Windstream teams with Ciena, Coriant and Infinera to showcase SDN-enabled multi-vendor service orchestration capabilities at MEF17

LITTLE ROCK, Ark., Sept. 25, 2017 -- Windstream (NASDAQ:WIN), a leading provider of advanced network communications, today announced that it has been selected – along with partners Ciena, Coriant and Infinera -- to participate in the MEF17 Proof of Concept (PoC) Showcase, held November 13 – 16, in Orlando, Fla. The collaborative endeavor will build on Windstream’s in-production Software Defined Network Orchestrated Waves solution – SDNow – to demonstrate intent-based, on-demand automation of wavelength services in a multi-vendor, multi-platform, multi-domain environment. 

Leveraging multi-domain service orchestration, SDN controller software provided by the company’s vendor partners, and live connectivity to Windstream’s 150,000 mile, fiber-optic network, the PoC will demonstrate end-to-end activation – turning up and down – of Windstream’s high-speed, high capacity SDNow transport solutions of 10G bandwidths on-demand. Aligning with the MEF Lifecycle Service Orchestration (LSO) standards and open-source projects, the demonstration will feature the elements of intent-based provisioning, data abstraction, and use of APIs for automated software-driven service design, provisioning and delivery.
            
“In line with MEF’s focus on enabling dynamic Third Network solutions, Windstream’s partnership with these three industry pioneers – Ciena, Coriant and Infinera -- highlights the benefits of our multi-vendor network ecosystem,” said Joe Harding, executive vice president and enterprise chief marketing officer for Windstream Wholesale. “This collaborative effort -- using multiple hardware platforms orchestrated in real-time via multi-domain service orchestration with APIs to underlying domain controllers – will demonstrate how end-users can take advantage of maximum network control and access to agile, on-demand bandwidth solutions, as well as simplified and accelerated service delivery using minimal human touchpoints.”

“We are pleased to support the continued expansion and extension of Windstream’s SDNow network, providing the orchestration capabilities that allow them to automate the delivery of new on-demand services to their customers,” said Nirav Modi, vice president of product at Blue Planet at Ciena. “The ability to intelligently automate the delivery of managed wavelength services across multi-vendor optical networks represents a major advancement in how network operators offer on-demand services, while exhibiting competitive differentiation in the market.”

“Software-driven service agility is a powerful differentiator for operators as network architectures and operations transform to meet a new generation of dynamic, high-bandwidth end-user applications,” said Uwe Fischer, executive vice president, R&D and PLM, and chief technology officer, Coriant.  “We are excited to be collaborating with Windstream as they continue to demonstrate industry leadership by showcasing the real-world value of SDN/NFV-enabled end-to-end control and orchestration in a live, multi-vendor commercial environment.”

"Windstream is one of a handful of carriers leading the market by leveraging software defined networking to automate and accelerate the deployment of commercially available Layer 1 wavelength services. Infinera is honored to work with Windstream to enable Windstream’s SDNow services through the integration of our open Xceed Multilayer SDN Controller and Intelligent Transport Network platforms at the foundation of Windstream's long-haul network," said Mark Showalter, senior director of software marketing at Infinera. "The multi-vendor collaboration that enables the Windstream Proof of Concept demonstration at MEF17 is unique in that it isn't just a concept -- SDNow is generating revenue and dramatically changing the customer experience with Layer 1 services."

In its multi-vendor environment, Windstream uses its optical network as a programmable resource to accelerate the delivery of optical wavelength services. Windstream’s agile, DevOps-style approach to automation development enables the company to abstract the complexity of service delivery and offers a simplified view of the multi-vendor optical layer. Currently available in five major third-party carrier neutral data centers in Chicago, Dallas, Ashburn, Miami and Atlanta, Windstream plans to introduce additional services and locations in 2017 and 2018, integrating additional third-party SDN controllers and enabling true intent-based service orchestration across multiple layers of the Windstream network.

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

Windstream Media Contact
Tanja Jameson
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