and a range of public cloud services including Amazon Web Services and IBM SoftLayer. In an important next step in rolling out the Telstra Programmable Network, Telstra will implement a significant capability upgrade of its core international IP network in the coming months. This will introduce increased bandwidth and flexibility. In addition, these enhancements will also increase Telstra’s peering capacity by up to 70 percent, and provide enhanced security with traffic segregation capability to mitigate DDoS traffic.
“These initial investments will establish the groundwork for the Telstra Programmable Network with future enhancements, such as orchestrated real-time SD-WAN and security, to be announced in the coming months,” said Fagan. “We see the need for a new type of networking infrastructure, and the enhancements to our international IP core network and creation of a new software-enabled platform provide the building blocks needed to support the roll out of the Telstra Programmable Network, which leverages our world-class network.”
He added, “In the age of digital disruption, an organisation’s network needs to support its future growth, whether that involves expanding into new markets, creating new products or improving efficiency.”
