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Tier 1 carrier with history supporting some of the largest global businesses across the globe. Full scale end to end solutions from traditional telephony through to SD WAN.
Author: Netify Research Team
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Lumen SD WAN is a good choice for large multi-national enterprises with global requirements because Lumen's solution utilizes a single point of contact for the global network and cloud-based services supported by access to vendors in IT infrastructure management and networking. Lumen SD WAN is delivered via solid partnerships with Versa Networks, VMware, VeloCloud, Cisco Meraki and Cisco Viptela, combining extensive global network underlay infrastructure with robust overlay solutions.
Lumen's robust product portfolio includes Content Delivery Network (CDN), Unified Communications-as-a-Service (UCaaS), Data Centre Housing and security and professional services. Some previous clients suggest that although Lumen's pricing can be pretty high, the cost is offset by the high standard of service.
Lumen SD WAN solutions are ideal for enterprises in the following industry verticals: Retail, Financial Services, Healthcare, Educational Institutions, Media & Entertainment Providers, Government Entities and Local Government Organizations.
Take our 90 second assessment quiz to find out which top 3 vendors or managed providers are a match for your answers.
Lumen Technologies started life in 1930 as Oak Ridge Telephone Company, founded by F.E. Hogan, Sr. Hogan sold the company with 75 subscribers to William Clarke and Marie Williams for $500, whereby, through various means, Lumen (then known as Marion Telephone Company) came into the hands of Clarke Williams. The business remained in Clarke's family until it was incorporated in 1968 (Lumen still retains its original headquarters from this time). The company name was eventually changed from CenturyLink to Lumen in 2020.
Today, Lumen is an American telecommunications company part of the Fortune 500, headquartered in Monroe, Louisiana, North America. The company's history makes its North American offering particularly strong. Lumen is the 2nd largest U.S Communications Provider to Global Enterprise Companies, employing 43,000 staff with 4,000 IT Professionals worldwide. The company is named a Leader in the 2021 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Network Services, Global.
Lumen offers a 450,000 route fiber mile network and diverse trans-Atlantic network options, leveraging six on-net subsea fiber routes, including the Grace Hopper and Dunant Google subsea systems.
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Netify have listed the SD WAN and SASE security vendors used by Lumen.
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List of the pros and cons associated with Lumen SD WAN and Cybersecurity.
Consider the points below to compare Lumen vs BT vs AT&T SD WAN and SASE security.
Click the service provider logo to find out more about each respective SD WAN solution.
Lumen SD WAN uses a single, automated platform that can be monitored and managed from a central control dashboard. The solution is provisioned via various SD WAN vendors, each offering different features and capabilities depending on the appliance used and its suitability for business needs.
Lumen SD WAN Versa Networks:
Lumen's SD WAN offering based on Versa Networks is aimed at multi-site deployments, creating a more efficient use of resources by providing centralized cloud management and bandwidth management and monitoring the performance of business-critical applications.
For more information on Versa Networks, please see our vendor listing here.
Lumen SD WAN VMware (VeloCloud):
VMware and Lumen offer a granular SD WAN solution which includes Dynamic Multipath Optimization (DMPO) to provide a secure branch to the data centre, cloud access and business-critical applications such as voice and video.
Cloud Based, Multi-tenant Orchestrator: Offers centralized management and visibility in a cloud-hosted, multi-tenant environment (see, What is the Lumen managed, co-managed and DIY services solution?).
For more information on VMware, please see our vendor listing here.
Lumen SD WAN Cisco Meraki:
The Lumen-Meraki solution is ideal for enterprises looking to lower their operating costs whilst improving their multi-site resource usage through a single, centralized PCI 3.2. certified cloud-based management service wrapper.
For more information on Cisco Meraki, please see our vendor listing here.
Lumen SD WAN Cisco Viptela:
The Lumen-Viptela solution is ideal for complex enterprise networks that require proficient security, routing and segmentation. The service includes four components: vEdge Routers, vSmart Controller, vManage Network Configuration and Monitoring System and vBond Orchestrator. This solution provides centralized policies and orchestration for large-scale networks.
For more information on Cisco Viptela, please see our vendor listing here.
Lumen's SASE platform integrates with its managed security services and network infrastructure assets. The platform offers solutions from Versa Networks, VMware, Cisco Meraki, Cisco Viptela, Palo Alto Networks and Fortinet to deliver the following capabilities:
The platform is offered via flexible service models, which provide clients with DIY, co-managed or fully managed options. Fully managed SASE services from Lumen include:
Lumen also offers extensive managed security services with constant monitoring, management, incident response and analysis services. The service includes managed firewalls, endpoint security, unified threat management, web application firewalls and IDS/IPS. Network and cloud-based security services include Direct Denial of Service (DDoS) prevention, email filtering and DNS sink holing services, secure cloud and network-based firewalls. Intelligence feeds, reputation monitoring, threat monitoring and reporting and threat detection, as well as Security Incident and Event Management (SIEM), incident analysis, malware detection and removal and log management, are all included in the offering.
