NTT Com launches Cloud Networking Services with Instant Self-Service Activation and Pay-Per-Use Model

NTT Communications Corporation has unveiled what it says is the industry’s first suite of cloud-based network services that can be instantly activated online, accelerating service delivery and reducing the costs of enterprise networking. With these cloud-based network services, NTT Com now delivers the most advanced integrated cloud-based networking offering worldwide.

The new services are powered by Virtela Technology Services Incorporated (Virtela), acquired by NTT Com in January 2014. Virtela is a leader in global cloud-based networking, enabling enterprise transition to asset-light branch office networking via innovative NFV-enabled services delivered from Virtela’s global SDN platform.
Offered via a pay-per-use model, the services eliminate traditional long-term contract commitments. Leveraging a breakthrough architecture, these services free the enterprise from investing in and managing a multitude of dedicated network appliances for globally distributed offices. Enterprises can also open up new offices or support short term projects with minimal upfront investments.

These services expand NTT Com’s portfolio of Arcstar Universal One™ - the enterprise network services reaching to more than 190 countries/regions worldwide. The new services will become officially available for sales starting from July 2014.

Transformation to Asset-Light Networking
“While many industry experts and service providers have long been speaking about the potential of NFV, we are excited to become the first service providers to commercialize NFV-enabled services on a global scale,” says Takashi Ooi, NTT Com’s Vice President of Enterprise Network Service. “NFV is a technology to virtualize network functions that traditionally run on physical appliances. Leveraging NFV technology in our Local Cloud Networking Centers worldwide, we can now deliver varieties of network functions – such as firewall and application acceleration for branch offices – from our network cloud. This eliminates the ‘one device, per service, per location’ model, resulting in significant cost savings for our customers.”

"Virtela and NTT Com's SDN and NFV innovations give enterprises unprecedented choice and control in transforming their global enterprise networks," said Virtela President Ron Haigh. "We are accelerating the delivery of new innovative services, setting the highest bar in the industry with a flexible subscription model that enables CIOs to simplify network architecture and allow them to focus on their core business."

Real-Time Provisioning Via Self-Service Portal
These cloud-based network services can be deployed and managed via an SDN-enabled customer portal - giving users the flexibility to instantly activate services when and where needed. Service deployments that took months now take only minutes. Configuration changes that took weeks can now be done in real time.
“And it is not only about saving capital and operational costs,” says Ooi. “NTT Com’s services transform enterprise WAN to enable customers to stay agile and responsive to the ever-changing business environment.”

NTT Com offers the flexibility for customers to activate and configure cloud-based network services on their own, rely on NTT Com for management, or a hybrid of both.

Extensive Cloud-based Network Services Portfolio
The new cloud-based network services make branch office networking more asset-light, agile, scalable and economical, enabling companies to better meet ever-changing business requirements. NTT Com is expanding its extensive cloud services portfolio with four new cloud-based network services globally:
1. Cloud-Based Application Acceleration: Optimizes application performance over the IP-VPN network, enabling global IT consolidation and faster access to cloud-hosted applications (*30-Day Free Trial available)
2. Cloud-Based Firewall: This service offers Firewall, IPS, and URL Filtering options, and enables secure Internet access at branch offices using the nearest of 50 Local Cloud Networking Centers distributed globally
3. Cloud-Based IPSEC VPN Gateway: Establishes quick enterprise network connections from public cloud or any site with Internet access
4. Cloud-Based SSL VPN: Enables remote workers or partners using any device to access the enterprise network
Enterprises can take advantage of NTT Com’s industry most advanced portfolio of end-to-end services including cloud compute, storage, network, security, unified communications and infrastructure management services.

Real-World Business Benefits
“We’ve achieved a strong ROI by moving to an asset-light IT architecture and Virtela is a key partner in successfully executing on that strategy,” said Dennis Hodges, Chief Information Officer for Inteva Products. “Virtela’s virtualized cloud-based network services have truly transformed our branch office networking -- giving our end-users optimal access to whatever resource they need, wherever they need it, instantly from the cloud -- which delivers higher value for our employees and business partners worldwide. We’re looking forward to taking advantage of NTT Com’s extended cloud portfolio to increase our savings.”

According to Takanori Yukishige, Senior Vice President and Chairman of the Business Process Innovation Committee, Innovation & IT Strategy at ALL NIPPON AIRWAYS CO., LTD., “The ANA Group is deploying NTT Communications services, such as Arcstar Universal One IP-VPN service and a newly introduced cloud-based unified communication solution. The unified communication solution, which is supported by a highly reliable network, is further helping us to improve operational efficiency and save four million USD annually. By making use of cutting-edge technologies and services, such as NFV, we expect to continue benefitting from reliable, flexible and cost-effective ICT infrastructure from NTT Communications.”

"Increasingly globalized business operations, continued growth in remote/mobile work forces, and "extended enterprise" business ecosystems and evolving IT architectures require more flexible, cost effective application delivery models to provide secure, reliable access for highly distributed end-user communities, says Melanie Posey, research vice president at IDC." "Virtela's NFV-enabled cloud networking services, combined with NTT Com's leadership in SDN/NFV innovation, provides optimized, secure branch office connectivity to centralized applications hosted in the corporate data center and to "off-net" cloud services and applications." NTT Com, one of the most visionary global telcos, has a comprehensive portfolio of network and IT services, which positions the company as a front runner in the growing ICT services market."