CenturyLink Offers SD-WAN Globally, Creating Partner 'Opportunity'

CenturyLink is offering its software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) solution on a global scale.

The telecommunications giant announced Monday that customers in more than 30 countries can access the product.

CenturyLink’s Adam Saenger

“With our expansion of SD-WAN globally, we provide customers a complete hybrid networking solution which helps them adapt and accelerate enterprise cloud enablement,” said Adam Saenger, CenturyLink’s vice president of networking solutions. “We deliver secure, scalable and cost-efficient private-public networking across a full range of connectivity types, enabling enterprises to be more agile and decrease risk.”

CenturyLink describes its SD-WAN offering as using a hybrid combination of private network MPLS with public internet and other new sources of connectivity. The company first announced the managed platform in June 2016, and later a package designed to accommodate hybrid environments. The Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF) named CenturyLink’s product as the best managed SD-WAN service last year.

Frost & Sullivan Industry Director Roopa Honnachari said the vendor is working to compete in the global SD-WAN market.

“As SD-WAN adoption continues to pick up pace globally, it is highly critical for managed SD-WAN providers to have a strong global footprint as businesses look to connect internationally distributed locations,” Honnachari said.

CenturyLink’s Garrett Gee

Members of CenturyLink’s channel partner program have been selling the SD-WAN offering. Channel Chief Garrett Gee told Chanel Partners that solution providers are not tied to just serving U.S. customers.

“CenturyLink’s expanding global network reach is creating more opportunity for our channel partners. Now, with the availability of CenturyLink’s managed SD-WAN solution in over 30 countries, partners can help their customers more effectively implement hybrid networking solutions and securely connect business locations around the world,” he said.

Gee, the former vice president of Level 3’s channel, assumed the role of CenturyLink’s channel chief after the two companies merged and John DeLozier subsequently moved to 8×8.