Carrier Ethernet provider Telco Systems and software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) vendor Silver Peak today rolled out a joint virtual CPE (vCPE) system for managed SD-WAN services. The goal is to enable telcos and service providers to offer new virtualized services.

The combined product integrates the Silver Peak Unity EdgeConnect SD-WAN system with Telco Systems’ Verge platform. Verge is a plug-in vCPE based on standard x86 servers, and it provides a virtualized environment for Silver Peak’s SD-WAN to run on, said Ariel Efrati, CEO of Telco Systems.

“Our vCPE provides an OS that has the ability to take an x86 and extract more juice out of it,” Efrati said. “We can take a low-power device and turn it into a high-performance networking device by adding virtualization.”

The platform supports any virtual network function (VNF) service in conjunction with or as part of a service chain with SD-WAN services. This eliminates the need to deploy standalone appliances on the customer’s premise for each service.

The joint solution is also able to include third-party functions like virtual firewalls and virtual service level agreement (SLA) probes drawn from both companies’ VNF partner programs. Services from partner companies like Fortinet, Palo Alto Networks, Check Point, and Riverbed can be integrated onto the joint platform, according to Efrati.

Users can now remotely add on additional VNF-based network services at any time. Telco Systems’ environment also allows providers and telcos to try out different services and subscription models as they grow.

Silver Peak’s EdgeConnect is a multi-tenant SD-WAN product that provides virtual overlays to connect users to applications using any combination of MPLS, broadband, and LTE transport services. Using a Silver Peak orchestrator, enterprises can configure policies for services and applications from any branch location.