When milliseconds matter

14.01.2022 – Today, we live in a digitalised world, and company networks are growing in complexity. The explosive growth in applications and data use, alongside changing data traffic patterns over the cloud and mobile connected devices, has placed massive strain on existing business communication networks.

International organisations operating in remote locations see their installed networks having technological limits. Moreover, expectations for always-on, super-fast, reliable connectivity are set to grow as more enterprises move their core business applications, data centres and IT networks and functions to the cloud.

During our recent webinar together with SES and ST Engineering, we looked at how access to cloud-based applications and workloads can be optimised by combining satellite and terrestrial technologies with smart IT and network management.

Providing core connectivity to enterprises is no longer enough. The need for network flexibility and agility is greater than ever to better manage, control, and scale enterprise networks.

Hybrid networks to answer increased connectivity needs
To meet today’s digital trend, companies are shifting toward hybrid network solutions that combine multi-band satellite connectivity services with terrestrial links. With a broader range of connectivity options, companies will benefit from more capacity, increased availability, and security, making cloud computing and mobile access possible across the company network at on-premises as well as remote operations in edge locations.

How to cope with IT complexity
This transition to modern network solutions also introduces complexity for IT teams who must manage IT functions and resources in complex hybrid network configurations. Companies are increasingly using vendors of different connectivity layers, hardware, and software that natively do not interact with each other. IT teams end up with a nest of different modems, switches, servers, firewalls, and other infrastructure which make it extremely difficult to ensure consistent performance and secure access.

Undoubtedly, advanced and complex networks are raising more concerns about network orchestration of multiple connectivity links but also about how to manage routing of applications across the network without compromising on quality, speed, or security.

Network as a Service – provided by a single network services operator
The challenge is all about optimisation of the enterprise network, with the objective to leverage new technologies and adopt new ways of working to accelerate efficiency and improve user experience.

The answer is a network solution that meets the exact application requirements; a managed solution offered by a single network services operator that provides complete management of all network components, resources and services, focusing on application performance and user experience, scalability and cost efficiency.

Today, with the changes happening in the connectivity market, Marlink offers new approaches to network design that enable technology transformation to support remote working and cloud applications. With its Network as a Service (NaaS) approach, which bundles a network of networks, smart IT and network management, Marlink supports companies to seamlessly integrate any kind of connectivity layer and optimise the interaction of multiple carriers across the corporate network.

For decades, Marlink has been working with numerous companies and organisations operating in different enterprise and maritime sectors to actively support them in their transition to adopt hybrid, future-proof cloud-based networks.

One of our major international customers has connected all its sites to a global network infrastructure to support daily operations and emergency response. However, they now require a new network design that provides secure and optimised access to the cloud with better end-to-end control and a strong focus on the application layer.

Over the last few decades, the customer’s WAN architecture has become increasingly complex, split between in-house and outsourced resources, with separate responsibilities. The customer network is currently based on a centralised database infrastructure, multiple software partners, separate connectivity providers and an in-house IT/LAN management and security setup – resulting in additional workload, inefficiencies, and cost for the customer.

One network services operator – from LAN to cloud
In close partnership with the customer, Marlink migrated the customer’s WAN to our smart NaaS solution with Marlink taking responsibility for the entire network, extending the traditional connectivity demarcation points – from the POP to the edge modem – to include the complete IT and network architecture from LAN to cloud.

Our NaaS solution is tailored around the customer’s needs, upgrading all existing connectivity services and network technologies, and seamlessly integrating them into a cloud-based solution.

The new network is designed to enable fast and secure connection to the cloud for key users in remote offices and field locations. The solution also includes monitoring and orchestration of the connectivity layers while managing the global customer IT across the corporate network (WAN) and local networks (LANs).

Centralised orchestration
The hybrid network is centrally orchestrated, including application control and various security processes like intrusion detection, filtering, and firewalling. This new business model also integrates smart traffic routing and software-defined network management technologies to ensure greater use of the connectivity by splitting transport layers and assigning key applications to different carriers, traffic prioritisation and load balancing. The result is a network infrastructure that ultimately improves network resilience, application performance and user experience.

This integrated network solution enables efficient access to the cloud, connecting users, devices, and offices to applications and data in the cloud and in data centres around the world.

Find out more
To learn more about our approach on cloud networks and how to reduce network complexity we invite you to watch our Cloud Webinar: Our experts from SES, ST Engineering and Marlink are talking cloud access, network optimisation, and hybrid networks. Webinar broadcasted live on 17 November 2021.

Check out the panel discussion here!