Nokia Networks and Hewlett-Packard this week announced a partnership to provide a telecommunications-focused cloud with network function virtualization designed to help mobile operators become more competitive in the market.
The new initiative is based on a combination of Nokia Network’s virtualized network functions, which allow developers to model software scenarios without actual deployment, and HP’s Helion OpenStack, an open-source cloud environment.
Igor Leprince, EVP of global services for Nokia Networks, said the partnership will allow the companies to “deliver the expertise and technological leadership that mobile operators need to gain the full benefits of a complete telco and IT cloud solution – and all under one contract for simplicity.”
“Services are fundamental to enable the transformation that the cloud promises to operators for telco and IT applications,” he said.
The HP-Nokia Networks partnership is slated to deliver the telco cloud product to carriers in mid-2015.
Saar Gillai, SVP and COO of HP Cloud and GM of NFV, said the coming telco cloud will provide mobile operators with technology, driving enterprise success.
“HP Helion OpenStack with carrier-grade technologies provides them with a clear path to get there,” Gillai said. “Together, Nokia Networks and HP plan to deliver a pre-integrated solution leveraging our cloud platform and their VNFs to provide customers with a simplified and faster means to deploy NFV services.”
Nokia Networks in September rolled out an NFV service using cloud to run voice over LTE, which has increasingly been adopted by mobile operators, spurred by Apple’s latest iPhone 6 and 6 Plus devices that include VoLTE support. VoLTE supports high-definition video and voice calling and also allows a user to place a voice call and use LTE data services simultaneously.
Looking ahead, the two companies plan to work on expanding the agility of the telco cloud to increase customer competitiveness.
