Tata Communications adds Microsoft Azure WAN to its cloud platform

Mumbai-based Tata Communications, the digital infrastructure arm of Tata Sons, is deepening its existing partnership with Microsoft Azure with the addition of the latter’s wide area network (WAN) service to its cloud platform IZO. The addition will make it easier for Tata Communications’ enterprise customers to transform their traditional WAN to a software-defined hybrid network.

The solution, based on Microsoft's Azure Service Provider Management Toolkit, was launched on Monday. The tool will assist the company's networking Managed Services Partner (MSP) programme and enable enterprises to connect seamlessly to cloud-based applications and data. 

The new solution, the company said in a statement, will address the networking demands of its enterprise clients, which are growing in complexity with different branches and business lines requiring different application capabilities on the cloud.

“While businesses will look to use software-defined networking, network transformation initiatives in large organisations with hundreds of branches worldwide can be very challenging. The solution will provide for simple, unified, and secure connectivity, and transform their legacy network to a software-defined hybrid network that’s fit for the cloud,” Song Toh, vice president, global network services at Tata Communications, said.

Tata Communications manages cloud networks at more than 3,000 sites globally. Its clients include beer maker Carlsberg, which has moved 70% of its traffic to a software-defined network, the company said. This has helped the Danish brewer to leverage 10 times more bandwidth while reducing costs by 25% and reduced the occurrence of network incidents by half.

“We see enterprises wanting to simplify branch connectivity and extend application workloads on Azure. The fully-managed suite of services gives enterprises the flexibility to choose from a range of connectivity options that best meet their specific needs in each branch, both on-premises,” said Ross Ortega, partner programme manager for networking at Azure.

Tata Communications’ cloud and hybrid networking capabilities are facilitated by its global network, which carries around 30% of the world’s internet routes. Tata Communications was earlier the government-owned Videsh Sanchar Nigam Limited, which was sold to the Tata Group in 2002.