by TINTSWALO BALOYI
JOHANNESBURG, (CAJ News) – AIRTEL Africa is expanding its service portfolio in collaboration with Cisco, in a move the company’s pledge would empower businesses to seamlessly embark on digital transformation.
The partnership offers network-as-a-service (NaaS) solutions across various service platforms.
NaaS is seen as representing a paradigm shift in how organizations consume network infrastructure, allowing users to operate networks efficiently without the need to own, build, or maintain physical infrastructure.
This approach is hailed for reducing the challenges associated with traditional network models, including capital expenses, manual service provisioning and lengthy issue resolution processes.
“As Africa transitions digitally, businesses will require a fusion of connectivity, mobility, security, and cloud into a service offering for every business irrespective of geographical spread or operational needs,” remarked Oliver Fortuin, CEO of Airtel Business Africa.
Airtel Africa’s NaaS offerings, powered by Cisco’s cutting-edge Catalyst and Meraki cloud-based platforms, promise to revolutionize connectivity for businesses of all sizes.
“Airtel Africa NaaS also allows a managed service option, enabling Airtel Africa to fully manage the daily operational requirements of supporting such infrastructure as growth accelerates,” Fortuin said.
Airtel Africa and Cisco Systems have expressed a commitment to facilitating a smooth digital transition for businesses, providing them with the tools they need to thrive in an increasingly connected world.
“At Cisco, we believe that every organization would benefit from simplifying powerful technology,” said Vish Iyer, President, Service Provider, Asia Pacific and Japan at Cisco.
Iyer said the partnership with Airtel Africa marks a pivotal moment as they pledged to deliver the majority of their cutting-edge technology portfolio to businesses across the continent in a simplified and flexible manner.
“Together with Airtel Africa, we are reducing networking complexities and securely connecting the world through NaaS. This innovative approach is a great option for businesses wanting to shift to a cloud operating model without a heavy lift.”
– CAJ News