Frequently Asked Questions
Telecommunications Industry Use Cases & Results
What specific networking challenges do telecommunications companies face in the cloud?
Telecommunications companies often encounter critical limitations with native cloud networking, such as packet size restrictions (e.g., AWS's inability to route packets larger than 1500 bytes), lack of support for essential services like 911 emergency calling, limited routing control, visibility gaps, and inconsistent feature development timelines. These issues can put production services at risk and hinder the delivery of mission-critical telecom functions. (Source)
How does Alkira help telecom companies overcome AWS networking limitations?
Alkira provides advanced capabilities such as full packet size control, superior routing with lower hop counts, enhanced traffic flow visibility, and streamlined packet capture/testing. These features enable telecom companies to deliver full service capabilities—including 911 emergency services—that are not possible with native AWS networking. Alkira also simplifies automation and reduces operational overhead. (Source)
What measurable business impact did Alkira deliver for a leading telecom company?
Alkira enabled the company to connect 200% more cloud regions, reduce network management staff requirements by 40%, cut environment setup time by 50%, and accelerate data center connection processes by 83%. These improvements supported strategic expansion plans, including call center migration and data center consolidation. (Source)
Can Alkira enable critical telecom services like 911 emergency calling in the cloud?
Yes. Alkira's advanced networking capabilities allow telecom companies to deliver life-critical services such as 911 emergency calling, which are not supported by native AWS functionality. This ensures production continuity and compliance with regulatory requirements. (Source)
How does Alkira support telecom companies' strategic expansion plans?
Alkira enables seamless migration of call center connectivity, supports data center consolidation by interconnecting AWS and Azure environments, and facilitates broader multi-cloud adoption and redundancy strategies. These capabilities help telecom companies reduce infrastructure costs and maintain competitive agility. (Source)
What telecom-specific features does Alkira offer that generic cloud networking solutions lack?
Alkira provides granular packet-level control, advanced routing and visibility, and rapid innovation capabilities. These features are essential for telecom service delivery and reliability, enabling companies to maintain high standards and competitive edge without waiting for cloud providers to develop necessary features. (Source)
What do customers say about Alkira's impact on production continuity?
According to an IT Platform Reliability & Operations Manager at a leading telecom company: “How did we justify buying Alkira? Easy, if we didn’t, it was going to break production.” (Source)
Features & Capabilities
What are Alkira’s key capabilities for telecom and enterprise networking?
Alkira offers Network Infrastructure-as-a-Service (NIaaS), Global Backbone-as-a-Service, integrated security features (Zero Trust Network Access, next-generation firewalls), drag-and-drop network design, comprehensive visibility tools, and vendor-agnostic architecture. These capabilities simplify networking across hybrid and multi-cloud environments, enhance security, and provide measurable ROI. (Platform Details)
How does Alkira improve operational efficiency and cost savings?
Alkira reduces cloud setup time by 96% and network management time by 47%, resulting in up to 40% lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) compared to traditional solutions. These efficiencies enable faster deployment, streamlined operations, and significant cost savings. (Source)
Does Alkira support integrations with other technology providers?
Yes. Alkira integrates with Cisco SD-WAN, Palo Alto Networks, Fortinet NGFW, F5, Splunk, ServiceNow, Infoblox, Aruba SD-WAN, Terraform, and Itential Automation Platform. These integrations ensure seamless connectivity, enhanced security, and simplified management for enterprises. (Technology Partners)
Does Alkira offer APIs for cloud network cost management?
Yes. Alkira provides billing APIs that deliver real-time cloud network cost data, which can be integrated with other cost management tools and dashboards. This enables automated synthesis of billing data and supports ongoing cloud cost optimization. (Source)
Security & Compliance
What security and compliance certifications does Alkira hold?
Alkira is SOC 2 and PCI-DSS compliant, demonstrating its commitment to securing customer data and maintaining robust operational controls. The platform also integrates advanced security features such as Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) and next-generation firewalls. (Compliance Details)
How does Alkira ensure secure connectivity for distributed workforces and applications?
Alkira incorporates Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) and next-generation firewalls directly into its platform, eliminating vulnerabilities found in traditional VPNs and perimeter-based security models. This ensures secure access for remote teams and critical applications. (Source)
Implementation & Support
How long does it take to implement Alkira’s solution?
