Ciena introduced its new Agility Matrix software for enabling on-demand business models for Managed Services Providers (MSPs). The idea is to enable on-demand cloud experiences for carrier managed services. To pursue this opportunity, the company is establishing a new business division, called Ciena Agility, to be headed by Kevin Sheehan as vice president and general manager.
Ciena’s Agility Matrix is a virtual services platform that controls the acquisition, distribution, consumption and payment of virtualized network functions (VNF). Key components in the VNF Market, where third party VNFs can in instantiated, and Director, a management and orchestration engine. Enterprise users will be able to drag and drop VNFs items, such as encryption, firewalls, and VPNs, into a cart. Agility Matrix will then delivered these as managed services in a matter of minutes. VNF Market is a Ciena-operated cloud-based VNF distribution solution that allows providers to select and download validated VNFs in support of virtualized, on-demand enterprise services. For service providers, it offers a pay-as-you-earn, consumption-based model to deliver new services.
Ciena is working with several leading virtual appliance vendors, including BlackRidge Technology, Brocade, Certes Networks, Silver Peak and Spirent Communications.
Ciena expects the Agility Matrix solution to be generally available in the second calendar quarter of 2015.
The new Ciena Agility business division is dedicated to delivering network control and application software technologies, including the company’s SDN Multilayer WAN Controller and its applications, as well as all future SDN and NFV development. The new business division includes dedicated resources for software development, product line management, product marketing, service and support, sales and business development.
“We are transforming raw capacity into capability that delivers on-demand network-based services in a manner that mimics the ease and instantaneous nature of an online shopping experience. The new Ciena Agility division is organized to quickly respond to the market demand for these customer-driven software solutions,” stated Kevin Sheehan, vice president and general manager, Ciena Agility.
http://www.ciena.com/products/agility/
- Kevin Sheehan previously served as president of Overture Networks.
