Zayo unveils Edge Network Solutions to support enterprises in the cloud

Zayo launched its Edge Network Solutions portfolio to help enterprises enhance the user journey from end user to cloud, enabling better network performance, security and reliability.

“Multi-cloud network demand is the basis of Zayo’s Edge Network Solutions,” said Frank Cittadino, SVP of Edge Services at Zayo. “As industries continue to digitally transform, expand hybrid and remote work environments, and adopt emerging technologies, they need an agile and borderless network that fuels around-the-clock operations. Zayo has designed an edge solution to do just that. By connecting the edge to the core to the cloud, we help relieve IT headaches and meet our customers’ business needs now and in the future.”

Introducing Zayo Edge Network Solutions

Built on the backbone of Zayo’s leading network, cloud connectivity solutions, and deep edge expertise enabled through the company’s recent acquisition of QOS Networks, Zayo’s new portfolio of Edge Network Solutions delivers one of the most robust and agile edge-to-core-to-cloud networking solutions and services in the market.

Zayo’s Edge Network Solutions allow for true wide-area network (WAN) transformation, spanning all the way from the local-area networks (LAN) to the cloud, including:

• Software-Defined Wide-Area Network (SD-WAN) and Secure Access Service Edge (SASE): Enhance application performance by connecting users and the cloud with a unified security posture and resilient network technology regardless of location or technology.
• Unified Communication as a Service (UCaaS): Collaborate more effectively and optimize productivity with a communication system that integrates voice, chat, meetings, and video into a simple user experience.
• Comprehensive security options: Secure every step of the multi-cloud journey from end user to cloud including zero trust, SASE, cloud access security broker (CASB), Network Firewall and distributed denial of service (DDoS) protection.
• Remote-Access-as-a-Service: Increase security, performance and responsiveness of enterprise applications regardless of where they are hosted (software as a service (SaaS), cloud, on-premises using zero trust, ephemeral edge deployed onto user devices).
• Managed circuit aggregation: Access a multitude of service options to service locations, from Long-Term Evolution (LTE) to 400G optimized for diversity and cost, all on one bill and one network operations center (NOC).

“With our business operations becoming increasingly distributed, we needed a solution that would allow us to maintain the critical functions of our business and digital experience for our end users,” said Michael Braine, Chief Technology Officer at Public Storage. “We knew that implementing edge solutions the traditional way was costly and time-consuming, but Zayo was able to design and manage a solution that was unique to our needs and provides all of the insight and information we need to ensure our network performance.”

Edge computing continues to be a point of emphasis and investment for Zayo with nearly 200,000 devices and circuits managed in customer edge networks across 51 countries; 250,000 UCaaS endpoints; and over 2 million voice lines deployed. In addition to acquiring QOS Networks, Zayo has also strengthened its portfolio of edge network offerings through the acquisitions of Education Networks of America (ENA) and Allstream.

Delivering end user-to-cloud digital experience and network intelligence

Central to Zayo’s Edge Networking Solutions portfolio is the zInsights Portal which enables an enhanced digital experience through network intelligence, visibility and control of network health and performance by providing customers with a comprehensive view across multiple platforms, domains and silos — from edge to core to cloud — with access to problem discovery, alerting and resolution recommendations.

The zInsights Portal leverages an Artificial Intelligence for IT Operations (AIOps) approach to drastically reduce operational workload and improve incident outcomes, enabling a true end-to-end solution that’s essential for optimizing digital experiences.

Enhancing customer flexibility and choice through partnerships

Zayo’s new Edge Network Solutions are powered in part through partnerships with VMware, Palo Alto, Fortinet, and Versa. Investment in Zayo’s partnership ecosystem not only expands the core capabilities of Zayo’s Edge Network Solutions but also ensures customers don’t feel vendor-stuck by providing them with flexibility and choice when selecting a vendor.

Zayo has also signed a new partnership with Cloudbrink, which enables Zayo to extend the ultra-low latency network experience to the end user. With Cloudbrink technology, Zayo can proactively provision software-only edges based on user demand and predicted use, ensuring end users are never more than 5 to 20 milliseconds away from enterprise access points and applications. Since there’s no reliance on proprietary edge hardware, Zayo has the utmost flexibility on where and when software edges are deployed, allowing for expansion into new regions within minutes and guaranteeing edges closest to end users to ensure the highest quality of experience and security.

“Cloudbrink provides secure, high-performance connectivity to deliver an in-office experience to the modern hybrid workforce,” said Prakash Mana, CEO of Cloudbrink. “By using the thousands of on-demand Cloudbrink points of presence (POPs) and Zayo’s robust network, organizations can provide their hybrid workers with a 25x performance boost based on a dark network security model. Cloudbrink is excited to partner with Zayo to bring our customers faster and more secure business connectivity.”

A powerful combination: Edge solutions and services on the world’s leading network

“If you think you know Zayo, it’s time to take another look. Zayo is no longer just your typical telecom provider,” said Cittadino. “We are innovating and expanding our product set through an innovative digital experience, best-of-breed original equipment manufacturer (OEM) solutions and comprehensive managed services, enabling our customers to use data more efficiently than ever before. Starting with the user to the software-defined layer to the cloud, Zayo connects customers from edge to edge, edge to cloud, cloud to edge and everywhere in between.”

With accelerated edge adoption, the need for enhanced bandwidth and network reliability has dramatically increased. Zayo’s large-scale, highly resilient and diverse fiber network is uniquely positioned to support the growth of the network edge. This year, Zayo has invested more than $250 million into expanding its fiber footprint across the globe, marking the company’s largest organic network expansion to date in both long-haul dark fiber builds and 400G upgrades. So far, nearly half of Zayo’s 75,000-mile backbone network is 400G enabled and the remaining network is scheduled for completion by the end of 2022.