Lumen's Cloud Connect solutions allow enterprise cloud migration and access to leading private and public clouds. Cloud Connect provides secure, high-performance connections to cloud vendors such as Oracle, AWS, Microsoft Azure, IBM Cloud, and Google Cloud. These cloud providers support AWS Direct Connect, Microsoft ExpressRoute, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure FastConnect, Google Cloud Partner Interconnect, Google Cloud Carrier Peering, IBM Cloud Direct Link, IBM Cloud Managed Services, and IBM Resiliency Services.
Real-time analytics visibility and control allow Lumen to optimize cloud and application performance whilst direct internet access is available in remote locations to make business-critical cloud-based resources more accessible. For the Versa Networks SD WAN offering, optimized bandwidth is available, integrating public and private transport to remove bottlenecks, backhauling and passive connectivity. The VMware offering includes Dynamic Multipath Optimization (DMPO), which provides optimized performance for business-critical applications, aggregated broadband internet, LTE and MPLS circuits and application-aware, per-packet link steering and on-demand remediation. For the Cisco Meraki offering, cloud optimization and on-premises application performance are offered to increase user productivity. It includes real-time analytics, control and visibility.
Remote users are supported by Remote Connect, virtualized appliances or cloud-delivered services dependent on the SD WAN vendor. Teleworkers are supported through Lumen solutions for Microsoft Teams to provide unified communication and collaboration tools for remote workers. This solution unifies Lumen's advanced analytics and user experience with the collaboration and communication tools of Microsoft Teams across various devices. Leveraging Microsoft Teams with Lumen provisions businesses with a secure platform for applications and data with Lumen heavy-lifting collaboration tools and complex calling. This allows companies to adopt "work-from-anywhere" policies for their remote staff whilst maintaining data security and optimal user experience to ensure a superb customer experience.
Lumen offers four managed service offerings, each of which is based on the vendor offering chosen by a client. Though specific features vary, every solution is supported by a Lumen staff team, which helps design, configure, deploy and manage clients' networks.
The most granular offering is based on Versa Networks. It includes automatic, customer enabled and pre-defined identification for over 3,100 applications, allowing for application QoS, intelligent path selection, packet duplication and policy-based control. Constant support for WAN, event management, support for design, configuration, deployment and activation change management, appliance upgrades and appliance and circuit monitoring are all included in the service wrapper. The Versa Networks-based solution is compatible with hybrid WAN and can offer WAN optimization for Ethernet, Broadband, MPLS and 4G/LTE. There are also options for co-managed, where clients have constant access to the Customer Self-Service Portal.
Lumen's Cisco Viptela managed services solution similarly offers a range of features, including the VManage Network Configuration and Monitoring System, network configuration management and monitoring, compatibility with VMware vSphere ESXi Hypervisor with 8GB of memory and a minimum of two CPUs, Overlay Management Protocol to eliminate bottlenecks, and security features such as the Trusted Platform Module (TPM) chip, which authenticates routers joining the network. This is also integrated with a firewall and supports IPsec, VPN, NAT and ACLs, with encrypted control and data traffic, scale-out architecture and end-to-end network segmentation.
Cisco Meraki and VMware-based managed services have fewer features than the previous two. However, Meraki offers a PCI 3.2 certified cloud-based managed service, with 24/7 support for the entire solution. The service wrapper includes event management, appliance and software updates and support for configuration, deployment, site activation and appliance/circuit monitoring. The VMware solution includes centralized control and visibility for streamlined operators and a cloud-based multi-tenant SD WAN orchestrator.
The Lumen portal offers an automated capability named the "digital buying experience". This allows customers to design their network without the help of the Lumen staff - diverse implementation and circuit paths are included. In real-time, clients can also connect and modify their entire network, from WAN to cloud environments.
Lumen does not offer a publicly available Service Level Agreement. However, Lumen may provide it on request.
Lumen uses the following partners to deliver SD WAN:
Lumen directly promotes services for the following industries:
Channel Partners:
Channel partnerships with Lumen leverage a network of resources and support.
Systems Integrator Alliances:
Systems Integrator Alliances are joint solutions for enterprise customers in any industry, offering access to Lumen’s full services portfolio.
Strategic Alliances:
Lumen uses Versa Networks, VMware, Cisco Meraki, Cisco Viptela, Palo Alto Networks and Fortinet for managed SASE offerings.
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