CASE STUDY | FSI

Global Financial Services Firm Reinvents
Their WAN With SD-WAN Platform-asa-Service Powered by Versa
INDUSTRY
Financial Services

OBJECTIVES• Application delivery approach that
separates uCPE management fromthe software configuration andmonitoring platform control• Fully utilize all bandwidth andoptimize traffic flow within theirexisting sites

The dual-role service solution for SD-WAN management andmonitoring allows a global financial services firm to choose their areasof control, and which areas to leave in the hands of expert partners.
The FSI firm has a strategic vision for a lean, agile and bold technologysupported business model. Central to their strategy is a ‘software first’ VNF
and SDN focus. To support this initiative, the company needed a uniqueapplication delivery approach that would separate the overarching universal
CPE (uCPE) management, from the software configuration and monitoring
platform control.

• Direct control of routing at theapplication level, and encryption of
all bank data in transit

The bank’s goal was to fully utilize all bandwidth and optimize traffic flow

• Robust security functions to enable
DoS protection of their internalnetwork, and a future proof solution

robust and integrated security functions to enable DoS protection for theirRESULTS

orchestrated WAN infrastructure that spans the banks dozens of sites• Intelligent path selection for cloudand on-premise applications

within their existing sites. They wanted direct control of routing at theapplication level, and encryption of all bank data in transit. They also neededinternal network, and a solution that was future proof; meaning topology,
technology vendor and carrier agnostic. Having an automated and fully
was critical, as was the ability to change and upgrade technology, without
requiring remote site visits.

• Improved WAN availability andefficiency

To ensure reliable connectivity to all their users, the company required• Reduced operating costs andcomplexity

were affected. To ease management, the bank needed a solution that

• Automated, zero touch
deployments

intelligent traffic steering to route around network problems, before users
provided centralized management, with templates that would allow them toeasily define policies and flexibly support network automation across theirglobal WAN infrastructure.

• Significantly improved visibility
and analytics

The Problem• On-demand connectivity

purpose-built hardware devices to operate and secure their global enterprise• Optimized bandwidth utilization

WAN. The management effort and time required to maintain, configure,• Cohesive multi-layered security

Over many years, the company had accumulated numerous, disparate andupdate and support all of these disjointed devices had become too complex,
and put the bank in a reactive position.

• Significantly shortened Time-toDeploy (TTD) and upgrade

The company’s network had become too unwieldy to effectively manage,• Advanced traffic shaping withapplication awarenesssupport multiple cloud services, disparate security devices made it difficult• Traffic segmentation addresses
business and security requirements

network was hindering the bank from moving forward on important initiatives.

monitor and support. Their network was not meeting their demands toto ensure security of data going across the WAN, and manually managing theCASE STUDY | FSI

Below are some of the challenges that confronted the bank:• Performance and access to cloud apps
• Unreliable site availability• Bandwidth constraints, and ineffective bandwidth use• Lack of application awareness• Traffic segmentation challenges• Analytics gaps
• Fragmented security• High costs for circuits and hardware• Slow site deployments• Lack of an on-demand solution

