Re-Architect your Network with Sify
Integrate your Cloud, Core, and Edge
With the advent of IoT, pervasive mobility, and growing cloud service adoption, the network has become increasingly distributed, and the need for faster compute and connectivity at the edge has become more pronounced.
As organizations increasingly drive digital transformation initiatives and adopt hybrid multi-cloud, the network must be rearchitected to support new-age topologies. Hence, Network Transformation gains predominance. Network Transformation and re-architecture must play out at all the 3 points of presence of the Network β at the Network Core, Network Management layer, and the Network Edge.
Let us look at the significance of the Transformation at these 3 layers and the contribution that Sify is bringing at each of these points of presence.
Transformation at the Network Core
With Cloud adoption, Data Center is no more the Core of the network. As enterprises are moving their applications to the cloud on consumption-based models for enhanced business productivity, it has become important to secure connectivity to the Cloud and extend the Quality of Service to a hybrid multi-cloud environment. Hence, the transformation of the network at the Core is essential for improved agility, enhanced productivity, and scalability.
Sifyβs Transformation Services at the Core are designed to help customers harness the true potential of cutting-edge cloud, digital, and network technologies. We help our customers accomplish their transformation goals and meet dynamic business requirements capably by providing Cloud Interconnect networks, which enable customers to establish direct connectivity between their private and public cloud infrastructure and fully realize the benefits of hybrid cloud architecture. With our Hyperscale Cloud partnerships and the Cloud Interconnect Networks, combined with expertise to deploy technologies like SDWAN & NFV, we hold a distinct level of expertise in network integration and transformation for a hybrid multi-cloud environment.
Transformation at the Network Management and Control Layer
As networks become more & more complex, organizations nowadays are leveraging multiple network service providers, and they have distributed nature of applications and end-users. This has resulted in a very complex network architecture. Moreover, monitoring and management of these complex and distributed networks and network elements have become very critical. Network Management & Control requires a distinct level of expertise, advanced tools, and automation platforms, and hence makes good business sense to outsource the management to an expert who has the benefit of scale, experience, and toolsets to deliver the same. The customer can in turn focus on his core business.
Empowered with a robust Network Operating Center, Sify offers a wide spectrum of Network Consolidation, Network Transformation, and Operations Outsourcing solutions. Sify can manage customerβs as-is WAN network architecture, provide 24Γ7 monitoring of links, undertake incident management, change management, and can yet ensure unified SLA management across multiple service providers in a single-window provision. Not only this, but Sify also helps customers in network study & assessment and consulting for Network Re-Architecture and Managed Services.
Transformation at the Network Edge
Network Edge is the bridge between an organization and its end customers to deliver enhanced user experience and employee productivity. It is a strategic gateway to connect widely distributed organizations. The traditional networks cannot accommodate the new IoT devices, sensors, and plethora of Edge devices that are connected and managed at the Edge. Therefore, it is crucial to adopt transformation of the network at the edge to meet the requirements of the end devices and make them an integral part of the Enterprise Networks.
Sify Edge Connect Services include advisory services like an assessment of customer requirement with respect to coverage and performance. Further, we ensure end-to-end implementation of customerβs WiFi network, which includes configuring guest access and incorporating employee authentication & access. Our highly secure platform provides insight into user patterns and analytics such as the location of users, applications browsed, etc. Sify also provides deep visibility and control of the performance and usage of applications. In addition, Sify Edge Services include IoT services and aggregation and integration of the same with the Enterprise Network.
While rearchitecting your network, it is important to include aspects connecting the above three points of presence of users and applications. This will help you architect a network that delivers efficiency and is future-ready. However, the majority of organizations lack the necessary skills and expertise to envision and manage such a complex transformation, and that is where Sify Technologies can be your partner in this transformation journey.
What makes Sify the preferable partner for Network Transformation?
Sify is the largest Information and Communications Technology service provider in India, serving 10,000+ businesses across multiple industries with its impeccable Cloud and Data Center services, Network services, Security services, Digital Services, and Application Services. Our industry-wide experience of working with diverse clients, skilled workforce to manage varied network transformation projects, and the Technology Partner ecosystem, makes us the most trusted Network Transformation partner for India Enterprises.
Today, Network Integration, Network Transformation, and Managed Services are the key differentiators. Thatβs where Sify can help businesses achieve their strategic goals. As a strong, capable ICT transformation partner, Sify brings in the integrated skillsets, processes, and tools that are required for a seamless transition in a cost-effective way. Add to this, Sifyβs engineering capabilities are the best in class and help our customers design innovative solutions that are custom-built to suit their business needs.
Simplify Your Network Transformation
Simplify your Network Transformation with Sify
The business world is witnessing an unprecedented transformation as organizations across verticals are passionate to embrace new technologies. Cloud, Analytics, Automation, Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence, and Machine Learning are some major forces that are enabling enterprises to deliver a top-tier experience to customers. As organizations nowadays are highly reliant on these emerging technologies to achieve organizational excellence, one must acknowledge that all cutting-edge technologies require an intelligent and robust network. There are numerous factors that are fundamentally redefining the ways new-age networks work and function. The emergence of new global trends and multiple new technology trends have compelled organizations to demand more from networks. This blog discusses:
- Major global and technology trends that have paved the way for network transformation.
- New-age network architecture and design for Intelligent Network services
- How Sify can help you in your network transformation journey with a wide range of Intelligent Network Services.
