Activeport secures network orchestration contract with Ishan Technologies in India

How does Activeport’s contract with Ishan Technologies strengthen its global position in network orchestration?

Activeport Group Ltd (ASX: ATV) has secured a major contract with Indian telecommunications player Ishan Netsol Pvt Ltd (Ishan Technologies) to deploy its software-defined networking (SDN) and orchestration solutions. The AUD $375,000 base-value license agreement will support Ishan Technologies in automating its operations across more than 12,000 edge devices and over 100 locations in India. With added monthly device-based license fees and a 60-month term, the contract provides a recurring revenue stream for Activeport, while also validating its technology in one of the world’s most dynamic ICT markets.

The agreement marks the first full-scale deployment of Activeport’s new Network Operations Centre (NOC) module, alongside its core orchestration platforms—Network Fabric, IP Transit, and Cloud Router. The deployment will cover a fibre-to-the-node (FTTN) rollout across 40+ data centres and 12,000 buildings, a significant milestone for the Australian software developer as it attempts to position itself as a global leader in last-mile automation.

Why is the Ishan Technologies deal pivotal for Activeport’s market penetration in India’s ICT sector?

India’s ICT market, projected to exceed USD $250 billion by 2026, offers fertile ground for network automation solutions, especially amid the explosive growth of enterprise cloud services, data centre capacity, and digital infrastructure. Ishan Technologies, operating across 100+ locations and serving over 85,000 customers, brings Activeport direct access to this massive ecosystem. Analysts see this partnership as a strategic foothold for Activeport to demonstrate scalability, reliability, and integration readiness in a highly competitive environment.

Ishan’s infrastructure connects more than 10,000 businesses and 75,000 retail users through 40+ data centres. The need to manage, optimise, and upgrade such a network at scale makes SDN orchestration critical. Activeport’s NOC module—featuring inventory management, assurance, and alarm correlation—will replace manual processes and deliver real-time operational oversight, a capability that Indian ISPs are increasingly prioritising to meet stringent SLAs and customer demands.

The inclusion of a custom-built self-service portal will also enable Ishan Technologies’ clients to independently manage network upgrades and service modifications, reducing operational burden while improving satisfaction—a key differentiator in the ISP space.

What key technologies is Activeport deploying, and how do they enable automation and service reliability?

Activeport’s orchestration suite includes four core components: Network Fabric, IP Transit, Cloud Router, and the NOC module. Together, they automate ethernet, internet, and cloud connectivity provisioning. These tools are essential for managing large-scale, distributed environments like Ishan’s, which operates across diverse geographies and customer types—from retail clients to government enterprises.

The NOC module is particularly notable, introducing alarm correlation and service assurance that empower Ishan Technologies to detect anomalies, predict service degradation, and initiate automated remediations. Combined with inventory tracking, the module ensures no blind spots in service delivery or infrastructure changes.

Importantly, Activeport’s architecture supports seamless integration with operational support systems (OSS) and business support systems (BSS), enabling Ishan to synchronize its sales, billing, support, and reporting functions through industry-standard APIs. This end-to-end visibility is a critical enabler for Indian telecom players aiming to offer bundled services and interact effectively with other ISPs and service vendors.

How have institutional investors and analysts reacted to the Activeport–Ishan Technologies announcement?

Though financial details remain modest in size—AUD $375,000 upfront with scalable upside—the strategic value of the partnership has not gone unnoticed. Institutional investors have responded positively, interpreting the deal as a clear validation of Activeport’s network automation software in an emerging market environment. Analysts view it as a breakthrough that could set a precedent for further collaborations with regional telcos and managed service providers across Asia.

The contract is also expected to generate high-margin recurring revenue with minimal additional overheads. This point was emphasised by Activeport, which noted that no material increases in delivery costs were anticipated. This margin expansion, combined with a five-year term and device-linked fee structure, adds predictability to Activeport’s topline, which has historically leaned toward project-based revenues.

The shift toward subscription-like licensing mirrors a broader industry pivot, and analysts believe this could enhance Activeport’s valuation multiples over time, especially if more such deals are secured across Southeast Asia, Africa, or the Middle East.

What does this deal indicate about Activeport’s competitive positioning in global SDN markets?

Activeport’s deployment with Ishan Technologies underscores its evolution from a niche software vendor to a scalable orchestrator of large telecom environments. The ability to manage 12,000 edge devices across a nationwide network in a price-sensitive market like India signals technical maturity and cost-efficiency.

Moreover, this project represents Activeport’s first at-scale implementation of fibre-to-the-node orchestration, solving last-mile connectivity challenges that are often deal-breakers for international SDN vendors. By overcoming such hurdles, Activeport is establishing credibility in the hardest part of the value chain—the edge.

This aligns with broader market demand for end-to-end orchestration that spans the core, access, and edge layers of telecom infrastructure. Few orchestration vendors can deliver across all three domains without heavy systems integration requirements. Activeport’s unified platform appears to sidestep that bottleneck, potentially making it attractive to both telcos and hyperscalers.

As Indian ISPs increasingly aim to offer bundled cloud, storage, and connectivity packages to enterprise customers, Activeport’s Cloud Router and Network Fabric modules also serve as key building blocks for telco-as-a-service models.

What does the future outlook for Activeport look like after this Indian market breakthrough?

Institutional investors are cautiously optimistic that the Ishan Technologies contract could catalyse broader adoption of Activeport’s orchestration suite across India and neighbouring countries. With the Indian government pushing aggressive digital transformation policies and fibre rollouts in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, the demand for scalable network automation solutions is only expected to rise.

If Activeport can leverage this implementation as a case study, it may open doors to similar engagements with national ISPs, cloud service providers, or government-backed broadband schemes like BharatNet. Given the modular nature of Activeport’s offerings and its ease of integration, analysts expect expansion opportunities in Southeast Asia and potentially Africa.

The strategic roadmap appears to align with a “land and expand” strategy—enter a market with a flagship client and grow wallet share through upselling and cross-selling. The Ishan Technologies partnership, with its layered license fee structure, supports this hypothesis.

As global telecom providers continue seeking automation, agility, and customer self-service capabilities, Activeport’s product-market fit looks increasingly validated. Investors will likely monitor execution quality, renewal terms, and geographic expansion over the next few quarters.