NTT Communications Corporation (NTT Com), the ICT solutions and international communications provider within NTT has unveiled a suite of cloud-based network services that can be instantly activated online, accelerating service delivery and reducing the costs of enterprise networking.

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

Takashi Ooi, NTT Com’s vice president of enterprise network service says, “NFV is a technology to virtualise network functions that traditionally run on physical appliances. Leveraging NFV technology in our Local Cloud Networking Centres 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,” Virtela president Ron Haigh says.

“We are accelerating the delivery of new services 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,” Takashi says.

“NTT Com’s services transform enterprise WAN to enable customers to stay agile and responsive to the ever-changing business environment.”