Global Business Trends leading to increased demands from Networks
- Hyperconnected Enterprises:
In the digital age, global organizations rely on a multitude of connections for geographically distributed people, processes, and devices. Also, the increasing adoption of hybrid and multi-cloud has compelled global enterprises to become hyperconnected. For such hyperconnected enterprises, a scalable network is quite critical to deliver top-tier services to customers across the globe through digital technologies. - Digital Business Transformation:
In line with their digital ambition, organizations worldwide are looking to leverage Cloud-native technologies such as analytics, mobility, IoT, AI, and ML to modernize and develop new processes, services, and models for generating new revenue streams. An intelligent and adaptable network can quickly adjust according to evolving requirements, facilitating seamless transformation. - Automation and Robotics:
Several enterprises rely on Automation, Robotics, and Robotic Process Automation to improve operational efficiency, quality of services, and customer satisfaction score. The use of Automation and Robotics in the coming years will continue to surge as companies look to improve quality, workforce productivity, customer satisfaction, and more. This is even more relevant than ever in the pandemic-stricken world. As automation of processes is time-sensitive and mission-critical, enterprises will need round-the-clock availability and reliability from their distributed networks as even a minor lapse in network availability or reliability can potentially hamper the process flow and affect overall efficiencies and customer satisfaction.
Technology Trends powering fundamental Network Transformation
- Applications being modularized and distributed across Clouds: Recently, hybrid Cloud and microservices have gained massive prominence across business verticals. The majority of software applications are being modularized and distributed across public Clouds and network edge. To support applications across such a distributed landscape, the network needs to transform fundamentally. There is a need for Networks to be agile, seamless, secure, and responsive to dynamic application landscapes.
- IoT and M2M integration with mainstream Networks: The exponential rise in the number of IoT devices worldwide highlights the need for smart Machine-to-Machine communication. This means the network must capably provide connectivity to all the IoT devices and integrate them smartly with mainstream networks.
- Pervasive Mobility: Owing to the anywhere data center and anywhere user access, there is a need for a robust network to allow users to access applications on Cloud. As anticipated, mobile users will continue to grow in the years to come and they would need round-the-clock high-performance connectivity to access applications on Cloud from private devices over Wi-Fi or 4G networks. Therefore, to cater to this rapidly growing mobile population, it becomes imperative to strengthen the Edge connectivity to these vast diverse, and distributed user base. Edge Transformation is predicted to be the next big wave in the Networking space. As per Gartner β by 2025, 75% of enterprise-generated data in industrial settings will be created and processed at the edge.
- Immersive video experience: User experience has taken the center stage in the digital era, therefore enterprises are keen to make the video experience more immersive. They have started leveraging the power of digital media technologies, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, and immersive 3D environments to ensure a top-tier experience. This is placing greater demands on enterprise networks as video experience is totally dependent on low-latency and high availability infrastructure. Moreover, enterprises also want their networks to provide end-to-end bandwidth and dynamic performance controls to further make the experience more enriching.
New-age network architecture and design for Intelligent Network Services
In response to emerging trends and the fast-changing IT landscape, organizations need to rethink network architecture and design strategies to drive digital transformation. It becomes quite critical to align network capabilities in accordance with the changing business requirements and modern topologies. In this light, some of the expectations from Intelligent Network Services are the following:
- Support the fast-changing set of users, applications, devices, and services and unify them intelligently for top-tier user and application experience
- Seamlessly connect between distributed IT assets and applications in a DC and hybrid multi-cloud environment
- Leverage Software and other functionalities to control, rather than physical access and distributed policy control
- Leverage the cutting-edge technologies and algorithms to collect, assimilate, analyze, and visualize networking information in real time for better visibility and control
To achieve the above objectives, there are 3 broad aspects that the IT leaders must followΒ while designing and architecting the new-age network architecture.
Networking architecture for anywhere Data Center:
Organizations nowadays have their applications and data spread across Data Centers, Clouds, and Edge environments in diverse geographical regions. To meet the requirements of this diverse hybrid ICT landscape, organizations need new networking architecture that is ready for Cloud, meets application connectivity demands, and ensures technology and operational consistency across locations. Therefore, the new-age network must facilitate faster and safer modes of data transfer across Data Centers, Cloud, and Edge devices. This highlights the significance ofΒ Cloud-ready NetworksΒ with DC Interconnects and Cloud Connect capabilities.
Being a trusted ICT company, Sify ensures a Cloud-ready Network, comprising of Data Center Interconnects, Hyperscale Cloud Connects, and Internet Exchanges for carrier neutrality. Our Cloud-ready Network provides you with deterministic and secure connectivity to move applications, middleware, and database workloads between private infrastructure and Cloud for improved application performance.
Hybrid WAN and Application performance-focused Network Architecture:
In the age of hybrid and multi-cloud, it becomes critical for organizations to have a well-thought-out network strategy for distributed workloads, data footprints, applications, services, and microservices. With the rise in multi-cloud adoption, the legacy hub-and-spoke WAN architecture can hold organizations back. The shift from Data Centers towards Cloud has resulted in the more prevalent use of the SLA-defined Internet (in addition to MPLS) as a reliable and pervasive way to establish robust connectivity. Hence, modern-day businesses need a hybrid WAN strategy β the use of internet for business applications along with MPLS. This means the new-age network must enable the hybrid WAN and be smart enough to adapt to theΒ changing application performanceΒ demands in a hybrid or multi-cloud environment, ensuring better performance.
Herein,Β Software Defined NetworkingΒ can enable fundamental network transformation. SDN can help accomplish the goals of network transformation β agility, flexibility, and application centricity β by intelligently controlling the network architecture using software applications.
- Software Defined Networking facilitates flexible network architectures, which can utilize multiple network connectivity options (MPLS/ILL/BB/4G-LTE/Internet) which help leverage a Hybrid WAN strategy for the evolving DC and Cloud landscape
- SD-WAN ensures application awareness and complete visibility of site-wise utilization of various applications, which paves way for better performance, availability, and security.
