Airtel Business and Cisco launch Airtel SD-Branch to simplify and secure enterprise networking

• Airtel SD-Branch will provide organisations with a unified, centralised platform for efficient network management across branch locations
• Powered by Cisco Meraki, it will help enterprises to manage and scale complex network requirements with simplified provisioning and connectivity

Gurugram (India), September, 2024: Airtel Business, the B2B arm of Bharti Airtel (Airtel), and Cisco, the worldwide leader in networking and security, today, launched Airtel Software-Defined (SD) Branch — a simple, secure, cloud-based, end-to-end-managed network solution for enterprises.

Powered by the Cisco Meraki cloud-first platform, Airtel SD-Branch will enable the unified management of networks across LAN, WAN, security and connectivity over multiple branch locations, helping enterprises to simplify their network management, enhance application performances and provide greater flexibility and control over the entire branch network infrastructure.

Sharat Sinha, CEO – Airtel Business, said, “We are thrilled to announce the launch of our revolutionary network solution for enterprises in the country, in partnership with ‘Cisco Meraki India Region’. The service is crafted to prioritise core business outcomes over IT management. This will provide customers with a simplified network solution that scales effortlessly, enabling users to access business applications with enhanced performance and security.”

Daisy Chittilapilly, President, Cisco India & SAARC, said, “We live in an environment where workplaces are dispersed and applications are distributed, making reliable and efficient network infrastructure a necessity. Our partnership with Airtel aims to empower enterprises with a platform solution that delivers a unified, agile and secure experience across multiple locations, enabling businesses to succeed in a hyper-connected world.”

Airtel SD-Branch is designed to meet the diverse network infrastructure needs of enterprises in sectors such as retail, education, banking and healthcare. It will transform how businesses manage their complex network requirements with simplified provisioning, helping build robust and efficient connectivity across branch locations. With Airtel’s extensive connectivity solutions and advanced network management capabilities and Cisco’s expertise in secure networking, this solution delivers a unified, centralised platform for the network needs of organisations, making network management more efficient.

In today’s hybrid world, employees are working from multiple locations, using various connections and accessing information across diverse platforms. While this provides flexibility to employees, it has created a new set of challenges for business as they must connect and protect people and devices across customer-owned and unowned networks. According to Cisco’s Cybersecurity Readiness Index, 92% of companies in India have stated that their employees access company platforms from unmanaged devices, and 48% of those spend one-fifth of their time logged onto company networks from unmanaged devices. Additionally, 39% have reported that their employees hop between at least six networks over a week.

Powered with capabilities like central management of the network, intuitive dashboards, automated processes, advanced analytics and high-performance connectivity solutions that can be tailored to meet specific business requirements, the Airtel SD-Branch will help enterprises to gain more control of their branch networks. With subscription models that can be customised for each unique branch location, the Branch will also offer businesses the flexibility to scale their networks on demand.