Startup Graphiant Inc. today launched from stealth mode with a networking platform that it says can ease the management of corporate networks and lower their cost in the process.

San Jose, California-based Graphiant is led by founder and Chief Executive Officer Khalid Raza. Raza previously founded Viptela Inc., a networking technology provider that was acquired by Cisco Systems Inc. in 2017 for $610 million.

Organizations historically had to build custom network infrastructure to connect their offices, cloud environments and data centers with one another. Graphiant says its Graphiant Network Edge platform removes the need to build custom networks. Companies can simply link their systems to the startup’s platform and have it manage data traffic. 

“Network architects have to provide connectivity for an impossibly complex world,” Raza said. “Connecting business resources, hybrid cloud, edge networks and remote workers, is time-consuming, error-prone and full of security challenges. We’ve delivered a solution that removes this complexity.”

Connecting a system to the Network Edge takes as little as a few minutes, the company says. Data traffic is encrypted before it’s sent to the Network Edge and only decrypted after arriving at its destination. For companies that process sensitive records, Graphiant provides the option to block data traffic from leaving the jurisdiction where it was generated.

Administrators can manage their Network Edge deployments through a cloud-based console. Meanwhile, the task of connecting systems to the Network Edge is performed by a component known as the Graphiant Edge. According to the company, the component combines the features of a router with firewall capabilities.

Graphiant says removing the need for companies to manually connect their technology assets with one provides several benefits. 

Because systems can be connected to the Network Edge in a few minutes, the startup says that its platform takes 50% less time to deploy than competing solutions. Speeding up the deployment process enables companies to complete certain types of technology projects faster. Tasks such as connecting a branch office to a cloud environment, for example, require less time.

According to Graphiant, its technology is also more cost-efficient than the competition. The company says the Network Edge can provide a 67% lower cost of ownership than rival technologies. Moreover, Graphiant promises to increase the amount of bandwidth available to applications.

In addition to increasing the efficiency of a company’s network infrastructure, Graphiant’s platform can help connect that infrastructure to other organizations’ networks. 

Companies connect their networks with one another to ease tasks such as sharing business data. To prevent unauthorized data traffic from traveling between two companies’ networks, administrators historically had to deploy additional cybersecurity components. Graphiant says its platform removes the number of additional components necessary for the task and thereby eases administrators’ work.   

Graphiant is positioning its platform as an alternative to SD-WAN and MPLS, two of the most popular approaches to building corporate networks. SD-WAN technology sends data traffic over the public internet, wireless connections or a company’s dedicated network links depending on which type of infrastructure is most suitable for a given application. MPLS platforms use only dedicated network links to send data. 

Image: Graphiant