- SD-WAN leverages the power of Cloud-based monitoring and management platform for centralized, real-time visibility of all resources.
- SD-WAN solutions can be easily integrated with legacy network architectures, which enable phase-wise migration of sites.
Sifyβs SD-WAN platform is hosted in Secure Cloud, and our experts perform all the monitoring and management functions from the state-of-the-art NOC. This helps you maintain distance with different configuration tasks at branch sites and focus on your core business. Our SD-WAN solutions β coupled with end-to-end Managed Network Services β drive efficiencies, reduce cost, and optimize multi-cloud connectivity.
Centralized visibility, control, and insights of the Network:
Organizations need complete visibility and control over network connectivity to make the most of their Cloud investment. They would also want their network to provide intelligent insights that enable data-driven decision-making. An intelligent network can help businesses with automated and effortless orchestration of network resources. However, enabling a network with comprehensive intelligence is not as simple as it seems, because it requires a well-established network management practice with well-integrated toolsets.
Currently, only a few network service providers, such as Sify Technologies, have the assets, capabilities, and expertise to deliver Intelligent Network Services. We ensure centralized management of the network, powered with the capacity of SDN, to bring in the highest level of visibility and control of the entire network landscape. We offer a comprehensive range of Network Management Services on flexible outcome-based models β shared NOC Services, Hybrid NOC Services, and Dedicated NOC Services β from our state-of-the-art Network Operating Center.
Sifyβs network experts ensure 24Γ7 proactive monitoring and management of network connectivity of devices such as routers, switches, and firewalls, and provide comprehensive reporting of various network parameters such as availability, performance, and security.
Conclusion
The emerging business and technology trends have compelled enterprises to empower their network with inherent intelligence built into them. This needs fundamental network transformation and re-architecting from the ground up, to suit evolving DC and Cloud landscape, distributed/mission-critical applications, and network orchestration needs.
Being a strategic network transformation partner, Sify helps you transform your network into a robust and intelligent asset. We provide Intelligent Network Services which include Cloud-ready Networks, Software-defined WAN, and centralized Network Managed Services, to accelerate your digital transformation with the robust foundation of a fast, secure, and future-ready network.
Consolidate your Network with Sify
Rationalize, Scale, and Manage your network effortlessly.
In todayβs technologically advanced era, enterprises across realms have complex ICT environments β virtual and geographically spread. The advent of Cloud and rise of multiple solution providers globally have encouraged organizations to pick and choose the perfect mix to host their applications, servers, and data across a diverse landscape of Data Centers and multiple clouds. This has benefitted organizations worldwide, in terms of ease of operations, higher level of flexibility and better speed to market. However, at the same time, one must acknowledge that management of such a highly complex ICT environment has become a major challenge for many organizations in the digital era.
Organizations must understand that all the components of their diverse IT and network infrastructure β consisting of applications, servers, machines, network peripheral equipment, sensors, or even distinct Cloud environments β are not discrete or isolated units anymore, but a part of a larger organization context, making them extremely valuable for business progression and business continuity. All these components must be unified and viewed in a consolidated way for better performance and security.Β Thatβs where, Network Consolidation becomes imperative!
Organizations that have complex ICT environments face distinct challenges that hamper their overall performance and efficiency. Some of the most common challenges in this changing and ever evolving Network and IT environment are:
- Multiple service providers management: Modern enterprises leverage a perfect blend of best-of-breed network solutions from distinct service providers as this ensures advantages of redundancy, resiliency, choice of network media, and connectivity to remote locations. However, managing all the distinct service providers is quite a challenging task and has some inherent problems, such as lack of ownership and visibility, inconsistency in services, inability to leverage analytics, and governance related risks.
- Limited in-house network management capabilities: This is another major concern for organizations across industry verticals. If they opt for establishing an in-house network management setup, then it becomes a very cost-intensive decision to hire the skilled workforce, procure the technology, develop the competence, and achieve a high level of scalability. Furthermore, an in-house setup would need hefty and timely investments to keep pace with evolving technology landscape.
- The demand for constantly re-architecting network: Every enterprise network nowadays has a host of different applications, which has given rise to changed traffic patterns. These mission-critical applications demand uninterrupted collaboration and traffic exchange, which calls for a continuous re-architecting of network to connect data, applications, people, and varied components of the IT infrastructure.
- Shift of focus from Network uptime to Application performance: Traditionally, network has always been uptime-focused, however in current situation where applications are hosted in multiple of Data Centers, Public & Pvt Clouds, businesses are more concerned about how applications perform over the network as this directly impacts the end user experience. The changing demands of high-performance computing and fast cloud migrations have led to a change in paradigm for networks with their SLAs being evaluated on Application intent rather than Network intent. Therefore, new-age networks must capably meet the rising needs of all mission-critical applications that are running concurrently.
- Unification of underlay and overlay networks: To meet changing demands of businesses, networks have grown and evolved organically over different periods of time. This has resulted in complex architectures of underlay & overlay networks. With changing priorities of organizations and rise of application-focused networks, it is important to unify the underlay and overlay networks for optimal utilization, enhanced efficiency, improved user experience, and robust security.
- Connectivity across DC and Cloud landscape: With increased Cloud adoption, it is very important to maintain a perfect sync between data centers and Cloud. Therefore, they need an excellent Network Interconnection that can guarantee seamless connectivity across all the data centers, Cloud environments, international cable landing stations, third party telco infrastructure, etc. for deterministic connectivity and extensive reach.
