Megaport Launches Megaport Virtual Edge, an On-demand NFV Service with Immediate Support for Branch-to-Cloud Connectivity with Cisco SD-WAN Cloud Interconnect

PR88791

BRISBANE, Australia, March 31, 2021 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

-Megaport Virtual Edge (MVE) enables businesses to modernise their network by

hosting on-demand network functions natively on Megaport's global Software

Defined Network-

Megaport Limited (ASX: MP1) ("Megaport"), a global leading Network as a Service

(NaaS) provider, today announces the launch of Megaport Virtual Edge (MVE), an

on-demand vendor-neutral Network Function Virtualization (NFV) service that

enables branch-to-cloud connectivity on Megaport's global Software Defined

Network (SDN). With MVE, companies can host network functions such as virtual

routers, SD-WAN controllers, and future networking technologies directly on

Megaport's global platform to extend their network functions closer to the

edge, in real time, and without the need to deploy hardware.

Transforming Networking at the Edge

MVE is a globally distributed compute and network service in one. The compute

aspect of the service enables customers to host NFV instances in locations

where they need them, on demand, and manage them in a point-and-click manner.

On the network side, MVE's built-in transit gateway provides a highly scalable

access point for connecting networks, via the public internet, to Megaport's

private SDN. Virtualised devices hosted on MVE can utilise the transit gateway

to create connections between the Megaport SDN and their own networks,

including branch locations, data centres, and private clouds.

At launch, MVE is available in 15 metros across North America, Asia-Pacific,

and Europe with 6 additional locations to be available at the end of April.

This allows customers more flexibility to deploy virtual devices near

concentrations of users to localise traffic and optimise data termination for

performance.

Supercharging SD-WAN Connectivity

Many businesses have embraced SD-WAN and internet connections as a means of

simplifying their IT connectivity. However, dependence on end-to-end internet

connections to key services and resources can impact performance, availability,

and security. With MVE, customers can host localised virtual SD-WAN controllers

on Megaport's global platform and reduce the distance data traverses over

internet paths from branch locations to critical services in public or private

clouds and even other branch locations.

Once connected, customers can access Megaport's leading ecosystem of more than

700 enabled data centres worldwide and over 360 service providers, including

220+ cloud on-ramps from the world's leading clouds such as Alibaba Cloud, AWS,

Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure, IBM Cloud, Oracle Cloud, and Salesforce.

SD-WAN on MVE Highlights:

-Reduced cloud egress costs to cloud on-ramps when compared to internet rates.

-Better performance with reduced jitter and latency.

-Vendor neutral service that supports SD-WAN technologies from leading

providers.

-Highly distributed for localised connections.

-Point-and-click network provisioning to support interconnection between branch

locations, data centres, cloud providers, and IT services.

-Real-time provisioning of virtual network infrastructure and interconnections.

-No hardware to ship, install, or manage.

-Unified end-to-end network provisioning and management to transform legacy

networks.

-Secure, multi-cloud connections to more than 360 service providers, 700+

enabled data centres and 220+ cloud interconnect points.

Cisco SD-WAN Cloud Interconnect

Megaport and Cisco have partnered to integrate Cisco SD-WAN Cloud Interconnect

with MVE for enterprises that want their SD-WAN controllers to be able to

provision on-demand cloud interconnects using Megaport's SDN. Building a bridge

from SD-WAN to Megaport enables software-defined cloud interconnect fabrics

with reliable network performance, cost-optimised connectivity, and reduced

provisioning time. This provides enterprise IT full control of SD-WAN (overlay

fabric) and cloud interconnects (underlay fabric) from the same Cisco SD-WAN

controller with the release of vManage 20.5.

Fortune 500 companies with a global presence that use Cisco SD-WAN for

consuming multicloud applications can take advantage of Cisco SD-WAN Cloud

Interconnect with MVE to enable on-demand provisioning of cloud interconnect

with global reach. This capability of the underlay interconnect connectivity,

in addition to the SD-WAN overlay, offers unprecedented control and visibility

to enterprise IT.

"Cisco's collaboration with Megaport enables customers to extend their Cisco

SD-WAN fabric from site to multiple clouds over a direct, high-performance, and

neutral interconnect platform, delivering enhanced performance and security,"

said JL Valente, Vice President, Product Management, for Cisco Enterprise

Routing, SD-WAN and Cloud Networking. "The integration of Cisco's new SD-WAN

Cloud Interconnect with Megaport Virtual Edge brings together the secure

networking capability of Cisco SD-WAN and the programmable, on-demand cloud

interconnects offered by Megaport to automate provisioning of high-performance

site-to-cloud and site-to-site connectivity."

"As enterprises and service providers rapidly adopt SD-WAN technology to

improve edge network connectivity, the ability for Megaport customers to

easily, and in minutes, 'spin up' SD-WAN virtual appliances around the world on

our platform is a big enabler for global organisations," said Vincent English,

CEO of Megaport. "Having these virtual appliances fully integrated into

Megaport's global Software Defined Network allows customers to optimise their

SD-WAN connectivity via a single workflow to improve overall network and

application performance at a fraction of the cost of legacy methods."

Future Support

As a neutral service, additional leading SD-WAN platforms are currently being

integrated with MVE.

For more information about Megaport Virtual Edge, please visit megaport.com/mve.

About Megaport

Megaport is a leading provider of Network as a Service (NaaS) solutions. The

company's global Software Defined Network (SDN) helps businesses rapidly

connect their network to services via an easy-to-use portal or our open API.

Megaport offers agile networking capabilities that reduce operating costs and

increase speed to market compared to traditional networking solutions. Megaport

partners with the world's top cloud service providers, including AWS, Microsoft

Azure, and Google Cloud, as well as the largest data centre operators, systems

integrators and managed service providers in the world. Megaport is an ISO/IEC

27001-certified company and included in the S&P/ASX 200 index.

SOURCE: Megaport