CenturyLink Launches Integrated Big Data as a Service Solution to Help Companies Rapidly Deploy and Drive Value from their Big Data Strategies

CenturyLink BDaaS combines Cloudera Enterprise platform on CenturyLink Cloud Bare Metal servers with managed services and advanced analytics consulting services

MONROE, La., Jan. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- CenturyLink, Inc. (NYSE: CTL) today launched CenturyLink Big Data as a Service (BDaaS) with Managed Cloudera, a new managed service offering that combines CenturyLink's expertise in data and advanced analytics, network, cloud and application services with the highly secure Apache Hadoop-based data management and analytics platform from Cloudera. This managed service delivers data integration and analytics consulting to help customers deliver use cases for increasing sales, streamlining operations, improving customer engagement and gaining competitive advantage.

Many organizations lack the in-house resources, expertise and strategy needed to successfully leverage their big data, especially as the Internet of Things (IoT) places more demands on their IT infrastructure. CenturyLink BDaaS, led by specialized consulting from the company's team of big data experts, delivers a comprehensive managed service backed by infrastructure that can handle data-intensive workloads, including surges. This enables rapid analysis of large and complex data sets.

"Forward-thinking organizations around the world are quickly becoming more agile and responsive to their customers' needs across all channels," said Gary Gauba, chief enterprise relationship officer and president, Advanced Solutions Group, CenturyLink. "These enterprises are seeing significant competitive advantages by better leveraging their data, and our new managed service helps them achieve their big data objectives."

"Cloudera and CenturyLink's innovations with big data analytics can drive true business transformation at a time when many companies are finding it hard to harness the power of increasing volumes of data," said Tom Reilly, chief executive officer, Cloudera. "Companies that break down their information silos are finding themselves better positioned to capture new market share and deliver superior customer service."

CenturyLink BDaaS is enhanced by adding data and advanced analytics consulting services supported by a deep bench of Cloudera-certified data scientists and Cloudera Hadoop solution administrators, developers and architects. The solution, bolstered by CenturyLink's global high-speed network connectivity, provides storage, processing, and management components deployed on CenturyLink Cloud Bare Metal servers. The bare metal private cloud environments, which allow customers to achieve faster time-to-market, improved data protection and rapid public cloud scalability at a lower cost, have been certified by Cloudera as an architecture that meets its rigorous criteria for ensuring optimal performance and efficiency.

CenturyLink's BDaaS includes:

• A comprehensive quick start program – To help align with customers' objectives and create customized solutions, CenturyLink offers specialized workshops that can span anywhere from one day to two weeks, based on customer objectives. These guided sessions are designed to determine use cases and conduct needs assessments.
• Real-time deployment support – Organizations can quickly deploy projects in a proof of concept, then scale into production. CenturyLink engineers offer assistance building data platforms for identified use cases including areas such as data ingest, storage, and access methodologies.

"With numerous vendors offering components for big data solutions today, a key to achieving success for customers is services and support," said James Curtis, senior analyst, data platform & analytics at 451 Research. "Providers that offer data and analytics consulting, deployment support and customized infrastructure and application solutions, should be able to deliver enhanced strategic value for customers."

As a preferred Cloudera partner, this new BDaaS solution on Cloudera Enterprise furthers CenturyLink's commitment to its recently expanded strategic alliance with Cloudera.

About CenturyLink
CenturyLink (NYSE: CTL) is a global communications, hosting, cloud and IT services company enabling millions of customers to transform their businesses and their lives through innovative technology solutions. CenturyLink offers network and data systems management, Big Data analytics and IT consulting, and operates more than 55 data centers in North America, Europe and Asia. The company provides broadband, voice, video, data and managed services over a robust 250,000-route-mile U.S. fiber network and a 300,000-route-mile international transport network. Visit CenturyLink for more information.

SOURCE CenturyLink, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.centurylink.com