Page 37 - SAMENA Trends - March 2020

REGIONAL & MEMBERS UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

Steve Best, MD, Customer Solutions, BT. class offering in SD-WAN,” said JL Valente, 3, 000 cyber security experts across
“From today, our business customers can vice president of product management, 15 operation centers worldwide. “Right
benefit from a fully converged software managed services for Cisco’s Intent Based now, we are on the cusp of a network
defined solution that brings together Networking Group. “BT combines all these revolution. Our customers are looking
the very best of BT. This includes fixed attributes and offers customers a long- for the next generation of intelligent
line connectivity, mobile data, dedicated term partner that can efficiently implement connectivity, but they often don’t have
security expertise, access to best-of- and manage a fully-fledged, secure the resources to implement this on their
breed SD-WAN vendors and our enhanced SD-WAN platform. With BT expanding own. Our fully managed service capability
proactive Managed Services with a single its portfolio of Cisco-based managed with an SD-WAN solution removes these
point of contact.” Today’s launch builds services, enterprise customers now benefit barriers and brings secure connectivity
on the global announcements made with from more Cisco options to power their and control across all customer devices
Cisco in 2018 and further expands on BT’s network, simplify their operations, and and applications, so they can react
portfolio of Cisco based software defined securely connect their users and machines faster and work smarter. Organizations
networking (SDN) and network functions to any cloud, anywhere.” BT Managed SD- looking to take their first step in their
virtualization (NFV) solutions in the UK. WAN is tailored to suit each customer’s digital transformation journey can be
“As more enterprises look to transform needs and is underpinned by BT’s leading reassured that Cisco’s technology and
their networks in a secure, cost effective UK fixed and mobile networks. The SD- our professional services backed by our
and seamless manner they often turn to WAN solution is monitored and managed unmatched security credentials can deliver
leading managed service providers with end-to-end by BT’s dedicated team with the very best of networking and security
expertise, experience, reach and a world- unrivalled security expertise, including for their business,” says Steve Best.

BT to Launch Gigabit Speed Broadband Plan

British fixed line incumbent BT has
announced plans to launch a new home
broadband service offering gigabit speed
to consumers ‘from later this month’. In a
press release, the operator said this new
service will be introduced as part of a
range of next generation ‘Full Fiber’ plans,
and BT noted that the gigabit-capable
tariff will be made available in ‘hundreds of
cities, towns and villages across the UK’,
with notable rollout locations including
Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff,
Edinburgh, Liverpool, Leeds, London and
Manchester. According to the telco, more
than two million premises are expected to of any provider in the UK’. Looking further details on its ‘Full Fiber’ product range,
gain access to the top-end speeds later ahead, BT has said its ambition is to reach including pricing and availability for both
this month, a figure which it claimed will around half of all UK homes by the end of new and existing customers, will be made
give it ‘the biggest Full Fiber network reach 2025. Meanwhile, BT has said that more available ‘in the coming weeks’.

BT Offloads LatAm Business to CIH Telecommunications Americas

BT Group has announced that it has The divested business is headquartered complete during this calendar year. BT and
reached an agreement for the sale in Sao Paulo, Brazil. BT and CIH have CIH have agreed not to disclose the terms
of selected domestic operations and also entered into wholesale and reseller of the purchase, which were agreed to in
infrastructure in 16 countries in Latin agreements, under which CIH will act as March 2020. TeleGeography notes that
America to CIH Telecommunications a regional channel for BT’s products and industry insiders have previously valued
Americas, an affiliate of CIH Technology services and continue to supply domestic the sprawling LatAm business at around
Holdings. Assets and operations in the connectivity services to BT. BT says it will GBP1 billion. The sale represents the
scope of the transaction delivered revenue retain a ‘strong presence’ in the region latest component in the ongoing break-up
of GBP110 million (USD127 million) to after the sale, delivering next-generation of BT’s Global Services unit, as the British
BT in fiscal year 2018/19. They include networking, cloud and security services company seeks to ‘become a more agile
two owned fiber networks with a total to multinational customers across 21 and focused businesses.
length of 650km, 2,000km of leased fiber countries. The transaction is subject to
lines, four data centers and five teleports. regulatory approval and is expected to
37 MARCH 2020