Finally! An Open Intent-Based Networking Platform Managed Service Providers Can Embrace

Today marks another milestone in the journey to Intent-based Networking.

Today is good news for Managed Service Providers!

First though, some data points regarding the current state of managed network services.

There are fewer than 25% of US businesses using managed LAN/WLAN services from providers. There are several issues with current technologies in supporting fundamental operations, such as:

Remote troubleshooting

Remote network health monitoring

Trouble free configuration

Assuring services and QoS control

And yet, 75% of enterprises will choose an existing managed WAN provider for their managed branch and campus services – if such provider eliminates the above issues. (Source: IDC Enterprise Communications Survey 2017: Managed Wired and Wireless LAN Services)

There’s a market for you that is growing at 13% CAGR to >$12B by 2022. (Source: Markets and Markets Cloud Managed Services Market 2017, Global Forecast to 2022)

Today, we announce a solution to these problems and help unlock a sizable market for managed service providers while simplifying operations. For the details of our announcement, start with this blog introducing the Cisco DNA Center Platform along with supporting assets from partners, DevNet, and Cisco Services.

The announcement today brings us much closer to aligning the network to business intent. Out with CLI and scripts; in with real APIs. Out with human middleware; in with real IT value. Out with managing a collection of networking gear; in with managing a system that delivers high quality, secure services.

It’s all About The Network Effect and Your Operations

DNA Center Platform affords you the ability to more easily operationalize the DNA Center and the Cisco SD-Access portfolio that it manages. The DNA Center Platform gives you access and control of automation, analytics, assurance and security policies across the managed branch or campus of your business customer. The end results are better experience by your customers, lower cost of operations, greater profitability.

And There’s More

To easily create, deliver, and manage new services, we offer the Cisco Managed Services Accelerator (MSX). You might know it by its former name, Cisco Virtual Managed Services (VMS). We have continued expanding its capabilities including enhanced security, greater flexibility, more pre-built service packs.

Cisco MSX is an open service creation platform that helps you easily create and deliver managed network, security, and business services to enterprises. Using MSX, you can create your own services or leverage Cisco pre-built service packs, such as Cisco SD-WAN and SD-Branch. MSX is a highly extensible API-driven platform, enabling an unlimited range of personalized, differentiated services based on virtual or physical network functions from Cisco and third-parties.

Deliver Multiple Services to Multiple Clients in a Multivendor Environment

Cisco Enterprise networking and security offers such as SD-WAN, SD-Branch, ISR/ENCS routers, SD-Access, Intent-Based Networking can all be delivered as managed services. The MSX platform integrates into your operational systems (OSS/BSS) so you can rapidly deploy our Enterprise networking and security offers. With MSX, you need only integrate one platform, MSX, into your systems to deploy multiple services rapidly across your business customer base.

MSX works with leading domain managers such as Cisco vManage (for SD-WAN) or Cisco DNA Center (for SD-Access, Managed LAN/WiFi) to deliver multiple services while unifying them for common assurance, metrics and service management.

MSX has SD-WAN in full customer production and currently being developed is full integration with DNA-Center. A pre-built MSX Service Pack which will support attachment of multiple DNA Centers serving as domain controllers will come to market later this year.

Whether residing on your premises or used as a service from Cisco, MSX becomes your platform for multiple differentiated services.

The Intent APIs let you simply launch new services, collect status, monitor assurance, modify services and more just through the MSX portal. And you can still zoom into the domain of one of several DNA Centers that are attached.

Can You See These In Action?

Indeed, you can, if you are at Cisco Live US June 11th – 14th, drop by the SP Engagement Zone at the World Of Solutions and ask to see the Managed Services demonstration. Here we will be using an integration between MSX and DNA Center to show the concept of a Managed SD Access Service. Additionally, we will be able to show you, also live, a Managed SD-WAN Service, a Managed SD-Branch Service, Managed Device Service, amongst other capabilities.

What You Can Do Now

Read the DNA Center Platform announcement here.

Learn more about MSX here.

Can’t attend Cisco Live? Register for a Business Services webcast coming on June 26th.

Discover more about our SD-Access portfolio here.

Or simply contact your Cisco account team to get more information or schedule a demonstration.