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SDN, NFV Power Verizon's New Hosted Network Services for Enterprises

It provides a pay-as-you-go pricing model for organizations implementing large-scale application deployments.

• By David Ramel
• 06/19/2017

Software-defined networking (SDN) and network functions virtualization (NFV) are powering a new enterprise-level network capability service announced by Verizon.

The company's Verizon Enterprise Solutions arm announced Hosted Network Services, providing a pay-as-you-go pricing model for organizations implementing large-scale application deployments. Verizon positioned the service as an alternative strategy for enterprises that don't want to purchase and install proprietary hardware in their datacenters.

This isn't the company's first foray into providing virtualized networking services. Last summer, for example, the company announced Virtual Network Services, following a similar initiative from AT&T called Network Functions on Demand.

The new service adds a new option to the company's virtualized networking service portfolio.

"Coupled with our enterprise orchestration and other virtual network services, Hosted Network Services gives our customers access to one of the most comprehensive end-to-end service delivery and application libraries on the market," the company said in a statement last week.

The new hosted service, like its Virtual Network Services predecessor, leans heavily on the young-but-growing SDN and NFV approaches.

"Verizon has been focused on software-defined networking/network function virtualization (SDN/NFV) since 2015 when it launched the first globally managed software-defined wide area network (SD WAN) service," the company said.

It subsequently launched a virtualized edge uCPE deployment model and enterprise orchestration.

"Hosted Network Services is compatible with those delivery models, as well as with Verizon's traditional network offerings, for service-chained applications at the edge," the company said. "These services can be deployed across different access options -- from private MPLS VPNs to dedicated Internet, broadband and wireless access -- in over 30 global locations. Additional expansions will continue throughout this year."