Keep expanding with Azure ExpressRoute

Whether your business needs to move high volumes of data quickly or uses resource-intensive applications in Azure, ExpressRoute is the solution for you. By avoiding the public internet, ExpressRoute provides a private, secure connection backed by Microsoft SLA.

Large organisations in Africa use ExpressRoute connections for the security and cost management benefits inherent in separating business-critical data and application traffic from business-as-usual internet traffic.

Liquid Managed ExpressRoute - A managed service for Azure users

Liquid Intelligent Technology (LIT) is the leading communication and digital services solution provider across the African continent. We have built Africa’s largest independent fibre network, spanning more than 73,000km, enabling customers to seamlessly connect to Microsoft cloud services. LIT has established ExpressRoute ports at over 25 access Points of Presence across Africa.

How does Liquid Managed ExpressRoute work?

LIT offers managed ExpressRoute at SA North and West region. The managed service extends the connectivity SLA from Microsoft cloud to the point where LIT hands off the service.

Customers can connect their on-premise network and Microsoft cloud in 3 ways:

• Co-located customers: LIT provides ExpressRoute ports locally via cross-connections.
• Point-to-point Ethernet connections: Connect on-premises data centres to ExpressRoute ports locally via point-to-point Ethernet links.
• Any-to-any (IPVPN) connections: Connect via a full mesh IPVPN. LIT will do the BGP Management between Microsoft Enterprise Edge (MSEE) routers and LIT cloud services routers.

Benefits:

• Connectivity across our fibre network.
• 24/7/365 priority support from our certified team of engineers.
• Active monitoring of your ExpressRoute uptime and utilisation.
• Free monthly reporting on utilisation and traffic types.
• Recommendations on traffic enhancements or configuration optimisations.

Process followed to plan, deliver and manage the solution:

• A needs analysis to capture requirements.
• Feasibility study conducted, and commercial proposal published to the customer on Azure.
• Install feasible last mile at customer premise.
• Configure WAN, VNets, Private Peering and Public/Microsoft Peering (BGP, VLAN, ASN) if applicable.
• Test connectivity from the customer site to VNet and PaaS/SaaS Services if applicable.

Azure tools used:

• Azure Lighthouse.
• Azure Security Center.