- Integration of IT, OT, and People: Majority of organizations nowadays have geographically distributed offices, where employees and end users use multiple devices in different regions. It is important to allow them secure and fast access to applications in Cloud and data centers for better experience, collaboration, and organizational efficiency. At the same time, the same Network must ensure seamless connectivity of IT Infrastructure as well as OT assets like WiFi access points, IoT devices and sensors. Herein, network plays an important role in integration of all aspects of IT, OT, and people.
As discussed above, organizations with complex ICT environments face distinct challenges. This not only hampers efficiency and performance but also impacts end user experience, hence compelling organizations to revisit their network strategies. Enterprises want actionable information to be available to end users wherever they are. The rise in mobility and multitude of devices has paved way for direct access to corporate information, which highlights the need of secure and consolidated network which can be scaled rapidly on-demand. The CIOs need to have complete visibility of all network assets and take decisions on network performance and network behavior dynamically. This can be achieved only through network consolidation.
Consolidating your network under one trusted service provider will ensure you a centralized real-time visibility and control over your entire network. Network consolidation improves network performance management and makes network provisioning easier with lesser handoff points between providers, devices, and IT assets, at a reduced cost!
Network consolidation becomes a very complex task and it has a lot of parameters and moving parts to be looked into. Therefore, it is imperative to seek an expert guidance in this quest.
Sify can help you accomplish your Network Consolidation goals. Some of the key differentiators that make us the preferred network consolidation partner are:
- Hybrid Network Strategy β Use of Internet for Business Applications:Β The shift from data centers towards Cloud has resulted in more prevalent use of the Internet as a connectivity option, in addition to MPLS. Today, an SLA-defined Internet strategy is a more reliable and pervasive way to establish a robust connectivity throughout the widely spread ICT environment. Hence, modern day businesses need hybrid WAN strategy β use of internet for business applications along with MPLS. Sify is empowered with Indiaβs largest MPLS Network covering 1,600 towns and cities across India with 3,100 Points of Presence. We provide consistent, secure, high-speed Internet connectivity in more than 130 countries together with 800+ local and global partners. With our robust MPLS and Internet services, we can help you consolidate your network for both primary and secondary connectivity needs.
- Cloud Ready Networks β Advantage Hyper-scale:Β As majority of modern enterprises opt for hybrid or multi-cloud model, enterprises need ubiquitous connectivity to data centers and public Clouds. Sifyβs robust interconnection network helps enterprises connect and integrate with Hyper-scalers seamlessly to simplify Cloud connectivity and reduce provisioning time. Our interconnection network improves cross-cloud application interaction, performance, and scalability, which ultimately paves way for enhanced quality of experience. Sify enjoys a great stature in the India Cloud market as we are the preferred partner of all major Hyper-scalers such as AWS, Azure, Oracle, and GCP including their respective Cloud connect services. With our Cloud connect, DC Interconnects and carrier neutral network with multiple internet exchanges, we deliver a well-architected and cost-effective Cloud-ready network for a secure, low latency and deterministic connectivity.
- Strategic Move from Wireless to Wireline Connectivity Media β More relevant than ever:Β Today, convergence of wireless and wireline is happening at a lightening pace. Till now, fiber penetration was restricted to backbone networks in the network value chain; however, as we move to the hyper-connected era, networks fiberization becomes important for the increasing cloud adoption. Therefore, Sify has invested in dense fiberization in backhaul and last mile connectivity. Sifyβs state of the art 100G ethernet infrastructure β Metro-XConnect integrates multiple Clouds, our Cloud-adjacent data centers, third party data centers, and transit points in the Network. Our investments into Metro-XConnect can help customers consolidate their networks and leverage multiple benefits of Cloud, such as low latency, high reliability, improved scalability, and uninterrupted operations.
- Strong Managed Services and Network Operations Outsourcing capabilities:Β Empowered with strong Managed Services and Network Operations Outsourcing capabilities, Sify can help you integrate, consolidate, and transform your networks across varied ICT environments for visibility, control, and easy orchestration. Our integrated skillsets, processes, toolsets as well as the state-of-the-art Network Operations Center (NOC) and Security Operations Centre (SOC) can enable you to monitor and manage network and security devices comprehensively. Our NOC services are SLA-driven and outcome-based, which ensures predictable performance. Sify also helps in assessing & consolidating WAN networks; redesigning & reengineering as-is WAN network; and managing Network and Network assets 24X7. Additionally, you can outsource your Network operations and management, including management of all service providers and vendors.
- Integrated capabilities across Core, Management Layer, and Edge :Β In the digital age, enterprises need to focus on faster compute and Edge connectivity. To accomplish this goal, it is important to transform and rearchitect your network β at the core, the management & visibility layer, and the Edge. With our DC and Cloud Interconnects, combined with expertise to deploy technologies like SDWAN and NFV, we hold expertise in network transformation at the core. At the Network Management layer, Sify can manage your WAN, provide 24Γ7 monitoring of links, undertake network management under a unified SLA across multiple service providers. At the Edge, Sify ensures end to end implementation and access configuration of Wi-Fi, IoT devices and integration with the Enterprise Network.
Key Advantages Dedicated Web Server Hosting
Are you in search of the best application hosting? Well, choosing the best-dedicated server for your enterprise could be a task in itself. But why dedicated web server?Β A dedicated web serverΒ ensures resilience and resources to host a web application.
Selecting a dedicated server which is fast, secure, properly managed, and has the perfect software tools is very much essential for the growth of your business. A company looking forward to having more control and power will opt for a service provider who offers dedicated server hosting. The server is built and maintained by the provider, thus cutting down the cost of purchasing your own server.
