Telstra, Cisco to transform network delivery

Telstra has extended its collaboration agreement with Cisco to cover the delivery of virtualised managed network and cloud services.

Under the deal, Cisco will provide its software-defined networking (SDN) and network function virtualisation (NFV) technologies to allow Telstra’s business customers to access a unified suite of cloud and managed network services.

The collaboration will focus on four areas - delivering a unified customer and product experience across cloud, network and value-added services, improving speed to market, dynamic provisioning of on-premise and cloud services, and improving operational efficiency.

The open architecture will use Cisco’s Evolved Services Platform (ESP) to allow Telstra to provide ready-built services that can be deployed via a self-service portal.

Telstra COO Kate McKenzie said the collaboration is aimed at leveraging cloud and software-based services to transform its network operations.

“In a nut shell, we want to transform our network services so they become instantaneous - purchased and provisioned in the same manner as cloud,” she said.

“The new services are a direct response to our customers’ need to rapidly respond to changing market dynamics that pose direct challenges to IT ... To assist them, Telstra is building innovative services in a way that our customers have told us they want to consume them - on demand.”

Image courtesy of Karl Baron under CC