CenturyLink Selects Versa Networks for Key Component of New Managed SD-WAN and Security Service

CenturyLink SD-WAN Leverages Versa FlexVNF Software to Enable Highly Flexible NFV-Based Service with Robust Internet Security

Santa Clara, Calif., June 28, 2016

Versa Networks today announced that it has been selected by CenturyLink as a software-defined WAN (SD-WAN) and security (SD-Security) vendor for its new managed SD-WAN service. Based on network functions virtualization (NFV) concepts, CenturyLink SD-WAN uniquely provides all the benefits of SD-WAN technology and more, including centralized provisioning, scalability and integrated security to seamlessly protect Internet-based connectivity.

A global communications, hosting, cloud and IT services provider, CenturyLink has been highly innovative in researching and developing high-value services like managed data, security and infrastructure. By leveraging Versa’s software-based instances of networking functions deployed on non-proprietary hardware, CenturyLink developed a managed service offering that provides its customers the benefits of SD-WAN – fast service delivery, low cost, high application performance and visibility – much more effectively than using a traditional proprietary hardware appliance-based approach. In addition, CenturyLink added a broad set of Versa software-defined security (SD-Security) functions to enable secure direct Internet access over SD-WAN.

“CenturyLink has been constantly evolving and innovating for its customers, and that pace has further accelerated,” said Kumar Mehta, CEO and co-founder of Versa Networks. “They not only saw the benefits that SD-WAN could bring their many thousands of customers, but designed its service using Versa Networks’ NFV advancements to bring an even more agile and highly secure service to its enterprise customers.”

Versa’s software-based and fully multi-tenant solution drives significant improvements in provisioning time over legacy private wide area networks, which typically can take weeks or months to deploy. Versa’s software- and NFV-based architecture enables businesses to instantly scale service capacity or upgrade features without having to purchase, ship, deploy and test additional proprietary hardware at each branch site.

CenturyLink also provides its customers with security services through the integrated and broad set of Internet security capabilities available in Versa FlexVNF. Security capabilities offered, and controlled through the same Versa Director management portal, include a full-featured next-generation firewall and application visibility/control.

“As CenturyLink began researching the SD-WAN market, we saw the opportunity to innovate beyond purely networking technology and fundamentally design a new type of managed service,” said Eric Barrett, Director of Network Products, CenturyLink. “Versa Networks continues to innovate the way managed services are built, offering a broad set of benefits using a highly flexible NFV-based approach.”

About Versa Networks

Versa Networks, the leader in SASE, combines extensive security, advanced networking, industry leading SD-WAN, genuine multitenancy, and sophisticated analytics via the cloud, on-premises, or as a blended combination of both to meet SASE requirements for small to extremely large enterprises and Service Providers, and via the simplified Versa Titan cloud service designed for Lean IT. Thousands of customers globally with hundreds of thousands of sites trust Versa with their networks, security, and clouds. Versa Networks is privately held and funded by Sequoia Capital, Mayfield, Artis Ventures, Verizon Ventures, Comcast Ventures, Liberty Global Ventures, Princeville Capital, RPS Ventures and Triangle Peak Partners. For more information, visit https://www.versa-networks.com or follow Versa Networks on Twitter @versanetworks.