Aryaka Networks has further distinguished itself as an as-a-service provider in a market full of boxes by announcing an on-demand capacity service to help address unpredictable enterprise WAN traffic developments.

The WAN optimization vendor's Network OnDemand pay-per-use service provides an additional option beyond its typical WAN optimization-as-a-service subscription-based solution in the eventuality of rare traffic spikes or special needs, such as once-in-a-quarter, massive file transfers, Sonal Puri, vice president of marketing and sales at Aryaka , told us. (See Aryaka Announces Network OnDemand.)

"Some customers have very predictable traffic trends one their enterprise WANs, but others may temporarily need extra capacity just a few times a year," she said. "They shouldn't have to invest in MPLS or an appliance just to handle those rare situations."

About one-third of Aryaka's business comes from customers wanting something less expensive and more flexible than an MPLS solution, Puri said.

Why this matters
Aryaka already is setting itself apart in a crowded market by taking a software-as-a-service approach to enterprise WAN needs that are otherwise addressed by carrier MPLS offerings or hardware appliances from other vendors. This new solution further emphasizes the flexibility of WAN optimization-as-a-service, while MPLS and enterprise WAN appliances have much more rigid capacity structures and limits.

Can an offering focused on incidental bandwidth needs move the market? Perhaps not by itself, but carriers and other vendors catering to enterprise WAN needs may be forced by the up-and-comer Aryaka (which sounds more like an exotic Amazonian bird than a technology company) to explain or reiterate to their own customers how they can address unplanned and rare bandwidth spikes.

— Dan O'Shea, Managing Editor, Light Reading

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