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Virtual1 launches SD-WAN services - but should it have ever existed?

Neil Wilson, Head of Products and Marketing at Virtual1, announced the introduction of new SD-WAN and FTTC connectivity services at Channel Live this month but also points out that SD-WAN has been born out of the failures of the industry to move quickly and create dynamic networks.

Wilson commented "We expanded our network out nationwide just over two years ago, that’s been really successful so we are now broadening out that portfolio as we already have the infrastructure in place. We are looking to bring a low cost fibre to the cabinet proposition to the market which means we can appeal to a broader cross section of businesses and start looking at the wrap around things that businesses tend to have like home workers and smaller discrete sites. This is in addition to the larger connectivity areas which we are well known for. The other thing we are bringing to market is our SD-WAN proposition to sit alongside our software defined network."

When asked about the SD-WAN market evolution, Wilson replied "If you asked most of the networking vendors here if they want to be selling SD-WAN they would say MPLS is still perfectly fit for purpose. You’ve got a private network, it can be controlled and prioritised but what it all boils down to for me is customer experience and service. That is where our industry has let end user businesses down. I think there could have been a point where SD-WAN as an entity wouldn’t have needed to exist if the industry had moved faster, made their networks more dynamic, made them more interactive. Would SD-WAN have been necessary?"

Watch the full interview here: