Sprint, VMware Celebrate SD-WAN Milestone

Sprint‘s software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) now covers more than 100 countries.

The Kansas-based service provider said its SD-WAN footprint has increased 150% over the last year in the number of countries where it is deployed. VMware SD-WAN By VeloCloud powers the offering and has expanded its relationship with Sprint.

VeloCloud’s Sanjay Uppal

“Sprint and VMware have a shared vision of enabling enterprises around the world in their digital transformation journey with the best networking solutions,” said Sanjay Uppal, senior vice president and general manager, VeloCloud business unit at VMware. “At VMware, we are committed to helping Sprint deliver dynamic, globally scalable WAN solutions that enable application performance, network availability, and accelerate transformation at the network edge.”

The carrier in 2018 announced that the SD-WAN solution expanded to reach customers with locations in Asia Pacific, Latin America, North America and Europe. It steers data traffic and improves application performance while using Sprint’s Tier 1 global wireline network and other connections such as the internet.

Sprint’s Mike Fitz

“The management capabilities of VMware SD-WAN enable Sprint to provide a higher quality experience for our customers. Now, nontraditional, cost-effective ways of connecting are more viable,” said Mike Fitz, vice president of Sprint’s global wireline business. “Along with the promise of our Certainty network design model, Sprint is delivering a comprehensive solution that meets customer performance expectations, wherever they may be around the globe.”

Sprint and VeloCloud (which was later purchased by VMware) first partnered in 2016.

The company’s wireline unit is celebrating growth. Jan Geldmacher, president of Sprint Business, said Sprint’s wireline side has tripled its number of Fortune 1,000 logo wins over the course of two years.

“I believe this is because our customers value Sprint’s transformative approach toward modern wireline technologies and acknowledge us as a trusted adviser looking out for their best interests,” Geldmacher said.

Sprint last month launched Certainty, its network design model that boasts network diversity and an SLA of 100% availability.