MWCA: VMware pushes into 5G with Service Assurance Suite
VMware has announced that it will be integrating its new Service Assurance Suite into its network function virtualisation (NFV) portfolio to assist carriers in launching 5G mobile networks.
"5G deployments will not be possible without virtualisation, service assurance, and a solid multi-cloud strategy," VMware EVP of Strategy and Corporate Development and GM of Telco NFV Group Shekar Ayyar said during Mobile World Congress Americas (MWCA) in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
"With VMware, customers have everything they need to become 5G-ready while still meeting the demands on today's networks and reaping the benefits."
VMware had last month announced its plan to acquire the technology and team of Dell EMC Service Assurance Suite, which includes software across network health, performance monitoring, and root cause analysis for communications service providers (CSPs) and their customers.
According to VMware, its Service Assurance Suite will focus on enabling CSPs to automate functions and reduce costs, including with Network and Service Availability Management, Performance Management and SLA Monitoring, Network Configuration Management, Application and Service Level Monitoring, and Hybrid Assurance.
"The addition of the Service Assurance Suite to the portfolio of VMware telco solution offerings will enable CSPs to maintain operational reliability in their core network, cloud, and IT domains across physical and virtual infrastructure, and operationalise competitive new services faster," Ayyar said.
Ayyar added that the suite will "enable CSPs to bridge the gap from 4G to 5G" across networks including mobile, transport, IP, multiprotocol label switching (MPLS), software-defined networking (SDN), NFV, software-defined wide-area networking (SD-WAN), IPTV, unified communications, and managed enterprise networks.
During VMworld last month, VMware had also unveiled two elements to its edge and Internet of Things (IoT) play: Project Dimension and Pulse IoT 2.0.
Project Dimension will expand VMware Cloud to deliver software-defined datacentre (SDDC) infrastructure and hardware as a service to customers' on-premises and edge locations; and while Pulse IoT Center has been out for six months, 2.0 extended it to a SaaS offering that can now scale up to a half a billion devices.
During VMworld in August, CEO Pat Gelsinger told ZDNet that VMware is "just getting started".
"Think about where we are -- this year, we'll be about $9 billion in revenue, clearly with momentum we'll be $10 billion and well beyond, lots of growth potential in the company," Gelsinger told ZDNet.
"I feel extremely good about where we are, but we also believe many of these areas we're just getting started. NSX -- wow, think how big we could be in networking; storage, great momentum, but we're just getting started; multi-cloud; management; networking -- just getting started in those areas."
Related Coverage
Intel partners with Nokia and Ericsson on 5G worldwide
Working on 5G deployments across the globe, both networking giants Nokia and Ericsson have selected Intel to back up their solutions for mobile telecommunications carriers.
Verizon launching 5G in October
Verizon is launching its 5G home broadband services in Sacramento, Los Angeles, Houston, and Indianapolis at the beginning of October.
Verizon opens four 5G Labs, makes 5G call
Verizon will be opening 5G labs in Los Angeles, Palo Alto, Washington DC, and Waltham in addition to its New York City lab, with the carrier also announcing a successful 5G call with Ericsson and Qualcomm.
Nokia secures €500m loan for 5G R&D, demos Massive MIMO 5G with Sprint
Nokia has demonstrated 5G Massive MIMO technology with Sprint in the US, with the networking giant also securing €500 million in funding from the European Investment Bank to accelerate its 5G R&D.
Why AT&T Project AirGig could improve telecommuting and remote work in rural areas (TechRepublic)
The project is one step closer to commercial deployments, as AT&T explores new trials and 5G integration.