GENEVA – Italian flag-carrier airline ITA Airways needed a technology provider to update its global network infrastructure. They found their solution from SITA in Geneva, Switzerland. The partnership between the two European companies will include the migration from the airline’s multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) network to SITA’s recently launched Connect Go SASE platform. SITA will supply a future-proof software-defined networking (SDN) and secure service edge (SSE) solution.
SITA Connect Go is an integrated networking and security solution designed specifically for the air transport industry. It aims to help the sector transform its network capabilities to meet evolving bandwidth, resilience, security, and automation needs while being cost-competitive. SITA says that ITA Airways’ network upgrade is expected to cut costs by around 20% globally, while also delivering a host of new capabilities.
The partnership marks the first implementation of SITA Connect Go as a single solution covering the overall network requirements. This means, that for the first time, SITA Connect Go will integrate a customer’s entire network, delivering streamlined management, operations, and security.
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Sergio Colella, President, SITA Europe, said: “There is a clear need in the market for more efficient and cost-effective solutions that help overcome the constraints of legacy wide-area network (WAN) networks. This new partnership with ITA Airways showcases both their commitment to optimize their network operations and our ability to adapt to the evolving demands across the sector. We continue to work towards creating future-proof solutions that support the ongoing digital transformation of the air transport industry.”
Francesco Presicce ITA Chief Technology Officer and Accountable Manager said: “Since its foundation, ITA Airways, as a new agile, flexible, and modern national flag airline, has always pursued the best rapidly evolving technologies available with an eye towards the future. This quest for technological evolution, which started with the transformation of the data center into the cloud, today takes yet another step with the transformation and migration of the entire network with the most advanced, secure, and technological solutions available. These will not only represent a saving in terms of costs, but also the capability of embracing and managing any technologies and opportunities that will arise in the coming years such as mobility, IoT, and Cloud computing.