Siemens invests US$295.9m in extending global SD-WAN network

Siemens has announced it is throwing some serious money behind extending its SD-WAN network around the world.

The global electronics and electrical engineering company has engaged Orange Business Services to deploy a 'Siemens Digitalisation Network (SDN) built on an SD-WAN infrastructure that will connect 1,500 sites in 94 countries.

According to Siemens, the increased performance of its communications infrastructure will allow the company to take full advantage of further digitalisation to improve its Industry 4.0 processes.

The new six year contract for Orange Business Services to migrate Siemens' entire global infrastructure to an SD-WAN network that will connect cloud applications as well as IoT devices is worth USD$295.9 million.

Siemens head of IT infrastructure portfolio and strategy Frederik Janssen says the company is happy with the contract as consolidating network design and maintenance with a single provider will further reduce complexity and strengthen application performance and agility.

"As a globally operating company with subsidiaries and divisions all over the world, we need a reliable and flexible communication network that is a critical business enabler and can evolve with our growing business," says Janssen.

"We chose Orange Business Services because we see it as a prime partner with the ability to deliver seamless worldwide SD-WAN coverage with the highest degree of security standards – especially to protect against threats from the internet, quality of service, local support and an attractive price-performance ratio. We were also impressed by the flexibility and the service level Orange Business Services has been providing as a trusted partner to Siemens over the past several years.

Orange Business Services managing director for Australasia Kevin Griffen says this is a huge win for the company and they are thrilled ot be working with Siemens on the local migration to the new SD-WAN network.

"As with many organisations, demands on the Siemens WAN have increased with virtual teams and teleworkers collaborating on global projects, and this new network will provide a robust, seamless global network service which will enable them to transform their business," says Griffen.

Ongoing demands on the Siemens WAN have increased with virtual teams and teleworkers collaborating on global projects, bringing about the need for an SD-WAN solution. The company is confident Orange Business Services can meet its needs by combining SD-WAN technology with cloud- and web-based services and solutions.

Orange Business Services has a single point-of-contact service desk and local presence in 166 countries, catering to Siemens' presence in the 94 countries in which it operates.