Wholesale carrier Epsilon expanded its reach in the U.S. last month by partnering with The Massachusetts Internet Exchange (MASS IX).
Users of Epsilon's SDN-enabled Infiny by Epsilon platform can now "click-to-connect" to MASS IX and remotely peer with more than 40 content and cloud providers, regional ISPs and education networks.
Service providers such as Epsilon, Colt Technology Services and BT have set up shop in the United States to connect their large multinational customers with U.S.-based data centers, hubs and points of presence (POPs).
RELATED: Epsilon strengthens its hand in the U.S.
Epsilon's goal is to double and then triple the number of POPs it has in the U.S. over the next 18-30 months.
Singapore-based Epsilon offers SD-WAN services through a partnership with Cato Networks as well as connectivity services, SIP trunking and telephony services across Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa.
In the first installment of this Q&A with FierceTelecom, which has been edited for clarity and length, Epsilon CEO Jerzy Szlosarek, spoke about the company's expansion in the U.S. and how the managed service provider landscape is changing. In Part II, he'll talk about how the company is evolving its Infiny by Epsilon platform and the state of SDN.
FierceTelecom: What does the partnership with MASS IX mean for Epsilon's customers?
Jerzy Szlosarek: Our customers gain direct and on-demand access to MASS-IX. From anywhere in the world they can remotely peer at MASS-IX as well as more than 20 internet exchanges globally. That means they can bring their users closer to the content and cloud services hosted in the Boston metro area and offer an optimized experience.
OTTs and content and media companies love the service because it takes all the complexity out of getting connected to peering points globally.
FierceTelecom: What services are being enabled in the U.S. through the Infiny by Epsilon platform?
Szlosarek: We launched our U.S. operations in 2017 and have seen lots of demand locally, nationally and globally. Network-centric businesses in the U.S. and Canada want connectivity to be simpler and easier to manage.
Our customers can now control their services via our Infiny software-defined networking (SDN) platform and connect across the continent or the globe at the click of a button. That’s different from the legacy model, and with the added flexibility and scalability it brings, we are seeing a lot of growth in regional data center interconnectivity through the platform.
We now have 25 points of presence in the leading interconnection hubs across the U.S. We also have network extensions through our partner ecosystem to many more locations.
FierceTelecom: What services or applications are you targeting for future growth?
Szlosarek: We’re expanding our scope to serve more network-centric businesses. So, companies like OTTs, XaaS providers, enterprises and that whole generation of software-based businesses. These kinds of business want a better networking model that looks more like the cloud-based services they are using every day. They want networking to be more agile and scalable without the limits that legacy networking puts on their businesses. That’s where our growth is going to come from.
Our network model supports cloud-first, high-growth and software-centric businesses with on-demand connectivity. It’s ready to support these high growth segments so it’s only natural that we move into that market. We are proving that networking doesn’t have to be a pain point and can enable innovation even at the enterprise level.
FierceTelecom: Is the managed services sector seeing more competition with UCaaS offerings, SaaS and SD-WAN?
Szlosarek: In some ways, there’s more competition, but we’re seeing a lot of collaboration. MSPs can plug in new services via an API and instantly expand their service portfolios with SaaS providers as their partners. I believe there’s an opportunity for MSPs to shape their portfolios to serve new vertical markets and own a niche. Agile and on-demand connectivity will be an added advantage when reaching out to these new verticals.
MSPs are competing in new ways and they can differentiate by moving faster than competitors with SDN. I think MSPs should look closely at who they partner with rather than looking at platform providers as competitors.