Managing multiple network service providers can be costly, complex and resource intensive. Technology vendors and enterprises are gearing towards simplicity and efficiency in the way they deliver their services.
Having a single service provider means being able to consume network services with consistent reliability and quality.
Rather than managing five to six different service providers with different procurement models, service levels and customer service processes, businesses should consider ways to simplify and streamline network management. This is especially important when scaling across multiple markets where there are disparate networks.
When the old meets the new
Businesses are now relying on software-defined networking (SDN) fabrics to easily interconnect data centres globally. This is made possible when it is built on a cloud-centric data centre interconnect (DCI) ecosystem where there is diversity of data centres and networks.
They are no longer limited to one data centre environment but a diverse ecosystem of data centres, cloud service providers (CSP), internet exchanges (IX) and networks.
There are obvious advantages choosing a cloud-centric DCI ecosystem over a traditional one:
Traditional DCI Ecosystem
Multiple Service Providers and Network Operators
Long lead time to turn up connectivity
Rigid term of at least 12-24 months
Limited data centre footprint and cloud on-ramps
Cloud-Centric DCI Ecosystem
SDN platform enabled for self-service ordering and provisioning
On-demand connectivity to a global interconnect ecosystem
Flexible term from as short as 1 day
Full network visibility using real-time analytics
Making it simple to interconnect globally
The first step is to look at your IT estate – what’s running in there and where complexity can be removed.
It is neither cost-efficient nor the most reliable to have multiple service providers within a single region or even across continents. This is even more crucial for larger hybrid infrastructure where mission-critical services and data are running within a network of on-premises data centres, colocation facilities and public clouds.