So, let us take a sneak peek into the advantages of choosing a dedicated server hosting provider and some other useful tips in getting started with your new dedicated server.
Advantages:
- High Performance and SecurityHow can you maximize the uptime for your website or application? It is through a dedicated hosting provider. Dedicated servers provide more reliability and stability than the shared hosting. It makes sure that you are not sharing your space with any other malicious software or a potential spammer. Dedicated server leads to enhanced security, this is the reason it is essential for companies taking transactions over FTP or SSL. Moreover, the best-dedicated server hosting comes with 24Γ7 support to deal with failures and complaints which further ensures high uptimes.
- FlexibilityA dedicated server comes up with flexibility, as you can always customize your server as per clientβs requirements of RAM, disk space, CPU, and software. If you want a customizable server environment, then a dedicated server might fit your needs.
- Server Resources are not sharedChoosing a dedicated server fetches you all the resources of a server. With a dedicated server, your server wonβt slow down, as there are no other applications sharing your space and clogging up the serverβs RAM and CPU. In case of dedicated hosting, your server bandwidth is only yours.
- No Purchase and MaintenanceIf a company requires a dedicated hosting, and it does not have the time and resources to manage a server, the dedicated hosting is a low-cost way to access the resources of the server. Dedicated server hosting helps in maintaining the server equipment, thus reducing the overhead for a business.
- Full ControlOne of the most widely held benefits of dedicated hosting is that you have full control on your server. You decide which site management tool and application you wish to deploy, provided your hosting provider can service them.
Factors to Consider while Purchasing Best Dedicated Server Hosting Plan
Developers and business owners try to find theΒ best-dedicated server hostingΒ because they can be configured easily in order to quench the programming requirements, server load support, and top-notch security. So, here are the points which should be kept in mind before purchasing a dedicated server hosting plan:
- Different types of RAM- Primarily used is DDR3, DDR4, and ECC options in present
- Focus on CPU Benchmark Performance- Know the difference between Xeon, Atom, and Opteron product lines
- Choice of Bandwidth and Data Center Concerns- Internet Backbone Network Speeds, Power Supply, and Cooling
- OS- Windows and LINUX; and choosing between different LINUX distributions
- Technical Support- the capability to support your clients
- Disk Drive Storage- HDD vs Solid State Drives (SSDs)
Almost all the users of dedicated servers yearn for the best hardware configurations at the lowest possible price. However, some choose to bargain on the older equipment available at a particular discount. Legions of mobile applications that come with custom code require complex web server that shared hosting plans do not support. However, it is advised that the business owner should consult with their system administrator to discover the development requirements for their productive applications. Novice development in cloud hosting may soon have an upper hand over the dedicated server plans, and cheaper cum better plans are available on VPS plans with more resource allocation. Hence it becomes quintessential, as how to keep your online business up to date in a rapidly innovating web hosting industry.
Focus on your core business and outsource the complexities of Data Center management with Sify
Network Security, the key to VoIP adoption
With growing Internet infrastructure and new technologies, VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) has gained tremendous popularity among businesses. Regardless of size and industry, organizations are migrating their communication network from traditional PSTNs to VoIP. The wide-ranging benefits of the system are bound to attract businesses from across the board β reliability combined with steep cost savings and a plethora of productivity-enhancing features make it the communication network of choice for enterprises.
But, in todayβs landscape of increasing cyber-attacks, VoIP must also strengthen its security protocols to ensure businesses are not left vulnerable to malicious cyber agents.
Main Security Threats faced by VoIP
VoIP networks are open to the following threats
- Identity and service threatΒ β this usually involves eavesdropping and phreaking β Eavesdropping is a scenario in which attackers infiltrate the VoIP lines to listen in to conversations to gain access to sensitive business data or private information and accounts to carry out corporate sabotage or identity theft. Phreaking is a term used for the practice of passing off call charges to other accounts by getting unauthorized access to their VoIP service.
- Viruses and MalwareΒ β the bane of all Internet-based services β VoIP services are also open to attacks by malware, worms, and viruses.
- Denial of ServiceΒ β Another threat that is used most often against Internet-based services β DOS can bring the communication network to a halt by flooding it with unnecessary messages.
- Call tamperingΒ β call tampering refers to the practice of interrupting the call by injecting noise packets in the network or withholding call packets to cause call delays and poor call quality. Call hijacking is another form of call tampering in which an outside party enters the call and tricks the person on the other line by masquerading as the original caller.
How are VoIP service providers countering these security challenges?
Service Providers understand that the continued popularity of VoIP services depends, to a large degree, on how secure and comfortable businesses feel while using these services. The VoIP providers and organizations have given top priority to securing their communication networks and have spent the considerable amount of effort and money in putting together some of the most cutting-edge security solutions to safeguard their systems.
The threats listed above can be taken care of by a judicious mix of preventive measures β
- SBCs (Session Border Controllers)Β β SBCs manage VoIP protocol signals and with in-built security firewalls they are the first and one of the most effective lines of defense against cyber threats.
- Anti-virusΒ β installing and operating an updated anti-virus or anti-malware on all connected computer hardware is especially important as they can enter the VoIP network through unsecured channels.
- EncryptionΒ β usually provided by the service providers as an add-on service to secure the network and is highly recommended for enterprise users. VoIP encryption is especially important when the organization has many users connecting from outside the office network β from mobiles or from home devices.
- Call restrictions, authorization, and passwordsΒ β businesses must restrict access to the VoIP network by making sure that only the required people are given access to the network. This along with call restrictions, to track and monitor call activity and stringent password policies can ensure that people within the organizations are made aware of the importance of keeping the network secure.
