Lumen builds first-of-its-kind digital marketplace

Embracing next generation technologies

Lumen is a global technology company helping organizations unlock their full potential by digitally connecting people, data, and applications―quickly, securely, and effortlessly.

Headquartered in Monroe, Louisiana, in the United States, its 29,000 people serve customers in diverse industries in more than 60 countries, integrating network assets, cloud connectivity, security solutions, and voice and collaboration tools into one platform.

Everything Lumen does takes advantage of its network strength which supports Lumen’s fast and secure platform for applications and data. This helps businesses, governments, and communities around the world deliver amazing experiences for customers and digital service users.

Strategic partnership based on trust and confidence

Today’s Lumen is the product of many mergers and acquisitions, creating a powerhouse business generating annual revenues of more than $17 billion. Many of the acquired companies that make up Lumen have been long-standing users of ServiceNow solutions, across IT, customer, employee, and creator workflows. 

ServiceNow’s contribution to Lumen’s ongoing business transformation has expanded in recent years, embracing IT Service Management, HR Service Delivery, Strategic Portfolio Management, Customer Service Management, and App Engine. Lumen identifies simplification, transparency, productivity gains, and reduced costs as key outcomes of the partnership.

When the company saw opportunities to boost sales through the launch of new revenue streams, the trust and confidence created by a decade-long working relationship resulted in Lumen selecting ServiceNow as its strategic technology partner for the next phase of its development.

The first product of this new arrangement is the launch of Lumen’s first Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) solution, with a first-of-its-kind, all-digital marketplace for the selection, purchase, configuration, and management of enterprise SASE components, built on the Now Platform.

Addressing seismic shifts in working patterns

Lumen SASE Solutions addresses the seismic shifts in ways of working, accelerated by the impacts of COVID-19. Today’s remote and distributed workforces require businesses to make applications, data, and other privileged network resources constantly available securely and in a decentralized fashion. Although today’s new ways of working offer greater flexibility, new operating efficiencies, lower costs, and a host of other benefits, they come at a cost.

Many legacy IT environments and systems cannot support the remote access and security demands of next-generation applications and technologies. The result is lagging application performance, network latency, weak data security controls, and the constant risk from sophisticated cyber threats.

Lumen’s online, self-service SASE Marketplace offers a comprehensive package of networking and cyber security products and services that address these issues, and which can be reviewed, selected, and purchased in just a few clicks (and delivered and activated in minutes). Providing the high-quality user experience for visitors to the Lumen Marketplace is ServiceNow Order Management for Telecommunications.

Dynamic orchestration and complete transparency

The automated and integrated catalog-driven workflows of Order Management for Telecommunications provide dynamic orchestration and complete transparency throughout the end-to-end order and fulfillment lifecycle, regardless of the scale, volume, and complexity of the customer’s requirements. They allowed Lumen to deploy quickly and readily adapt to the rapidly changing software-defined network, secure edge, and zero trust domains.

In addition to a streamlined user experience, ServiceNow’s order management solution provides the simplicity, efficiency, and accuracy that Lumen’s customers are seeking which saves time, cuts costs, and minimizes fallout.

“Launching our SASE Marketplace was a significant milestone for us,” explains Gary Sidhu, VP Platform Applications, SASE, Lumen. “Our long partnership with ServiceNow, together with its proven technologies and solutions, provided confidence that its Order Management for Telecommunications solution would be ideal for us to meet our goals.

“And given the importance of the Marketplace in opening up new income streams, ServiceNow’s support and speed of response was very important in keeping us on track. We took just three months from concept to launch, which was incredibly fast, so having ServiceNow with us throughout the journey was very comforting.”

A solution for all needs and preferences

IT decision makers from enterprises around the world visit the Lumen Marketplace, select from multiple products, services, and vendors, and choose a solution based on their unique needs and preferences. A rich knowledgebase guides them through the process so they can purchase the right network and security capabilities for their organization.

Next, customers have the option to manage their own SASE solution, or appoint Lumen to fully manage the deployment, implementation, and ongoing management of their customized SASE product.

Using the Lumen SASE Manager within the ServiceNow control center portal, customers can configure their solution by location and user, add new sites, users, and services, receive alerts, and manage tickets. Sales consultants are available to assist via chat or phone to provide a more traditional, consultative sales experience if desired.

“The combination of Lumen SASE Solutions on the Marketplace and the Lumen SASE Manager is a game-changer for enterprises looking for a simplified solution to upgrade their network and cybersecurity posture,” says Darren Wolner, Senior Director of SASE Product Management for Lumen.

“Lumen SASE solutions provide customers with a product that is customized to their needs and enables them to securely connect to applications on any device, at any time, from virtually any location.”

Blueprint for fast launch of revenue streams

Lumen’s extensive network infrastructure, cybersecurity knowledge, and class-leading partner software―all available in the Marketplace and accessed using the ServiceNow automated order management platform―makes it easy for IT and security leaders to choose the best solution for their specific needs.

“We’re very proud of our SASE Marketplace,” says Gary. “We’re simplifying and centrally managing our customers’ networking and security provisions, empowering their people wherever they are around the world while protecting their data.

“The Marketplace allows us to constantly add new self-service features for customers, such as the ability to rapidly change and add new components and licences, as well as additional vendors, extending customer choice.”

In the first six months alone, SASE has driven $3 million in new revenue for Lumen. “With ServiceNow’s support, we’ve created a platform blueprint that we can rapidly replicate and scale to bring a wide range of new revenue streams to market,” says Gary. “For Lumen, this is a much-needed development and at the core of our planning for the future.”