The global system integration division of Japan-based NEC Corporation has signed with Cisco to resell the US firm’s private 5G core network and management solution to enterprise customers in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. It will sell via operator channels, as required or preferred. NEC will combine its own integration and consultancy services with Cisco’s standalone 5G (SA) core network and management (Cloud Control Centre) products, plus “validated” radio access network (RAN) equipment from unnamed 5G vendors.
NEC called it an “end-to-end” private 5G solution. It said it will offer it to enterprises “starting from Europe and the Middle East”. Separately, its local system integration business in South Africa, NEC XON, has stuck out a press note to say it is ready to sell Cisco-based private 5G in its home market. NEC XON, in Africa since 1963, operates in 54 countries in Africa, with a direct presence in 16 of them. As such, there is immediate room to roam, as permitted by local spectrum policy and operator partnerships. Cisco said the deal is for “enterprises worldwide”.
In both its global and local press notes, NEC said it has built a private 5G demo facility for enterprises to validate use cases, notably in “industries such as logistics, warehousing, event venues, and airport management and operation”. It does not reveal the whereabouts of its test lab/labs. Reference to lighter-touch IT-controlled Industry 4.0 venues – rather than to hard-nosed industrial OT sectors like manufacturing and mining, for example – perhaps gives an indication of how NEC and Cisco tre pitching private 5G in the market.
NEC will sell directly to enterprises, variously, and also via mobile operator customers. It proposes to handle the design, deployment, and management of enterprises’ private 5G infrastructure, as required.
Masum Mir, senior vice president and general manager for ‘provider mobility’ at Cisco, said: “Our collaboration… leverages our combined strengths to bring cutting-edge private 5G solutions to enterprises worldwide… We are creating a powerful force to drive digital transformation and innovation across multiple sectors, and support the critical changes needed in networking infrastructure to carry the internet into the next decade.”
Hideyuki Ogata, senior executive professional in NEC’s global network division, said: “The needs for modernised architecture in 5G have steadily enhanced our partnership with Cisco, leading us to this next level. The industry-leading solutions from Cisco and our ecosystem partners, combined with our world-class network integration capabilities, enable us to deliver compelling solutions to multiple operators and verticals across the world.”
For its part, NEC XON leaned in to the standard SI ‘co-creation’ shtick, about “social value through innovation”, and talked about integration of “comms, energy, safety, security, and digital solutions”. Brian Tarr, in charge of the Cisco account at NEC XON, said: “The solution is ready for market. Cisco expertise in core networks and NEC XON experience and knowledge in wireless networks will be the key not only to implementing but to maintaining and supporting private 5G networks for enterprise customers directly or by collaborating with service providers.”
The press statement added: “Cisco’s expertise in core networks and NEC’s knowledge in wireless networks will be the key… to implementing, maintaining, and supporting private 5G networks for enterprise customers directly or by collaborating with service providers globally… [Private 5G] allows organisations to customise their networks to their specific requirements, optimising performance and security… [It] offers lower latency… for apps such as industrial IoT and automation… [and] can handle a large number of connected devices and provide high data transfer speeds.”
NEC XON is a certified broad-based black economic empowerment (B-BBEE) business, with regional headquarters in South, East, and West Africa.
