With an eye on scaling its “Internet of Things” service offerings, Canadian provider Telus partnered with Affirmed Networks to deploy a cloud-based platform optimized for IoT workloads.
Specifically, Affirmed Networks will provide Telus with its Mobile Content Cloud solution, which works with 2G, 3G and LTE packet cores and includes policy and charging control, content and video optimization, Wi-Fi connectivity, service chaining, deep packet inspection, heuristics and real-time analytics.
Telus CTO Ibrahim Gedeon said the partnership would help Telus drive revenue from the red-hot IoT market.
“IoT represents a tremendous opportunity for Canadian businesses and Telus is committed to providing our customers with innovative solutions that enhance their productivity and profitability,” Gedeon said. “After extensive testing we selected Affirmed Networks to help us ensure we provide an exceptional network experience for our customers’ IoT solutions.”
“Telus’ IoT offerings represent a powerful set of services that provide business customers with a wide range of productivity and efficiency gains,” said Hassan Ahmed, chairman and CEO of Affirmed Networks. “Innovative operators like Telus are leading a market disruption in new services, such as IoT, that provide exciting new areas for growth and profitability. NFV solutions like Affirmed’s MCC provide the necessary shift in network economics and service agility to make this disruption a reality.”
Affirmed Networks claims 28 customers around the world. One of those customers, announced back in May, is South Korea telecom operator LG U+, which is working with Affirmed Networks to deploy network functions virtualization technology on its network with a NFV-based virtual evolved packet core solution.
The carrier, which competes against market heavyweight SK Telecom, said the move would allow it to deploy new networks and services across its wired and wireless operations, meet growing data demand tied to customers adopting services linked to the IoT and help boost network operations as it moves toward 5G technologies.
RCR Wireless News caught up with Ahmed, Affirmed Networks CEO, during the CTIA Super Mobility show in Las Vegas to discuss the transformative power of NFV. Take a look: