BT announced the launch of a new Service and Network Automation Platform (SNAP) designed to help customers innovate using the latest SD-WAN and NFV technologies.
The unique platform sits at the heart of BT’s global network. Built with best-in-breed technologies, its flexible architecture allows BT to fully integrate solutions from its partners. Examples of this include SD-WAN controllers from Cisco and Nuage Networks from Nokia. SNAP also works with Cisco’s Network Services Orchestrator. Together, this allows BT to offer customers a choice of SD-WAN and NFV managed services such as BT Connect Services Platform.
BT plans to extend orchestration from its core network to major third-party cloud data centres and all the way into customers’ local area networks (LAN) and data centre LANs (DC-LANs). This will provide end-to-end applications visibility, control and configuration from customers’ laptops and devices through to servers in the cloud.
To achieve full compatibility between technologies and high levels of automation SNAP has been built using the latest open source software as well as industry standard languages. These include YANG for network modelling and TOSCA for service definition and VNF service chaining. Control commands can now cascade through BT’s systems taking effect within minutes, something that previously could take weeks.
Keith Langridge, VP of Network Services, BT
We’re investing to make it easier for our customer to take advantage of the latest networking technologies and cloud. Our new Service and Network Automation Platform and Centre of Excellence help customers tap into our wealth of know-how and experience in SDN and NFV.
