Looking to grow its presence in the U.S., Tata Communications is repositioning itself as a one-stop shop for an enterprise's digital transformation. It is pinning much of much of that strategy on its concept of a digital fabric, which is designed to simplify and streamline network management and simplify the complexities of a hybrid and distributed IT environment.

This digital fabric is essentially a suite of network fabrics designed to seamlessly integrate and orchestrate various digital assets crucial for an enterprise. By unifying these previously fragmented network domains under a single platform, Tata Communications aims to address the challenges businesses face in managing their IT infrastructure.

“The digital fabric concept essentially consists of the four fabrics: the network fabric, the cloud and the edge fabric, and the interaction fabric and the IoT fabric. Very often some of these domains are disconnected. And we want to see how all of these domains can connect it through multidomain orchestration, which is essentially what we call a digital fabric,” Lakshmi Amur Lakshminarayanan, CEO of Tata Communications, told SDxCentral.

The benefits for enterprises are numerous. Tata Communications can help with the following:

  • Uncomplicating cloud migration: Its services are designed to ease the often-complex process of cloud adoption by simplifying connectivity and management.
  • Streamlining network management: They offer a full range of services encompassing equipment management, security solutions, and optimization for cloud connections.
  • IoT solutions: Tata Communications aims to provide a comprehensive suite for integrating and managing connected devices, vehicles and factory floors.
Lakshminarayanan provided real-world examples to illustrate the power of the digital fabric. For instance, he described how its solution ensured seamless global connectivity for Formula One races, where reliable connections are critical. Another example he pointed to is the JLR Connected Vehicles project, where Tata Communications' MOVE platform manages over 9,000 JLR vehicles, guaranteeing connectivity and enabling over-the-air software updates.

Intelligence is another key aspect of the digital fabric. Lakshminarayanan said Tata Communications leverages intelligent features for network optimization, scheduling software updates for connected vehicles, and preventing voice fraud in enterprise voice platforms. The conversation also covered network automation and resiliency, with Lakshminarayanan highlighting their capabilities in proactive network management and ensuring service continuity even during outages.

“We can manage the edge with our own edge platform. But if they have to go to an SAP environment, we can provide the connectivity to the SAP on the cloud or SAP on-premises wherever they are running the SAP from,” Lakshminarayanan said.  “Our fabric is already connected to all the major cloud providers in the world. So we are connected to Azure, we connected to AWS, Google and  everyone across the world.”

Recognizing the multicloud reality and enterprises need to use multiple cloud providers, Tata Communications offers a multicloud connect platform that Lakshminarayanan says guarantees near-perfect uptime across various cloud environments. Lakshmi also addressed the trend of data repatriation, where some businesses are moving data and applications back from the cloud to on-premises environments. Tata Communications' solutions cater to both cloud-based and on-premises needs.

“They are not moved to the cloud yet. So with multiple clouds, multiple locations of data, how do you connect them all? Is the challenge that we're trying to address to our multicloud lads.”

“In some cases, we have our own platform. For example, this multicloud connection platform that I talked about is our own platform that we will deliver to customers on that platform.”

Security is paramount, and the digital fabric integrates security solutions across various network domains. Lakshmi acknowledged the growing collaboration between network and security teams as enterprises prioritize comprehensive security strategies.

The conversation concluded by discussing the role of software-as-a-service (SaaS) offerings. While acknowledging the growing popularity of SaaS, Lakshmi suggested that large enterprises might prefer a hybrid approach with customized, best-in-class solutions. Tata Communications offers a “hybrid SaaS” option and is launching a new SaaS product with Versa targeting medium-sized companies.

In essence, Tata Communications' digital fabric approach looks to paint a promising picture for enterprises navigating the complexities of an increasingly digital world. Their comprehensive suite of solutions aims to simplify and streamline network management, empowering businesses to focus on their core objectives.