Windstream adds improved customer experience and network connectivity options to its successful SD-WAN solution

LITTLE ROCK, Ark., Aug. 01, 2017 -- Windstream (NASDAQ:WIN), a leading provider of advanced network communications, today announced that it has introduced a more robust SD-WAN solution that delivers on the company’s goal of offering its customers the industry’s best managed SD-WAN experience.

Windstream’s new SD-WAN solution now includes additional broadband flexibility, improved self-service monitoring and control options, and a new SD-WAN Concierge™ managed service that automatically optimizes application performance, lowers costs and simplifies network management. Customers can also combine SD-WAN with Diverse Connect to achieve a 100 percent availability service level agreement (SLA).

“We introduced our SD-WAN service in January, and we have seen tremendous adoption in the first six months as customers find they benefit from a more tailored, flexible and controllable WAN experience,” said Joseph Harding, executive vice president and enterprise chief marketing officer at Windstream. “Following our merger with EarthLink, we are enhancing our SD-WAN solution as we work to integrate our offerings. The result is a powerful new solution that gives customers even greater network agility, scalability and performance, all while also reducing costs and virtually eliminating downtime.”

Windstream’s SD-WAN solution now offers customers:

• Concierge Service – A premium, fully-managed service that helps customers get the most from SD-WAN by having Windstream experts proactively monitor and optimize network environments for peak application performance.
• Integrated SD-WAN Management Tool – Provides unprecedented visibility and control of a customer’s SD-WAN network via an industry leading easy-to-use and centralized management portal. It includes the ability to easily and rapidly deploy configurations for new locations, services and security policies.
• Business Aware Cloud Network™ – Enables dynamic traffic steering based on real time network conditions to provide flexibility, agility and reliability to deliver superior application performance and a consistent end-user experience. The application-aware network delivers improvement in cloud-based application performance with diverse, low latency connections to cloud providers as well as Windstream-provided services such as UCaaS, MPLS and Security services.
• Industry-tailored Cloud-based Solutions – A full suite of adjunct services specifically designed to improve the customer experience, including cloud-based unified communications and security – driven by the needs of verticals like retail, healthcare and banking, Windstream solutions provide a tailored network to connect to services including UCaaS, Cloud Connect, Secure WiFi, and PCI suite. These services are supplemented with Windstream’s consulting and professional services teams who have guided many well-known companies through the journey to transform their customer experience and operate their business at cloud speed.

Traditional WAN technology has long been a cornerstone of IT for voice and data networking infrastructure, while holding a higher potential for downtime and latency challenges. And the advent of hybrid/cloud architectures and the higher cost of adding locations are causing many companies to rethink their WAN strategy. Windstream’s SD-WAN solution utilizes cutting edge technology coupled with the customer’s application prioritization to dynamically route traffic over a combination of private and public networks to reach multiple locations. Customers maintain control over their network from a convenient centralized location rather than manage various individual routers and firewalls.

Windstream’s enhanced SD-WAN solution is available immediately to businesses in Windstream’s nationwide service area. Over the past six months, Windstream has partnered with customers in the retail, banking, professional services, healthcare, manufacturing and financial services industries, and the company expects demand to remain high for its industry leading solution.

In addition to SD-WAN, Windstream offers a full suite of advanced network communications and technology solutions like UCaaS and Diverse Connect along with voice and data services such as VoIP access, SIP trunking, MPLS, Wavelength, Ethernet and dedicated high-speed Internet. Windstream also offers managed services, cloud services and network security services designed to help businesses increase productivity and improve operational costs. For more information, visit windstreambusiness.com.

About Windstream
Windstream Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:WIN), a FORTUNE 500 company, is a leading provider of advanced network communications and technology solutions for consumers, businesses, enterprise organizations and wholesale customers across the U.S. Windstream offers bundled services, including broadband, security solutions, voice and digital TV to consumers. The company also provides data, cloud solutions, unified communications and managed services to small business and enterprise clients. The company supplies core transport solutions on a local and long-haul fiber network spanning approximately 150,000 miles. Additional information is available at windstream.com. Please visit our newsroom at news.windstream.com or follow us on Twitter at @Windstream.

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