The Solution – SD-WAN PaaS powered by the Versa Secure Cloud IP platform
The company wanted a new software-defined and flexible platform that would overlay their existing network
infrastructure using diverse virtual network functions (VNFs). They also wanted the ability to bring on new third-party
VNFs over time that would be fully supported by the new platform.
The bank chose a telecom MSP’s SD-WAN Platform as-a-Service (PaaS), built on Versa’s Secure Cloud IP platform. Thisservice platform offers a flexible, dual management approach. The MSP deploys and manages branch office uCPEs, andprovides maintenance and monitoring with SLAs, while the FSI firm leverages their core skills in deploying the VNFs, andcontrolling the configuration, orchestration, and adding of new network functions as needed.
The MSP SD-WAN PaaS for the FSI firm deploys highly scalable and expandable Dell uCPEs at the branch offices. TheuCPEs are open standard-based, with the OpenStack cloud operating system that runs multiple VMs. The SD-WANsolution uses Versa Network’s Secure Cloud IP platform, with zero touch authentication and secure management,using Versa’s full suite of native network and security VNFs. Versa native VNFs available to the bank include routing,connectivity, WiFi, LTE, security, NGFW with UTM functions, rich SD-WAN functions, and robust WAN optimization.
The Versa software platform also supports service chained third-party VNFs, with deeply integrated orchestrationand high visibility.
By choosing a dual monitoring and management solution, the FSI firm is able to have the MSP SD-WAN PaaS
manage local site uCPE deployments, while the FSI firm maintains control of network and device configurations.
The company hosts and manages the central Versa Director, Controller and Analytics. uCPE software configuration
is automatically performed by the firm’s internal IT team, from the Versa Director. This enables the bank with robust
security and reliable performance, while keeping configuration and data visibility confined within the organization’sIT personnel.
The bank needed a more fluid and secure approach to segmenting their networks for key applications. With the new SDWAN managed platform, the company can utilize network segmentation for applications, such as retail and investmentbanking, which helps the bank gain greater control of traffic, and provide greater security, by isolating and limiting traffic,
or preventing access between network segments.
On-demand SD-WAN service is enabled using Versa software licenses that are allocated by the MSP to the FSI firm on a
pay-as-you-use basis. To ensure reliability and performance, the MSP tests performance and service chaining to ensure
platform compatibility.

CASE STUDY | FSI

Below are some of the key Versa Secure Cloud IP Platform advantages:• uCPE - Off the shelf, low cost, open source hardware• Open software architecture – Cloud provides an open and consistent platform for software deployments. uCPE
extends that openness and consistency to edge locations• Multi-vendor solution - The value of an open platform is the ability to combine embedded network and security
services, and third-party VNFs, to eliminate vendor lock-in• Zero touch deployment - The ability to centrally turn-up or down services, without requiring technicians to travel toeach remote location to configure services on the edge device• Scalable deployment – Deploying VNFs centrally, using a broad range of VMs on a single software platform, delivers
network and security services that scale from small branch offices to extremely large edge deployments

The Results
The company was able to take advantage of the MSP’s network deployment and service management expertise, andVersa’s software-defined Secure Cloud IP platform, to optimize and streamline their IT operations, and allow the bank tofocus on their core capabilities.
The MSP SD-WAN PaaS powered by Versa’s Secure Cloud IP platform gave the FSI firm an innovative platform thattransformed their overall WAN management and monitoring capabilities from a complex and manually-driven process, toan automated and highly extensible business-driven network.
The company now has the command and control, agility, and vendor independence they need, while taking advantage ofthe management and technology expertise of its strategic partners.
The bank achieved its goals of having a topology, carrier, and vendor-independent network. One that is highly scalable,with adaptable and cohesive multi-layered security, and one that supports their on-premises and cloud applications, withan on-demand, automated, agile, and high-performance infrastructure.

About Versa Networks
Versa Networks is the innovator of Secure Cloud IP architecture, a next-generation software platform that delivers
integrated cloud, networking and security services. Versa’s visionary solution, with an unrivaled depth of features andcapabilities, enables enterprises to transition off legacy WANs to achieve business agility, branch modernization, andTCO advantages toward the goal of achieving their digital transformation journeys. Versa has transacted over 200,000
software licenses through service providers, partners and enterprises globally. Versa Networks is privately held andfunded by Sequoia Capital, Mayfield, Artis Ventures, Verizon Ventures, Comcast Ventures, and Liberty Global Ventures.
For more information, visit https://www.versa-networks.com

Versa Networks, Inc, 6001 America Center Dr, 4th floor, Suite 400, San Jose, CA 95002 | Tel: +1 408.385.7660 | Email: info@versa-networks.com | www.versa-networks.com© 2020 Versa Networks, Inc. All rights reserved. Portions of Versa products are protected under Versa patents, as well as patents pending. Versa Networks and FlexVNF aretrademarks or registered trademarks of Versa Networks, Inc. All other trademarks used or mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. Part# CS_FSI-001.0