Introducing bandwidth on demand - the latest from BT

Today, BT launched Bandwidth on demand following a series of successful live trials with a global petrochemical company.

Bandwidth on demand is a feature on BT IP Connect Global, BT's wide area networking (WAN) service, and aims to meet the demands of customers who have a temporary need for extra bandwidth.

BT's latest service aims to offer an alternative for customers that tend to over provisioning of networks to meet peak needs. Instead, BT says customers can now use Bandwidth on demand to right-size networks in line with their business requirements.

With Bandwidth on demand, customers can increase bandwidth in real time when needed, for the period they require.

For example, a customer's IT team can temporarily boost bandwidth to improve video quality during an internal webcast.

Another example is in the retail industry where bandwidth flexes can help accommodate peak shopping periods, such as Christmas.

Bandwidth on demand is managed via BT's online self-service portal, with bandwidth flexes able to be made effective immediately, or scheduled on year in advance.

Keith Langridge, vice president of network services at BT, comments "Bandwidth on demand is a great example of how we're giving our global customers more agility and control in the areas where they need it most, helping them become digital businesses.

"The new feature is part of our Dynamic Network Services programme, which harnesses the latest SDN (software-defined networking) and NFV (network functions virtualisation) technologies to deliver more flexible and efficient network solutions.

"Through this programme we are bringing to life yet another great new global capability to help our customers meet their connectivity needs," Langridge adds.

BT is a global supplier of communications services and solutions with a customer base spanning 180 countries.

BT's activities include the provisioning of networked IT services globally; local, national and international telecommunications services for its customers for use at home, at work and on the move; and broadband, TV and internet products, and services.