- Deep Packet InspectionΒ (DPI) β DPI monitors the network and can identify extra or fraudulent data packets and flag them for review.
- VoIP authenticationΒ protocolsΒ β the most stringent of these protocols is the so-called three-way handshake β Challenge-Handshake Authentication Protocol (CHAP) uses a three-step process to test the legitimacy of the incoming messages and is far superior to basic password protection which is widely used.
Conclusion
While the future of VoIP services is secure β the benefits of the technology ensures that β security concerns that have dogged all Internet-based services are also giving network engineers sleepless nights. From cloud platforms to on-premise IT infrastructures, all systems have vulnerabilities that can be exploited and as Cyber-attacks become more aggressive and better organized no one is truly safe.
It is estimated that the global cost of cybercrime will reach $2 trillion by 2019 β keeping these numbers in mind organizations can no longer count on just plain old luck to keep their businesses safe, they need to be prepared for the worst. And this is especially true for mission-critical functions like communication!
Here, VOIP is clearly the solution of choice for organizations looking for a secure communications network.
Traditional vs VoIP- Whatβs best for your business?
As more and more businesses, both big and small, are jumping on the VoIP (Voice over IP) bandwagon, it is interesting to examine what is causing this exodus from the traditional alternative of PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) including Mobiles and Landlines.
In order to understand the reasons for the switch, it is important to first appreciate what is significant for these businesses while opting for a communication system. The chief concerns for businesses, irrespective of their size, while choosing a network are,
- How toΒ reduce costsΒ and at the same time not compromise on the quality of the communication system.
- Is there a way that wouldΒ improve communication with customers and employeesΒ and better connect them?
- How toΒ achieve more value for your moneyΒ and get additional features at the same cost.
- Can the communication system contribute to anΒ increase in efficiency and productivity?
As VoIP addresses these concerns and provides a powerful tool for businesses to βup their gameβ, enterprises in increasing numbers are opting for this alternative.
Cost-Effective Choice
A VoIP solution has a definite edge over its PSTN alternative as it offers free CUG (VoIP-to-VoIP) calling for both local and international. The calls made to mobile and landline phones through VoIP have nominal subscription fees as against a much more expensive PSTN alternative. The sound quality is continually improving as the technology is evolving, providing superior communications and better filtering of background noise with VoIP. Its online conferencing and other features help reduce the requirement for travel. It also has a lesser bandwidth requirement (10 Kbps) than the PSTNs (64 Kbps).
Improve Communication with Customers and Employees
VoIP provides unified communication, helping the employees to work remotely from any place with an Internet connection and βtake the officeβ with them. It also provides the βpresenceβ technology that enables users to see if employees are available and accordingly get in touch with them. PSTNs on the other hand, are able to provide the remote extension facility only with dedicated lines for each extension and hence are very expensive.
More Value for Money
VoIP solution provides an ease of scalability without adding significant infrastructure and cost to the decision. Additionally, VoIP offers call waiting, call forwarding and call transfer options as a standard offering, but the same is available in PSTNs at an additional cost.
Increased Efficiency and Productivity
VoIP has an edge over its traditional counterpart as it allows businesses to get enterprise class software at an affordable cost. As the cost of scalability is low, even smaller businesses can enjoy customized solutions with many features as standard or as an affordable add-on. These lead to increased productivity, less down time, and hence more profit. However, as the service terminates when the Internet connectivity (power) is lost, organizations must have a VoIP backup plan. PSTNs, nevertheless, are able to continue service during power outages, as phone jacks do not require electricity.
Hence, traditional choices such as PSTNs are making way for VoIP as the latter are proving themselves as a powerful tool, giving the businesses a competitive edge and providing the βright-sizeβ technology at an affordable price.
As Indiaβs first ICT Company to be listed on NASDAQ, Sify has years of experience in providing reliable and secure Network Integration services to enterprises across industry verticals.
Our cutting-edge networking services ensure reliable data connectivity services as well as the best-in-class Voice services in India β all available as the cost effective payment models aligned to scale with the growing needs of individual businesses.
How CCaaS can help businesses create a compelling customer experience
Contact centers are evolving as the pivotal point of customer interaction across multiple touch points. For businesses, creating a compelling customer experience is about building robust relationships by seamlessly engaging with them through varied channels. Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS) helps create such elevated experiences consistently. Additionally, these solutions also increase productivity, improve efficiency and reduce costs.
With the ability to transform businessesβ interactions with their customers and CCaaSβ myriad benefits, it is of utmost importance to choose a solution that is both financial as well as operational βright fitβ for the organization. Therefore, to define what constitutes an able CCaaS solution is of great significance.
Key Features of CCaaS Solutions
Through CCaaS, a business can look forward to the following:
- A complete set of multi-channel, dynamicΒ Interactive Voice Response (IVR)Β andΒ routing capabilities. CCaaS solutions offer an efficient inbound and outbound call center routing. It includes centralizedΒ Automatic Call Distribution (ACD)Β withΒ Skill (Multi) based routingΒ that manages incoming calls and processes them based on the number called and the database of handling instructions. ThisΒ Intelligent RoutingΒ adds to the customer experience as it leads the customer to the most apt agent. It also offers otherΒ Automated FeaturesΒ such as theΒ Call Back Manager. Furthermore, in a multi-cultural context, such as India, a CCaaS also offers speech integrations for several regional languages
- Customers want to connect via their preferred channel be it in person, through e-mail, social media or voice, at the same time organizations, want efficient usage of their agent resources. This is made possible through configurable and customizableΒ unified web-accessible agentΒ desktop, which helps reduce the Average Handle Time (AHT) as it helps the agent handle all types of interaction with a single interface, increasing their efficiency
- With itsΒ multi-site offering, it presents inherentΒ location independenceΒ and lets a business manage and report on agents/ supervisors from anywhere. Additionally, it offers a multi-location multi-channel architecture that provides organizations with branch connectivity solutions
- In the current business context,Β analyticsΒ play a vital role.Β Centralized ReportingΒ enables reporting analytics of the contact center interactions, which supply data that help organizations take more informed business decisions.
