Software is expected to be big news at this year’s Mobile World Congress event as the wireless industry looks to glean greater efficiency from mobile networks. Leading up to the event, a number of announcements were made in regards to software enhancements, including network functions virtualization and software-defined network solutions
–Alcatel-Lucent announced plans to produce a range of virtualized mobile network function applications, including an evolved packet core, IP multimedia subsystem and radio access network, with plans to extend those services to a cloud architecture.
The network equipment firm said its “carrier-grade” NFV portfolio taps into its networking and cloud capabilities, and that it was already working with 20 service providers to leverage NFV. Alcatel-Lucent noted that at MWC it would be working with China Mobile to demonstrate voice and video delivered over a “virtualized proof of concept LTE RAN baseband unit and virtualized evolved packet core on boarded to the cloud” using Alcatel-Lucent’s by CloudBand 2.0 NFV platform. The NFV platform taps into the OpenStack initiative to support management, orchestration, infrastructure and networking elements and integrates a virtual service platform from its Nuage Networks software-defined network venture.
Alcatel-Lucent claims it’s conducting five customer trials using its VEPC and that its VIMS solution is being deployed within customer networks and is being used in eight customer trials.
–Juniper Networks expanded its software-defined networking portfolio, citing enhanced customization capabilities designed to allow operators to better target customer demands. The expansion includes its Junos Fusion software, NorthStar Controller, Junos Video Focus, Junos Subscriber Aware, Junos Application Aware and Junos Policy Control products.
The Junos Fusion software is designed to bolster automation process by allowing a single management plane to control thousands of independent network elements. Juniper explained that the offering can allow operators to trim costs and reduce by complexity by bringing control to a single point. The offering is also interoperable with “third-party solutions and is extensible to SDN control.” The Junos Fusion software is set to launch during the second quarter.
The NorthStar Controller is a traffic-engineering controller designed to optimize transport networks. Juniper claims the software can identify and program the optimal path within a multi-vendor network based on pre-defined performance and cost parameters. The NorthStar Controller taps into Juniper’s recent acquisition of WANDL technology and is set to be launched during the second half of this year.
Finally, Juniper said its Junos Video Focus, Junos Subscriber Aware, Junos Application Aware and Junos Policy Control products will be available mid-2014 for its MX Series routers, allowing carriers to use the routers in the Gi-LAN as a service control gateway to customize the user experience.
Juniper explained that in connection with its Networks Contraol platform, “service providers can leverage that intelligence to immediately implement network functions virtualization and quickly provision new services, such as security firewalls like Firefly Perimeter and DDoS Secure, as well as adapt to changing business needs.”
–Semiconductor solutions provider Broadcom unveiled its Open Network Functions Virtualization platform that it claims is designed to facilitate NFV adoption by “allowing implementation of applications across multiple system-on-a-chip processor solutions based on diverse instruction set architectures.”
Broadcom noted that a proof of concept demonstration of a live “VF state migration between multiple ISAs has been approved by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute NFV Industry Specification Group.”
Connected with the move, Broadcom said it was working with ARM to enable equipment makers to embed NFV compatibility using open standards to reduce development time.
“NFV platforms such as Broadcom’s are a key building block in enabling network operators to deploy flexible high-performance, energy-efficient network architectures based on a consistent software platform,” explained Charlene Marini, VP of marketing at ARM’s Embedded Segment, in a statement.
–RAD Data Communications announced plans to conduct a demonstration of distributed NFV at MWC that will cover two applications deployed as virtual network functions. Those applications will include a firewall application and enhanced traffic reporting diagnostics with optional service chaining.
RAD explained that its solution is able to handle the process by integrating a Layer2/Layer3 FPGA-based NID and computing infrastructure with a standard x86 server.
“The common perception of NFV is that it has to be implemented in data centers, but in reality that approach isn’t ideal in every situation, in particular when targeting services for business customers,” said Ulik Broida, RAD’s VP of marketing, in a statement. “In fact, some functions and capabilities, even if virtualized and implemented as software, are better located at the customer premises due to various considerations, such as performance, cost and data confidentiality.”
RAD and Nakina Systems last month reported product interoperability for a “major” North American cable operator that the companies claim is one of the first real-world examples of network functions virtualization, with software being using to control hardware deployment.
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