Nuage Networks, the Alcatel-Lucent venture focused on software-defined networking (SDN) solutions, announced today that CenturyLink has selected its Virtualized Services Platform (VSP) to provide networking functionality for CenturyLink’s Programmable Services Backbone (PSB) network architecture.

PSB is a platform for delivering dedicated services based on Network Function Virtualization (NFV) to CenturyLink’s customers regardless of their location. It places applications and services close to the network edge so they can be deployed, modified and scaled rapidly as business demands change. CenturyLink was one of the first providers to use NFV to deploy virtual firewalls and content distribution networks. The company recently announced plans to deploy a range of virtualized data and voice infrastructure services.

nauge ceo khandekar
Sunil Khandekar, CEO, Nuage Networks

What CenturyLink can do automatically now

Nuage Networks CEO Sunil Khandekar said: “By moving virtualized network functions from a hardware appliance to a pure software environment coordinated by OpenStack and Nuage Networks, CenturyLink will be able to automate provisioning with a policy-based approach. This allows CenturyLink to develop, launch and perfect virtualized network services rapidly.”

Using the VSP overlay, CenturyLink will be able to unite new virtualized services with the VPN, co-location and cloud into one entity that makes the services available wherever the user is.

VSP integrates with open source cloud platforms to coordinate compute, storage and networking needs. It also automates network provisioning across the entire federated cloud. Additionally, Nuage Networks Virtualized Services Assurance Platform (VSAP) provides CenturyLink with the capability to detect, debug and resolve problems quickly through an inventory of virtual and physical services, and the correlation between them.

“CenturyLink is transforming its network to offer businesses quick delivery of reliable and automated services, and is pushing those services where they are most needed – at the edge of our network,” said Aamir Hussain, CenturyLink executive vice president and CTO. “This fundamental architectural shift will enable dynamic delivery of scalable services for customers and provide even more differentiated services in the future.”