- The flexible platformΒ simplifies integrationΒ with CRM and other business applications or platforms for better customer experiences. It promotes increased productivity as it reduces execution time and allows faster roll out of campaigns. In addition, the solution can be tailor made to the organizationβs configuration and settings with a powerful administration interface.
- Quality AssuranceΒ is ensured through call monitoring/recording through its Voice Logger/Recorder Solutions and Quality Monitoring Solutions, resulting in consistent customer interactions.
- The solution isΒ Cost-Efficient,Β owing to its βpay-as-you-growβ OPEX (Operational Expense) solution as against the traditional CAPEX (Capital Expense) model. It affords the business flexibility, scalability and the ability to access services such as disaster recovery and data backup, which might otherwise be cost prohibitive.
- By opting for aΒ Managed Solution, businesses can focus their energies on their core operations while the CCaaS platform is managed and maintained by the experts. Organizations are assured Quality of Service (QoS), reliable network and updated technologies without any extra effort or cost.
Customer interactions are complex and fluid. CCaaS is an attempt at equipping businesses with tools that can help them engage, manage and reflect on these exchanges to enhance customer experience to create long-term and loyal brand followers.
As Indiaβs leading fully converged ICT Company, Sify is using its decades of experience in network and Data Center services to present the most comprehensive Contact Center as a Service platform in India.
Our extensive expertise has allowed us to craft a service offering, which is highly flexible, scalable and future proof. Sifyβs CCaaS provides all Contact Center applications under one umbrella β from branch connectivity and video conferencing to 100 % reliable voice calls. Delivered via the cloud, Sifyβs CCaaS is a multi-channel platform, which can easily meet the most exacting contact center requirements.
Transform the corporate workplace with Managed WLAN
When it comes to Internet connectivity in an organization, user expectations are sky high! Employees and guests, alike, expect fast, secure and highly available WLAN services the moment they step into office premises. To match this growing demand, several organizations have opted for subscription basedΒ Managed WLAN services.
Apart from easing business operations and enriching the corporate work culture, Managed WLAN services contribute directly to business productivity and profitability. To better illustrate the scope and benefits of an outsourced cloud based Wi-Fi setup we look at how an ITES enterprise can be transformed by managed WLAN services.
Challenges and Needs
In a large global company with thousands of employees spread across various regional offices in India, WLAN systems are complex projects that require dedicated management and support.
For an enterprise spanning vast geographies, the challenge is to provide secure and reliableΒ Wi-Fi Internet access to users in all the regional officeΒ across the country. The enterprise would also require dependable connectivity at aΒ desired bandwidth to ensure a certain speedΒ for executing business critical functions.
What does a managed WLAN service provider bring to the table?
Managed WLAN services is so much more than providing access and managing corporate users, itβs a 360Β° process that starts right from theΒ designΒ phase β a team of Network experts study the organizational layout and its bandwidth requirements and design a WLAN plan based on their analysis.
The technology partner will then start theΒ engineering and installation process. This includes β
- Installing an Internet link of required bandwidth, based on the number of users expected to access the Internet.
- Deployment of Wireless Access Points at all corporate branches, including cabling and PoE injectors/ switches.
- Configuration of wireless SSIDs.
- Building a customized corporate homepage with access control through user login.
Once the WLAN system is in place, the solution provider takes over theΒ daily management and monitoringΒ of the Wi-Fi ecosystem. This takes the form of β
- A cloud based centralized WLAN monitoring console to observe the network and detect, prevent and mitigate wireless attacks. The client is also able to gain 360Β° network visibility and userβlevel and application-level control.
- A centralized authentication system to provide network access based on users, devices type and location.
- A guest management portal to provide access to guests and temporary users.
How does Managed WLAN transform the corporate workplace?
After implementing a managed WLAN solution, the first and the most perceptible benefit isΒ seamless and smooth connectivity for all users. Employees and guests alike can now bank on reliable wireless connectivity that can be accessed easily.
A managed WLAN service alsoΒ frees up the core IT personnelΒ from the daily operations of network management, giving them time to focus on areas of strategic business importance.
The network managers are also given completeΒ network visibility and control. Along with being able to easily control the bandwidth and access, the managers are providedΒ metrics and reports on Internet usageΒ among employees or guests and performance and usage of applications.
In conclusion
From large global organization to SMEs, the rise of mobile usage and BYOD culture has changed the significance of Internet connectivity in a corporate setup. To provide secure, scalable and seamless Internet access, professional solution providers must be brought into the picture. The increase in productivity and efficiency that a fully managed WLAN system brings to an organization equals a positive Return on Investment.
For more than a decade, Sify has been successfully building and managing complex networks ecosystems across the globe. From commissioning the worldβs largest MPLS network to leveraging cloud platforms for enhancing connectivity β Sify has the deep domain knowledge across the entire length and breadth of the network landscape. This experience gives us an in-depth understanding of what enterprises require from their networks and how they use them.
What is SD-WAN and why do you need it?
To understand the importance of connectivity, let us imagine a day without it. Internet and phone lines are down. Your employees cannot access their mail; your offices cannot make or receive any calls; everyone from the CEO to the middle manager is left twiddling their thumbs as all their cloud hosted data and files are unavailable AND most importantly all your customer-facing applications are offline, turning away innumerable present and potential customers!
