Vonage brings SmartWAN to Cloud PBX platform
Service provider Vonage announced it has expanded its SD-WAN solution, SmartWAN, to its proprietary Cloud PBX platform, providing availability to small and medium-size business (SMB) customers using the Vonage Business Cloud. SMBs are now able to run their cloud communications using public broadband connections with Quality-of-Service (QoS).
Vonage is more widely recognized as a voice-over-IP (VoIP) service provider. As companies have moved to the cloud, however, Vonage has extended beyond the VoIP market and to the SD-WAN market. In 2015, the company launched its SmartWAN, geared toward enterprise customers that use voice, video and data communications to conduct their business operations. Since then, nearly 40% of the company’s deployments have included the service.
SD-WAN is an architecture that has grown in popularity over the years, largely as a way to create a network that connects different branch offices over geographic distances. Vonage’s SmartWAN differentiates itself with a tool made to improve internal collaboration as well as the quality of external communications with customers.
“The Vonage SmartWAN service is fully integrated into the company’s core service offering of cloud based unified communications services, and provides full path QoS for voice and video calls,” Vonage VP and Chief Architect Sanjay Srinivasan told RCR Wireless News. “We also support the Hybrid deployment model as mentioned (MPLS + broadband) allowing enterprises a full range of connectivity options based on their service quality needs. Vonage SD-WAN services are also offered in a tiered bandwidth structure, enabling the customer to tailor their investment on a per location basis.”
SMBs using Vonage’s QoS SD-WAN service can choose from either a broadband internet connection and a MPLS connection, two broadband connections or a single broadband connection. Jitter buffering and forward error correction (FEC) are also available in the event of broadband internet connection glitches.
“Both of these capabilities help overcome performance issues that may arise with broadband internet connections when networks become congested or overtaxed,” said Srinivasan. “More businesses are relying on the cloud to power their business applications and communications tools, and an increasing number of businesses are also relying on public broadband to do so. Expanding our SmartWAN solution to this segment of customers directly addresses this need and provides a path for network optimization to better serve our customers and help them drive better business outcomes.”
