Telefónica Tech, Cisco join forces to strengthen network and security offering

Telefonica press release

Telefónica Tech, the digital business unit of Telefónica, and Cisco® (NASDAQ: CSCO), a global leader in network and security solutions, announce today at the RSA Conference a strategic alliance and an innovative global managed service, including SD-WAN architectures, security and SASE.

This new service, designed to respond to the needs of large companies and SMEs, will consist of integrating connectivity and security in the offer of companies in their data centers, office networks and remote employees.

The managed service connectivity layer will leverage Cisco's full portfolio of SD-WAN solutions, as well as the Cisco Meraki managed cloud platform and wireless solutions. Customers can combine these connectivity solutions with Cisco security technologies, including Cisco Umbrella, advanced firewalls, antimalware, intrusion protection, and zero-trust access controls.

In addition, following Telefónica Tech's network and security services convergence strategy, a cloud security module with Cisco Umbrella will be included in the services. In this way, the services of the portfolio based on the capabilities of Cisco SD-WAN will be complemented with security features in the cloud, facilitating and protecting the experience of employees when accessing the Internet or business applications, regardless of their Location.

With this launch, a new offer will be introduced within the current flexSITE service, which will include Wi-Fi, LAN and security solutions managed in the Meraki cloud, starting in Spain and later expanding to other European and Latin American markets. Its main advantages will be the ease of implementation and deployment of the network, the visibility and management of the security layer in real time.

Rames Sarwat, Director of Cybersecurity and Cloud Products and Services at Telefónica Tech, states: “This alliance reinforces the work carried out with Cisco for years and will allow Telefónica Tech's capabilities to evolve as a provider of managed services within the Cisco ecosystem. We seek to satisfy the current needs of our clients, facing from the same solution any connectivity and security challenge that they may have derived from hybrid work”.

"The shift to hybrid working has accelerated the need for businesses to connect and protect employees and their devices anywhere," said Shailaja Shankar, senior vice president and general manager, Cisco Security Business Group. “Telefónica Tech's new managed service will offer customers an innovative managed service, combining Cisco's SD-WAN and cloud security solutions in a way that simplifies connectivity and security for employees working in the office and of those who telecommute. Cisco continues to bet on digitization through the CDA program, called 'Digitaliza' in Spain, promoting innovative services like this one”, he adds.