That reliable and highly available connectivity (Internet and telephony) is the lifeblood of the business world is irrefutable. In the present hyper-competitive scenario, organizations are increasingly turning to the latest technologies to achieve the best connectivity solutions at the most affordable prices. SD β WAN (Software defined β Wide Area Network) is the newest innovation to optimize WAN technology for faster, flexible and cheaper business connectivity.
SD β WAN explained
Enterprises have been relying on WAN networks to connect their branch offices; to ensure uninterrupted connectivity to remote locations they had to invest heavily in WAN infrastructure and bear the resulting maintenance costs. SD β WAN changed the landscape completely, allowing enterprises to only pay for the functionalities they require with their entire CAPEX investment amounting to small routers.
SD (Software defined) WAN is derived from the Software Defined Networking (SDN) technology, it utilizes software and virtualization technologies to create a WAN network that delivers faster, simpler and cost effective connectivity to businesses. SD βWAN achieves this byΒ decouplingΒ network software controls from the underlying hardware.
According to Gartner, SD-WAN has 4 main characteristics β it must be able to support multiple connection types, it must be capable of dynamic path selection, must be easy to configure and manage and should be able to support VPNs, and third party services.
So how does SD-WAN benefit businesses?
Application-driven technology
Applications are becoming increasingly complex and varied. The needs of these next gen applications can only be met with the flexibility and speed provided by SD-WANβs use of hybrid networks, which provides secure access and fast connectivity at remote locations.
Security
Enterprise WAN networks are now open to a growing number of users accessing it from multiple points and from multiple devices. In such a scenario, security has become a weak point for WAN networks. SD βWAN provides enhanced security, delivered centrally via an API to cover your entire WAN landscape with comprehensive security solutions such as encryption and app firewalling.
Quick to deploy and easy to manage
One of the main advantages of SD-WAN is its ease of use and simplicity; it can provide extremely dependable connectivity to remote locations, which can be deployed within a few minutes and can be easily managed.
Cost efficient
Traditional WAN networks relied on expensive hardware which were seen as a necessary cost of doing business. With cloud-enabled connectivity, SD βWAN delivers enterprise-grade services without any CAPEX investment. With a number of service providers offering varied and competing packaged service offerings, businesses can now pick the functionality they need and pay for what they use.
Centralized control
Network managers have complete control and overview of their entire SD WAN network and all its components. This allows them to monitor the network in its entirety, optimize network usage and ensure centralized implementation of operational and security policies.
Whether you need to connect your HQ to remote branches or connect Data Centers across your organization, SD-WAN hasΒ transformed the network landscapeΒ by providing premium, secure, and simple cloud-enabled WAN connectivity.
With its obvious benefits, it is hardly surprising that SD WAN adoption is predicted to grow dramatically.By the end 2019, 30% of enterprises are expected to deploy SD-WAN technology,up from less than 1% today.
With the industry revenue expected to touch $6 billion by 2020, service providers are trying to attract new customers by offering a variety of SD-WAN based innovative services, which range from NaaS (Network as a Service) to specialized WAN appliances to cloud based WAN solutions. And as their legacy WAN technology comes up for technology upgrades, businesses will certainly consider these options.
Sifyβs converged ICT ecosystem β comprising infrastructure and service offerings for cloud, telecom and Data Centers, allows it to offer enterprises end-to-end network services. Our SLA backed services will transform your business connectivity with enhanced network availability, reliability, performance and security.
Enterprise WAN: The past and the future
WAN β Wide Area Network, the three magic words that connect our world. Simply put, WAN is the network that connects local areas spread across the world.
The wordΒ networkΒ might conjure visions of tangled cables and blinking routers, but we have come a long way from the days when a 9.6 Kbps line was considered fast! Since its inception in the 1970s, WAN has been responsible for connecting people and facilitating business.
We trace the WAN journey through all its technological leaps from the 1970s to the present day and take a quick peek into the future of Enterprise WAN.
WAN evolution β 1970s to the present day
The late 1970s saw, what could be called, the start of WAN withΒ X.25 NetworksΒ β a popular option with the maximum speed of 9.6 Kbps, which was used by many companies at that time.
The 1980s saw considerable innovations in WAN technology and through the decade network speeds of leased point-to-point lines kept improving. 1987 saw Cisco introducingΒ routersΒ to replace remote bridges.
At the beginning of 1990s,Β frame relayΒ service was introduced and revolutionized the enterprise WAN industry by drastically reducing costs and increasing operational efficiency. In less than a decade, even the most reluctant organizations were using the technology.
The next big leap came withΒ MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching)Β β a successor to Frame Relay. Since its launch in early 2000s, it has been widely adopted by the majority of enterprises. It provides an IP based service to deliver voice, data and video on one network. Over time,WAN optimizationΒ technology has been added to MPLS networks to squeeze out more bandwidth and lower costs.
Enterprise WAN in the coming decade
Plagued by performance and reliability issues, WAN technology could not get the desired flexibility and cost effectiveness that other Internet based services achieved.
Cloud computing platforms changed this. SD- WAN (Software Defined-WAN) is the technology which will be the foundation of the next generation of enterprise WAN. It is software controlled, virtualized Network delivered through the cloud; with all the cloud related benefits of scalability, cost effectiveness and fast deployment.
Now that cloud service providers are offering cloud aligned network solutions, organizations can finally get access to the next generation of WAN to keep pace with cloud-based application.
Organizations need to move from using widely disparate and hybrid networks to integrated cloud-enabled networking platforms that can provide seamless manageability, high performance and high degrees of resilience and security. Watch this insightful video on WAN transformation