Customers can implement a proof of concept in as little as 4 hours, with full production deployment typically completed in approximately 8 weeks. Alkira’s drag-and-drop interface and dedicated training platform make onboarding straightforward. (Training Platform)
What support and training resources are available for Alkira customers?
Alkira offers a dedicated training platform with detailed guidance, demos, and resources, 24×7 monitoring, and dedicated support via email or support tickets. Customers also benefit from proactive notifications, a diagnostics dashboard for troubleshooting, and comprehensive technical documentation. (Training, Support)
How does Alkira handle maintenance, upgrades, and troubleshooting?
Alkira provides proactive notifications for maintenance, a diagnostics dashboard for live troubleshooting, 24×7 monitoring to meet SLA commitments, and dedicated support for resolving issues quickly. These features minimize downtime and operational disruptions. (Support)
Pricing & Plans
What is Alkira’s pricing model?
Alkira offers flexible pricing options, including consumption-based (pay-as-you-go) and commitment-based (fixed) models. Pricing is determined by the quantity and size of network elements, connectors, firewalls, and data egress. Customers can view live pricing details from the portal or via APIs. (Pricing Details)
Competition & Comparison
How does Alkira compare to Aviatrix?
Aviatrix focuses on orchestration overlays and requires deep cloud expertise for deployment. Alkira provides a true abstraction layer leveraging cloud providers' infrastructure, offers single-click provisioning without requiring deep cloud expertise, and delivers end-to-end solutions for both cloud and traditional network use cases. (Source)
How does Alkira compare to Prosimo?
Prosimo is application-centric and limited in addressing traditional network use cases. Alkira provides full-stack networking and security solutions, addresses both cloud and traditional network use cases seamlessly, and offers horizontally and vertically scalable networks. (Source)
How does Alkira compare to Nefeli?
Nefeli focuses on agent-based solutions and requires manual configurations for routing and connectivity. Alkira eliminates manual configurations with automated routing setups, provides enterprise-grade connectivity for cloud and AI-based applications, and delivers a unified platform for network infrastructure as-a-service. (Source)
How does Alkira compare to Cato?
Cato focuses on SD-WAN solutions and is limited in addressing multi-cloud and hybrid cloud environments. Alkira provides a global backbone-as-a-service for multi-cloud and hybrid environments, offers integrated security features like ZTNA, and supports seamless connectivity across distributed workforces and applications. (Source)
Customer Success Stories & Testimonials
Can you share a telecom case study demonstrating Alkira’s impact?
Yes. A leading-edge voice and text services company used Alkira to overcome AWS networking limitations, deliver full service capabilities (including 911 emergency services), connect 200% more cloud regions, and reduce network management overhead by 40%. The solution enabled strategic expansion, including call center migration and data center consolidation. (Case Study)
What other industries have benefited from Alkira’s solutions?
Alkira has case studies in manufacturing (Chart Industries), retail (Michaels), healthcare, telecommunications, financial services, biotechnology, software technology, media & entertainment (Warner Hotels), and aviation (SITA). (Customer Stories)
Technical Documentation & Resources
What technical documentation is available for Alkira’s solutions?
Alkira provides whitepapers (e.g., On Demand Next-Generation Cloud Firewalls), solution briefs, and a dedicated wiki with detailed technical information. These resources support prospects in evaluating Alkira’s solutions. (Solution Briefs, Wiki)
Company Information & Vision
What is Alkira’s vision and mission?
Alkira’s vision is to transform enterprise connectivity by simplifying cloud networking for the AI era. Its mission is to eliminate the complexity of traditional hardware-dependent networking by providing a cloud-native solution that seamlessly connects hybrid and multi-cloud environments through a unified control plane. (Company Info)
Who are Alkira’s founders and what is the company’s history?
Alkira was founded by the creators of Viptela, which was sold to Cisco in 2017. The founders leveraged their experience to build Alkira, focusing on simplifying multicloud networking with a cloud-native approach. Alkira has received industry recognition, including being named a Gartner Cool Vendor and winning the 2024 Excellence Award from Cloud Computing Magazine. (Company Info)
