Equinix and Cisco Deliver a Fast On-Ramp to Webex

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the number of global employees working from home to skyrocket and many experts believe the increase in telecommuting is here to stay. While enterprises scramble to adapt to this abrupt shift, they are relying heavily on unified communications and collaboration (UCC) platforms such as Cisco Webex to maintain business continuity. UCC solutions were enjoying a growth in popularity even before the COVID-19 crisis hit. Now, with remote working at unprecedented levels, the adoption of UCC solutions is surging across organizations of all sizes.

Companies are discovering that the ways they deploy and connect to UCC platforms are just as important as who they choose as their solution provider. Accessing cloud-based UCC applications using high-speed, low-latency private interconnection at the edge is a critical part of the equation. It allows businesses to bypass the inherent challenges of the public internet and improve the quality of service (QoS), bolster security and reduce costs.

The Cisco and Equinix connection

Recognizing that companies needed an alternative to collaborating over the public internet, Cisco and Equinix created Cisco Webex^® Edge Connect on Equinix Cloud Exchange Fabric™ (ECX Fabric™) and Network Edge. This joint solution provides a fast, global on-ramp to high-performance Cisco Webex collaboration services. It also allows users to lower their dependency on public switched telephone networks (PSTN) and network bandwidth capacity by using more cost-effective VoIP services with Webex Edge Audio, while providing improved audio, video and content quality.

Businesses can leverage Cisco Webex Edge Connect in 10 Equinix International Business Exchange™ (IBX^®) data center locations around the world and access MPLS or SD-WAN “fast lanes” to the Cisco Webex backbone on Platform Equinix^®. High-speed, low-latency connectivity to the Cisco Webex backbone can be deployed in minutes using a customer-owned physical router or a customer-managed virtual router inside an Equinix IBX data center.

Access to the Cisco Webex backbone is delivered via Cisco Webex Edge Connect on the following Equinix interconnection services:

Equinix Cloud Exchange Fabric™ (ECX Fabric™): ECX Fabric provides software-defined interconnection to cloud platforms and is designed for scalability, agility and connectivity over a self-service portal or API. Cisco Webex Edge Connect uses a QoS-enabled IP link via direct peering with ECX Fabric to directly and securely interconnect users to the global Cisco Webex backbone. This joint solution insulates business meetings from common internet issues such as high latency and jitter. It also gives companies greater end-to-end network visibility to better manage traffic flows and troubleshoot issues locally, regionally and globally  ̶  improving the user experience and reducing customer support calls.

Network Edge: In combination with Cisco Webex Edge Connect and ECX Fabric, Network Edge services from Equinix provides access to the Cisco Webex backbone using virtual network routers, such as the Cisco CSR 1000v, within an Equinix IBX data center. Network Edge removes the requirement for dedicated network hardware, allowing businesses to select more cost-effective network functions virtualization (NFV) capabilities to be deployed on Platform Equinix. As demand for network capacity increases, businesses can quickly deploy and scale their networks via Network Edge to support new NFV services and applications with a superior user experience. Deploying virtual network devices and services in proximity to end users creates a better user experience and ensures cost predictability.

Together, Equinix and Cisco Webex have developed a joint solution that gives millions of users worldwide a dedicated fast lane to Cisco Webex services, delivering greater performance, reliability and security for less cost. In addition, as an Equinix partner, Cisco also offers its worldwide customers a tightly integrated portfolio of software-defined networking (SDN) solutions on Platform Equinix. Equinix and Cisco are helping companies create an agile, distributed workplace that allows employees to connect and collaborate anytime, anywhere.

Learn more by reading our Maximizing the Power of Direct and Secure Collaboration ebook.

You might also like to check out the ITPro Today webinar featuring Equinix, Cisco and World Wide Technology: Accelerate Your Digital Transformation Journey.