Windstream is using software defined networking (SDN) to automate delivery of managed wavelength services across its multi-vendor optical network. The SDN wavelength management capability is made possible by equipment from Ciena supporting Blue Planet orchestration software.
According to a press release, the SDN attributes of Ciena’s platform accelerate delivery of managed 1 GbE (Gigabit Ethernet), 10 GbE and 100 GbE wavelength services, which Windstream provides to wholesale, enterprise, media and Web-scale customers.
Windstream’s data transport services cover TDM, SONET, Ethernet and optical Wave networks that are delivered over 125,000 miles of its nationwide core network, the company elaborates in a press release about the SDN wavelength management news.
SDN Wavelength Management
Windstream is now integrating third-party SDN controllers with Blue Planet so as to orchestrate services across the company’s long-haul and metro network. Important in this regard is a multi-vendor optical network layer that facilitates development and provision of new services and modification of existing ones in less time.
Blue Planet also has the ability to orchestrate multiple technology domains. That serves as the foundation for Windstream to quickly automate other layers of the physical network and virtual resources.
“Service providers today are looking for open networking solutions that automate processes and eliminate the need for human intervention. With Blue Planet, Windstream can automate and program its network for rapid service turn-up and delivery, significantly reducing deployment times, increasing time to market of new services and driving competitive advantage,” Ciena SVP and COO Francois Locoh-Donou was quoted in the press release.
¨[W]e are investing in strategic technologies that enable us to deliver flexible, on-demand services across our multi-vendor network,” said Windstream head of engineering Jeff Small. “We selected Ciena’s Blue Planet orchestration solution because of the richness and breadth of the technology, and its ability to grow with us as we automate other layers of the network and deliver agile, virtualized services to our customers.”
