Telstra launches enterprise network monitoring service

Telstra has launched a managed data networks service that bundles elements like advanced alarm systems and experienced network management personnel to monitor customer equipment and data carriage.

The service is being targeted to compete with service offerings from AAPT and Macquarie Telecom, according to Telstra's enterprise and government division public affairs spokesman Peter Habib.

Habib told iTnews that the managed data networks service is anticipated to "be one of those foundation elements that just helps [customer] networks run better".

The service includes elements of custom network design, professional installation, monthly reports, hardware maintenance and restoration of equipment or data network connectivity and distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) mitigation.

Habib said that customers would no longer need to employ "dedicated network staff to monitor and service" their networks.

By handing off these functions to Telstra, Habib said customers could focus on deploying more advanced applications that ran on top of the network, "be it video conferencing or IP telephony or cloud computing."

He also said Telstra had "over 400 technicians and security specialists" available to provide network monitoring and to detect attacks against customer infrastructure.

"They can make sure the performance of the networks is not affected," he said.

Although no customers had signed up for the service as yet, Habib anticipates that enterprises already moving to cloud compute platforms will be among the early adopters.

He declined to canvas rates for the new service.

"It's all built on the contract negotiations. We don't have our rate cards publicly available because we are normally part of a vendor panel or you have to put in your bid in then there are contract negotiations."