Service provider CenturyLink is now offering three managed hybrid software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) bundles to give customers more connectivity options. These SD-WAN bundles are based on the previously announced managed SD-WAN offering provided by Versa.

CenturyLink customers will have three different SD-WAN options: bronze, silver, and gold. The silver and gold bundles come equipped with MPLS, Versa’s SD-WAN appliance, and broadband provided either by CenturyLink or a third-party.

The gold bundle provides the customer with two SD-WAN appliances to offer more availability. For example, if one appliance fails, then the other will take over. This is important for customers that are carrying sensitive data or mission-critical workloads, said Troy Trenchard, vice president, product management for business solutions at CenturyLink.

The bronze package is for customers that already have MPLS and CenturyLink provides the SD-WAN and broadband.

Trenchard said customers are interested in more bandwidth and want different types of connections. "More traffic is going to the cloud and they want a direct connection to it. That’s where broadband is going to help them out,” he said.

CenturyLink said many of its customers want broadband connectivity outside of the company's broadband footprint. The service provider has partnered with cable companies like Comcast to expand their broadband footprint. Additionally, enterprise customers find it easier to get broadband, SD-WAN, and security all from the same provider rather than dealing with multiple providers.

“Our Versa-based solution has been on the market for about a year, and we have learned how to do it better,” Tenchard said, referring to the new hybrid WAN bundles.

CenturyLink’s managed SD-WAN service from Versa, as well as these bundles, come with basic firewalls built into the appliance. However, CenturyLink offers an additional security managed service that provides more comprehensive security.

The service provider also recently announced a managed service based on Cisco’s Meraki portfolio, which has SD-WAN services as a component. That service includes voice, video, security,  and monitoring capabilities.