PCCW Global has announced the public launch of Console Connect, a software-defined interconnect platform that enables customers to instantly provision direct private connections to remote data centers, partners, and cloud services on demand.
According to PCCW Global, Console Connect’s automated provisioning and routing is simple and easy to use, eliminating the complexity of network configuration so the customer can focus on its core business. Customers are able to get started quickly with just one port and one cross-connect. Once the cross-connect is set up, business-critical applications and cloud partners can be connected with a click of a button.
The service is aimed at PCCW Global’s enterprise data center customers and XaaS providers. The carrier said it will consider opening Console Connect as a wholesale white label service to other carriers later this year.
Console Connect currently supports connectivity and Layer 2 between any connected party on the network. PCCW Global says the platform will support E-Line Layer 3 connectivity in Q4 2018.
PCCW Global says Console Connect can tie together enterprise data centers, headquarters to regional centers, and branch offices. Console Connect can link business partners and supply chain and get private access to public clouds, such as AWS, and other available IaaS providers. It can also privately connect to critical commonly used applications and services such as video conferencing, unified communications and service desks to improve performance and security.
The complete solution includes the tools needed to manage multiple secure direct connections, monitor connection performance, and view bandwidth allocation and utilization. At any time, the customer can adjust bandwidth up and down as needed, said Ronnie Klingner, president of Mobility and Digital Solutions at PCCW.
“Console Connect enables access to some of the major cloud service providers across the globe for customers to access through the platform, including AWS, Azure, and Alibaba,” she said. “By the third quarter this year, we aim to have all major cloud service providers on board as well as additional major SaaS providers.”
Console Connect pits PCCW Global against similar SD-interconnection platforms offered by service providers such as Megaport, PacketFabric, Equinix ECX and Aryaka. Apart from claiming that Console Connect’s software is the most flexible and automated, Klingner says one key differentiator is PCCW’s extensive Tier-1 global IP network.
“We go to many parts of the world that others do not. Owning the network enables us to offer unique flexibility on bandwidth and terms,” she said. “Other companies focus on the US and Europe, and maybe one or two parts of Asia. PCCW Global is very diverse with presence all over North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and most markets in Asia.”
The other key differentiator, she adds, is a unique networking community interface that brings customers and cloud providers together into an ecosystem where everyone can share information, discover new service providers, find partners in their supply chain, and build out their networks leveraging PCCW Global’s IP network.
The Console Connect community is created by network engineers for network engineers, designed for knowledge sharing and growing customers’ network. Members receive a stream of posts, articles and events created by their peers in the networking community, and can connect and collaborate in real time with chat and messaging.
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