Cisco and NTT DATA expand partnership for global connectivity

Cisco, a global technology provider, and NTT DATA, a worldwide provider in digital business and IT services, today announced an expanded partnership aimed at transforming how global enterprises access wireless connectivity.

With the growing demand for flexible and cost-effective connectivity, Cisco and NTT DATA are responding with a unified solution backed by support services from both companies. Historically, connectivity has centred around connecting office environments via landlines. However, with the introduction of eSIM technology, it’s time to think more broadly and deliver secure network connectivity wherever it's needed.

This expanded partnership is expected to advance their shared vision of providing exceptional, secure, and innovative digital services to meet the increasing demand for flexible connectivity. The collaboration will leverage Cisco’s eSIM technology, which will be embedded into Cisco infrastructure solutions. This will allow the eSIM to connect to NTT DATA’s Transatel network, enabling customers to activate, provision, and configure Cisco solutions directly out of the box. The result is a simplified provisioning process for launching secure mobile branches anywhere, on demand, with ongoing enhanced network device management.

Cisco’s eSIM technology will be at the heart of this transformation, setting the stage for digital connectivity. With eSIM, enterprises can easily scale and manage their network needs, ensuring their networks remain connected and optimised for peak performance.

By combining Cisco’s networking technologies with NTT DATA’s global connectivity capabilities, the two companies will empower enterprises to effortlessly connect to the network using cellular technologies for primary or secondary connectivity. This advancement will offer faster onboarding, ease of connectivity, and enhanced security and resilience, helping to shape the future of enterprise connectivity.

With this collaboration, enterprises will be able to activate, manage, and monitor Cisco infrastructure remotely across 180 countries, connecting to NTT DATA’s Transatel network, while benefiting from flexible and straightforward pricing plans. The initiative promises to transform the digital experience for mobile workforces worldwide.

“There are multiple use cases across industries such as retail, manufacturing, hospitality, financial services, and more, where there is a real need to set up secure mobile branch services at short notice,” said Andrew Brown, Practice Lead IoT Research, Omdia. “The need to reduce setup and installation costs, while also providing vital services such as secure backup, is crucial to customers. This integration between Cisco and NTT DATA will simplify and streamline the process of getting customers up and running at scale, complementing fixed-line offerings.”

"With NTT DATA, we strongly believe we can provide a faster, simpler, and more convenient way for enterprises to securely connect their organisations through an enhanced setup and provisioning process," said Masum Mir, SVP/GM, Cisco Provider Mobility. "This collaboration is a game-changer for the enterprise market, delivering valuable use cases such as on-demand SD-WAN, rapid scaling for 5G carriers, and edge computing for IoT applications.”

"Together with Cisco, NTT DATA is setting a new standard for enterprise connectivity and customer experiences,” said Shahid Ahmed, Group Executive Vice President of Edge Services at NTT DATA. "This partnership will deliver the future of connectivity today, allowing businesses to focus on their digital transformation journeys without the complexities of network management.”

Empowering Modern Industries

The joint solution and services from Cisco and NTT DATA are expected to benefit various industries, including:

• Financial Services: Ensuring uninterrupted service delivery with simplified management of branch and temporary location connectivity and enhanced security measures.
• Retail: Enabling omnichannel experiences with increased resilience for point-of-sale (PoS) systems, backup security, and mobility for pop-up locations and customers.
• Hospitality: Centralising and simplifying cellular connectivity management across multiple locations for seamless guest experiences, as well as providing secure connectivity for events, outdoor activities, and systems backup.
• Manufacturing: Reducing downtime with self-provisioning connectivity solutions that enable rapid and secure deployments for remote locations.

“Today’s mobile and distributed enterprises face increasing pressure to simplify operations while accessing real-time, high-quality data for faster, more informed decision-making,” said Alejandro Cadenas, Associate Vice President at IDC and Mobility, 5G, and IoT Lead in Europe. “Seamless, secure, and scalable connectivity solutions are now essential for unlocking innovation and growth in a connected world. These advancements reflect a broader shift towards democratising access to advanced connectivity solutions, ensuring organisations of all sizes can capitalise on emerging opportunities with agility and confidence," Cadenas added.