NEC receives order for SDN-based network systems

Following its transition to a holding company structure in April 2013, Toyo Seikan GHD has been working to integrate the networks of separate group companies. The purposes of this project include the reformation of work environments and the reduction of the total cost of ownership (TCO) by integrating wide area networks (WANs) and Internet lines of individual companies. This is being done to achieve a consistent security level across the Group and to construct business continuity infrastructure. Toyo Seikan GHD is considering the use of SDN for the Group’s common virtual server infrastructure, for integration of the Group LAN through virtualization, business continuity measures and other purposes in the future. As a first step, NEC will provide consulting services on the planning of this project and construct network systems that integrate and consolidate the firewalls of about 30 Group companies. This will be accomplished using the UNIVERGE PF Series, which is an OpenFlow product that constitutes part of NEC SDN Solutions.

Specifically, SDN will be adopted by data center networks in order to pool the firewalls of numerous companies and individual business systems of the Toyo Seikan Group into a common resource. This will allow the management of communication paths to take place under central control, thereby reducing the number of firewalls and other network devices, as well as reducing operating costs, managing costs and configuration time.

NEC has delivered SDN-based systems to more than 100 companies in Japan and abroad. NEC aims to capitalize on the results of this project with Toyo Seikan GHD to propose solutions to businesses, governmental offices, telecommunication carriers and data center operators throughout the world, with a focus on NEC SDN Solutions that combine NEC’s original technologies, products and services with partners’ products.