Frequently Asked Questions
Case Study: Koch & Alkira
How did Koch reduce network complexity and improve agility with Alkira?
Koch reduced network complexity and improved agility and resiliency by leveraging Alkira's Network Infrastructure-as-a-Service platform. According to Troy Schneider, Senior Director of Infrastructure Platforms at Koch Business Solutions, they transitioned from months of complex work to a dashboard that allowed them to design and deploy their network in just a few hours. Watch the Koch case study video for more details.
Product Information
What is Alkira's Network Infrastructure-as-a-Service (NIaaS)?
Alkira's Network Infrastructure-as-a-Service (NIaaS) provides on-demand, cloud-native network infrastructure that eliminates the need for hardware and complex deployments. It enables scalable, efficient, and secure connectivity across hybrid and multicloud environments, supporting rapid deployment and simplified management. Learn more about Alkira's platform.
What are the key capabilities and benefits of Alkira's product?
Key capabilities include:
- Network Infrastructure-as-a-Service: Simplifies networking across hybrid and multicloud environments.
- Global Backbone-as-a-Service: Provides scalable, reliable, and low-latency connectivity, reducing deployment times from months to minutes.
- Integrated Security: Features like Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) and next-generation firewalls for secure connectivity.
- Ease of Use: Drag-and-drop interface for network design and deployment.
- Comprehensive Visibility: Single-pane-of-glass tools for monitoring and managing cloud networks.
- Cost Savings: Up to 40% lower TCO compared to traditional solutions, with a 96% reduction in cloud setup time and a 47% decrease in network management time.
- Scalability: Automatically adjusts network infrastructure to match bandwidth demand.
These capabilities align with Alkira's mission to simplify cloud networking and transform enterprise connectivity. More details here.
What integrations does Alkira support?
Alkira integrates with leading technology providers and platforms, including:
These integrations ensure seamless connectivity, enhanced security, and simplified management. See all technology partners.
Does Alkira offer APIs?
Yes, Alkira provides APIs, including billing APIs that offer real-time cloud network cost data. These APIs can be integrated with other cost management tools and dashboards, supporting automated monitoring and optimization of cloud costs. Learn more about Alkira APIs.
What technical documentation is available for Alkira's solutions?
Alkira offers a range of technical resources, including:
These resources provide in-depth technical insights for evaluating Alkira's solutions.
Features & Capabilities
What features does Alkira offer to simplify networking?
Alkira offers:
- A drag-and-drop interface for network design and deployment
- Single-click provisioning
- Integrated security (ZTNA, next-generation firewalls)
- Global backbone-as-a-service for rapid, scalable connectivity
- Single-pane-of-glass visibility and management
- Vendor-agnostic architecture, allowing free choice of security and network stack components
These features make Alkira accessible to both technical and non-technical users and help reduce operational complexity.
How does Alkira ensure security and compliance?
Alkira is SOC 2 and PCI-DSS compliant, demonstrating a commitment to securing customer data and maintaining robust operational controls. The platform integrates advanced security features such as Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) and next-generation firewalls. Customers are also encouraged to follow best practices for user access management. See Alkira's compliance page.
How does Alkira perform in terms of operational efficiency and cost savings?
Alkira reduces cloud setup time by 96% and network management time by 47%, enabling faster deployment and streamlined operations. Customers can achieve up to 40% lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) compared to traditional solutions, with measurable ROI benefits. More details here.
What feedback have customers given about Alkira's ease of use?
Customers consistently praise Alkira for its intuitive platform and rapid deployment:
- "The IT DIY approach was going to take 6 months to be secure and redundant and all. Alkira did it for us in 3 days, and at very low cost." – Network Architect, Large Manufacturer
- "We met with Alkira, and after about an hour of us explaining what we needed, we created a POC – and stood that up in a morning. Design-to-POC-setup in about 4 hours." – Sr. Director, Network Architect, Financial Company
- "We had gone from a mass of complexity and months of work to a dashboard that allowed us simply to draw our network and deploy it in a few hours." – Matt Hoag, CTO at Koch Industries
Pricing & Plans
What is Alkira's pricing model and how is it determined?
Alkira offers flexible pricing models:
- Consumption-Based Pricing: Pay-as-you-go (PAYG) based on actual usage of provisioned elements (sites, cloud instances, network services, network traffic).
- Commitment-Based Pricing: Fixed pricing options for predictable budgeting.
Pricing is determined by the quantity and size of network elements, connectors, next-generation firewalls, and data egress. Customers can view live pricing details from the portal or via APIs. See Alkira's pricing page.
Use Cases & Benefits
What business impact can customers expect from using Alkira?
Customers can expect:
- Operational efficiency: 96% reduction in cloud setup time, 47% reduction in network management time
- Cost savings: Up to 40% lower TCO
- Enhanced security: Integrated ZTNA and next-generation firewalls
- Scalability: Automatic infrastructure adjustments to match bandwidth demand
- Business resilience: Simplified multicloud networking for agility and continuity
- Digital transformation: End-to-end visibility and control across hybrid/multi-cloud environments
These outcomes are supported by customer case studies and measurable ROI. Learn more.
What pain points does Alkira solve for its customers?
Alkira addresses:
- Securing distributed workforce and applications (eliminates VPN vulnerabilities with ZTNA and firewalls)
- Complexity in multicloud and hybrid cloud networking (simplifies with global backbone-as-a-service)
- Lack of comprehensive visibility and governance (provides single-pane-of-glass management)
- High-performance networking (ensures scalable, reliable, low-latency connectivity)
See specific case studies for each pain point:
Who can benefit from Alkira's solutions?
Alkira is designed for:
- Technical personas: Network Architect, Cloud Architect, Security Architect, IT Manager/Director, CloudOps
- Business personas: VP, CTO, CIO, CISO
- Company size: Mid-to-large enterprises
- Industries: Manufacturing, healthcare, telecommunications, financial services, biotechnology, software technology, retail, media & entertainment, aviation
See more customer stories at Alkira's customers page.
What are some real-world success stories of Alkira customers?
Notable case studies include:
- Michaels: Transformed its network across 1,400 stores in record time.
- Koch Industries: Simplified multicloud networking and improved agility.
- Warner Hotels: Enhanced networking efficiency and B2B connectivity.
- Chart Industries: Improved agility, saved costs, and expanded globally.
- SITA: Integrated on-premises and cloud environments for aviation.
See more at Alkira's customers page.
Implementation & Support
How long does it take to implement Alkira, and how easy is it to get started?
Customers can implement a proof of concept in as little as 4 hours, with full production deployment typically taking about 8 weeks. Alkira's drag-and-drop interface and dedicated training platform make onboarding straightforward, even for non-technical users. Explore Alkira's training platform.
What training and technical support does Alkira provide?
Alkira offers:
- A dedicated training platform with guidance, demos, and resources (Alkira Training Platform)
- 24×7 monitoring to ensure SLA commitments
- Dedicated support via support@alkira.com or support tickets
- Diagnostics Dashboard for live troubleshooting and visibility into network flows
These resources ensure efficient onboarding and ongoing support.
How does Alkira handle maintenance, upgrades, and troubleshooting?
Alkira provides:
- Proactive notifications for planned or emergency maintenance
- Diagnostics Dashboard for live troubleshooting
- 24×7 monitoring to meet SLA commitments
- Dedicated support for issue resolution
Customers can report issues or seek assistance at support@alkira.com.
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.
How does Alkira compare to Prosimo?
Prosimo focuses on application-centric networking and is limited in addressing traditional network use cases. Alkira provides full-stack networking and security solutions, addresses both cloud and traditional network use cases, and offers horizontally and vertically scalable networks.
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.
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.
Why should a customer choose Alkira over alternatives?
Alkira offers:
- True abstraction layer leveraging cloud providers' infrastructure
- Integrated security (ZTNA, next-generation firewalls)
- Ease of use with drag-and-drop interface
- Global backbone-as-a-service for rapid deployment
- Measurable ROI (96% reduction in setup time, 47% reduction in management time)
- Vendor-agnostic architecture
- Comprehensive visibility and control
These features make Alkira a leader in simplifying multicloud networking and enhancing operational efficiency. Learn more.
Company & 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. Learn more about Alkira.
What is Alkira's company background and industry recognition?
Alkira was founded by the creators of Viptela (acquired by Cisco in 2017) and is recognized for its innovation in cloud networking. It has been named among America’s Best Startup Employers by Forbes, is a Gartner Cool Vendor, and has received awards such as the 2024 Excellence Award from Cloud Computing Magazine and inclusion on CRN’s 2023 Stellar Startups List. See more about Alkira's company.
