Avaya Networking Solutions Close the Gap between Data Center and End Devices

­­­­SOURCE: Avaya

Santa Clara, Calif. – March 26, 2014 —Avaya today announced that it is extending automation from the data center to the end device, completely removing manual provisioning from everyday service delivery. With new and enhanced networking products and solutions, Avaya becomes the only vendor in the industry to deliver a unified automated network from the data center to the end device.

The new Avaya Automated Campus builds on the company’s software-defined data center framework, now spanning the data center and the campus. Avaya’s software-defined data center framework leverages Avaya Fabric Connect with enhanced Shortest Path Bridging and intelligent orchestration capabilities. With the Avaya Automated Campus, IT departments can turn up scalable cloud-based services by provisioning end points at the Data Center edge and the Wiring closet edge – without having to configure any devices in between. IT simply sets up their critical distribution and core switches once, then turns up and makes changes to services at the edges.

The announcement also includes the automated attachment of end-user devices, such as wireless APs, IP cameras and phones, and non-fabric switches with a new feature called Avaya Fabric Attach. This Best of Interop finalist in the networking category can save IT managers hours — even days. Fabric Attach can significantly reduce the potential for errors by eliminating hundreds of edge CLI commands that can cause end user service delays and costly downtime and performance issues. Avaya Identity Engines as integral part of this suite authenticates end-user devices, empowering their dynamic assignment to the appropriate cloud-based service based on a user’s credentials. Avaya also enhanced Identity Engines to provide both unified network and application access with Single-Sign-On capabilities for Avaya applications. This functionality allows network administrators to centrally set, assign, securely store and change access credentials. A second, Best of Interop finalist for Avaya, this one in the security category, simplifies the enforcement of policies in a consumerized IT era.

The Automated Campus is powered by new products as well as software-based enhancements.

– Avaya’s new Virtual Services Platform 8284XSQ is the first of a new category of networking products called Compact Form-Factor Switches. It powers the core and delivers massive 10/40 Gigabit density in a 2U-sized platform with chassis-class performance and functionality.

– The new Virtual Services Platform 4450 powers the Campus distribution network delivering multiservice fabric-based networking for heavy fiber-based environments.

– At the wiring closet, Avaya’s flagship ERS 4800 has been enhanced with Fabric Connect software – now allowing for the virtualized network to extend end to end.

– Fabric Attach will be available as a software upgrade for both the Avaya wired and wireless edge platforms.

– Identity Engines provides BYOD, network and guest access support for the Automated Campus as well as dynamic assignment of devices to the correct virtualized network.

Avaya is demonstrating these award-winning capabilities at Interop 2014, being held at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas from April 1 – 3, Booth #2151. Fabric Connect will also provide simple, resilient networking as part of the InteropNet NOC.

Quotes

“Avaya’s Fabric Connect has tremendously simplified our data center network – greatly reducing service provisioning times and configuration errors across our network.  Avaya’s delivery of Fabric Connect at the edge now lets us extend the same benefits all the way to our 100+ wiring closet switches.  We are excited to see Avaya’s continued innovation and extension of this key technology in to the automated campus.”

Sven Andreassen, System Engineer, Schibsted

“Avaya is one vendor who is addressing network simplicity from multiple different angles. Their delivery of a single virtualized network architecture that spans Data Center to Campus is unique in the industry and accelerates the delivery of services by eliminating both protocol overlays and network touch-points. The combination of eliminating provisioning in the critical core and distribution nodes, with the zero-touch on-boarding of devices creates a very simple, automated environment that dramatically reduces downtime and performance issues as a result of human error.”

Zeus Kerravala, principle, ZK Research

“Network downtime and performance issues hurt business operations and can affect careers, but too many companies treat it as an inevitable symptom of today’s overly complicated networking technologies. It doesn’t have to be this way. Avaya has developed a new approach that simplifies the entire service delivery process from the Data Center to the end device and saves our customers valuable time while eliminating the risk. We did it for the 2014 Sochi Olympics and now, for the third time as part of InteropNet, and we can do it for businesses everywhere.”

Marc Randall, senior vice president and general manager, Avaya Networking

About Avaya
Avaya is a global provider of business collaboration and communications solutions, providing unified communications, contact centers, networking and related services to companies of all sizes around the world. For more information please visit www.avaya.com.

Certain statements contained in this press release may be forward-looking statements. These statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “plan,” “potential,” “predict,” “should” or “will” or other similar terminology.  We have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations, assumptions, estimates and projections. While we believe these are reasonable, such forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control. These and other important factors may cause our actual results to differ materially from any future results expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. For a list and description of such risks and uncertainties, please refer to Avaya’s filings with the SEC that are available at www.sec.gov. Avaya disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements.