The platform will form part of BT’s global network, with flexible architecture that means the UK telco can integrate solutions from partners, including SD-WAN controllers from Cisco and Nuage Networks.
BT’s SNAP will work with Cisco’s Network Services Orchestrator meaning BT can offer its customers a range of managed SD-WAN and NFV services.
The UK incumbent said it will also expand orchestration from its core network to third-party cloud data centres and also extend into customers’ local area networks (LAN) and data centre LANs, offering end-to-end visibility over applications, plus more control and configuration options.
SNAP has been built based on open source software in order to promote flexibility and compatibility between technologies, BT said. These include YANG for network modelling and TOSCA for service definition and VNF service chaining.
BT has also launched a new Centre of Excellence (CoE) that aims to support customers through the full lifecycle of SD-WAN and NFV services, including design and operations. It consists of an integrated team who will help guide customer network roadmaps from BT’s customer support centres.
The CoE employs approaches similar to those used in cloud applications development, such as ‘DevOps’ where teams are set up with all the skills and capabilities needed for the full life cycle of a service, BT said.
Keith Langridge, vice president of network services at BT, said: “We’re investing to make it easier for our customer to take advantage of the latest networking technologies and cloud. Our new Service and Network Automation Platform and Centre of Excellence help customers tap into our wealth of know-how and experience in SDN and NFV.
“We have created a unique environment in which customers can deploy the latest software defined services alongside their underlying network technologies. This transforms their experience of the journey to SD-WAN and makes the promise of software defined services an operational reality.”
