10 Minutes with Joe DeSantis
Finance, technology, content, healthcare, and retail businesses process tons of information every day. Businesses that produce and utilize data require data centers in running their operations. Data centers are where large amounts of data is collected, stored, processed, and distributed. They are responsible for data backup and recovery, hosting websites, e-mails, and collaboration services. They support cloud storage applications, e-commerce transactions, and online gaming communities.
Data centers also connect communication networks so people and platforms can access information remotely. Network connectivity has never been more important for data center growth, connecting SaaS with users, and enabling the digital enterprise.
Joe DeSantis of Unitas Global works closely with data center providers and sees first-hand how connectivity is being used by data centers to build on-ramps to and between facilities for private, public and multi-cloud solutions. “Data centers have evolved from a ‘meet me’ room to a competitive crossroads of connectivity for data,” shared Joe in a recent interview.
Offer Network Services
When asked what connectivity services data centers are leveraging, Joe shared there were three top solutions that modern data centers are taking to market: global high-performance Internet, integrated SDN between data centers and cloud, and multi-service local access on-ramp to facilities.
Global High-Performance Internet
Whether connecting users to a SaaS platform in a data center or streaming data out of a facility, the Internet is how we access our applications, collaborate with colleagues, view business analytics, and file share. Unitas owns and operates its own global IP network (AS 1828). Unitas’ dedicated high performance Internet Access is designed for content and applications that require the highest level of performance and resiliency. Unitas’ “Donut Peering” (direct peering model) connects users directly to high-demand SaaS and content providers (like Microsoft 365, Google, Amazon, and Zoom) delivering lower latency, improved customer experiences, and faster access to business-critical applications and services than using the public Internet. Unitas’ unique combination of route optimized transit and direct connection to SaaS and content providers offers a high quality, cost-efficient alternative to traditional public internet services and multihomed networks.
Integrated SDN Between Data Centers and Cloud
By creating the industry-leading interconnected access and data center network, Unitas Global eliminates the complexity and inefficiencies of buying network connectivity. Through its innovative software-defined network fabric, the company provides global reach, flexible technology access options, and reliable connectivity solutions.
Redundant Diverse Routes
Joe shared that 1 & 10 GigE data center access services are in high demand across the Unitas network. The top design request is for redundant, diverse carrier and path services. One of the complexities of local access is truly knowing the underlying carrier providing services. This is never more important than when designing a diverse router – diverse carrier service. The power of an interconnected network with visibility into services from +550 providers is being able to offer services that are truly diverse routes from different carrier but with one contract, SLA, and invoice.
Multi-Service Local Access On-Ramp to Facilities
Whether enterprises are moving data, connecting subscribers, accessing workflows, or improving day-to-day collaboration, they require an end-to-end solution that offers the agility to transport data to the right locations at the right SLAs. Unitas’ Multi-Service Access services provide Ethernet circuits back to a local data center point of presence, allowing for multiple virtual services to be provisioned over the same physical circuit (Internet, SD-WAN, Cloud Connect).
Platform Automation is a Must-Have
Beyond connectivity services, Joe pointed out that technology is critical to simplify connectivity operations and enable the modern data center. The Unitas Cloud Connectivity Marketplace (CCM) platform provides visibility, automation, and management of the full connectivity lifecycle—design, ordering, delivery, monitoring, and orchestration—for both data center operations and their clients.
Design & Price
The Unitas Cloud Connectivity Marketplace—think Expedia for connectivity—enables data centers to design and build the most cost-effective and reliable connectivity options to and between data center facilities. The Cloud Connectivity Marketplace provides automated design and quote to +24 million locations and +900 colocation facilities globally, searching +550 carriers and providing a real-time response of available near and on-net connectivity services. Unique intelligence recommends the optimal design for price and performance of access connectivity to data center facilities. Unitas makes it easy for data centers to integrate Unitas’ real time connectivity pricing and order functionality into their digital marketplaces.
Order and Provision
The Unitas CCM platform not only designs and prices connectivity solutions, it automates ordering with a procurement workflow that simplifies ordering and tracks provisioning and delivery status for physical and virtual services purchased. Unitas Global delivers a consistent delivery experience across the globe by managing provisioning lead times and normalizing ordering forms and processes across operators.
Monitor and Manage
The Unitas Atlas™ network manager provides data centers and their clients access to extensive information on their interconnected network infrastructure. Unitas Atlas™ is a secure, easy to use, application that allows clients to view critical network information including trouble ticket status, topology of their environment, and near real-time view of their network status. The Unitas Atlas™ network management platform provides a single view into a data center’s private interconnected network for visibility and control. The power of Unitas Atlas™ provides a single pain of glass view not only into diverse carriers, but also the option to manage supporting devices such as firewalls and computing infrastructure – private, public, and multi in the same dashboard. One view, no gaps.
Unitas Global is the best choice to assist data centers basis to deliver an intelligent, managed, interconnected global access network fabric. The value of an interconnected network infrastructure from Unitas Global extends beyond a simple backbone interconnection solution. By partnering with Unitas Global, data centers and their clients benefit from visibility and control of services, global reach, and intelligent automated tools to further differentiate their growing data center offering in the market.
Want to continue the conversation about how Unitas partners with data centers? Schedule 30 minutes to talk with Unitas.
