February 2015

Nokia’s Security Center, Scare Tactics, and Why Operators Need to Get Serious About Security

February 27, 2015February 27, 2015 by , posted in Net Transformation, Ultra Broadband

The following is an excerpt of a Current Analysis Advisory Report, which the full text can be accessed by subscribers by clicking here.

For many of us, either with significant others or without, Valentine’s Day can be exciting, frightening or depressing – and sometimes any combination of the three. With that specter looming, Nokia’s Security Center Analyst Day, held on February 12 in Berlin, was very much in keeping with the uncertainty that a “holiday” like Valentine’s Day brings: One part scare tactics, and for those lucky enough to take the right precautions, followed by reassurance and validation. Continue reading “Nokia’s Security Center, Scare Tactics, and Why Operators Need to Get Serious About Security” →

The Maker Network: The Potential and Perils of Building Block Marketing

February 20, 2015 by , posted in Het Nets, Net Transformation, SDN/NFV, Ultra Broadband

There’s been a lot made of the ‘maker movement’ over the past few years. Combining technology and a do-it-yourself ethos, ‘Maker Faires’ have popped up all over the world, fueled by advancements in software development, robotics, and 3D printing. For anyone upset by rampant consumerism, the maker economy is a cause for hope.

But, does it have any place in a telco network?

On some level, the answer has always been ‘yes.’ Vendors and carriers alike pull together network solutions from disparate components and disparate suppliers. Yet, recent messaging from vendors suggests that we’ll see a good deal of maker-ism injected into Mobile World Congress this year. Consider a few of the launches that have already taken place. Continue reading “The Maker Network: The Potential and Perils of Building Block Marketing” →

MWC 2015: The “Same but Different” from MWC 2014: Time For More NFV Vendor Differentiation

February 18, 2015 by , posted in Net Transformation, OSS/BSS/CEM, SDN/NFV, Vendor Transformation

Summary Bullets:

Mobile World Congress will once again be dominated with the move to NFV-based architectures, but this year we’ll see far more differentiation between vendors
“Older” technologies like IMS and DPI are finding new momentum and application in this brave new world; every IP-based technology has a part to play

It’s the time of year once more when Mobile World Congress dominates the telecoms industry landscape. It’s hard to maintain “business as usual” while constantly buzzed by frantic attempts to arrange and re-arrange meetings as companies vie for airtime with customers, prospects, analysts and press during four days of feverish networking. Continue reading “MWC 2015: The “Same but Different” from MWC 2014: Time For More NFV Vendor Differentiation” →

MWC 2015: Who’s Ready to Play MWC Buzzword Bingo?

February 10, 2015 by , posted in Het Nets, Net Transformation, SDN/NFV, Ultra Broadband

Summary Bullets:

RAN vendors are sure to repeat key buzzwords at MWC, including C-RAN, license-assisted access and 5G.
Vendors need to strike the right balance between getting attention and demonstrating credibility.

With Mobile World Congress almost upon us, exhibitors are fine-tuning the messages they plan to emphasize at the show. Trust us, we’ve been having a lot of these conversations lately. For RAN vendors, it can be pretty challenging to craft messages that not only rise above the din of competing announcements, but also attract attention in general at a show where devices and applications often hog the spotlight. Continue reading “MWC 2015: Who’s Ready to Play MWC Buzzword Bingo?” →

The Quest for Dominance: OpenFlow or NETCONF for Networks Outside the Data Center?

February 6, 2015 by Glen Hunt, posted in Net Transformation

Summary Bullets:

For the broadband network, NETCONF deserves strong consideration for its ability to work from flexible data models (YANG) and control all devices in the service chain.
NETCONF, initially standardized in December 2006, has managed thousands of routers and switches, and it works well with SDN.
OpenFlow versions 1.4 and 1.5 appear to have the requisite functionality needed for WAN device management and control; however, although standardized in October 2013 and December 2014, respectively, vendor commitment to date appears tepid.

Since the beginning of the SDN and NFV discussion a few years back, proponents of OpenFlow have been behind the movement to control all devices in the network. This has unquestionably been the case within the confines of the data center. OpenFlow appears to solve data center issues well, even the early 1.0 version which is widely deployed, according to many sources. However, consider the many cases where, in order to provide an end-to-end WAN service or provide inter-data center connectivity, the use of OpenFlow falls short, at least until now. Continue reading “The Quest for Dominance: OpenFlow or NETCONF for Networks Outside the Data Center?” →

What’s So Hard About Building an Internet of Things, Anyway?

February 4, 2015February 5, 2015 by , posted in Ultra Broadband

Summary Bullets:

IoT in the media often focuses on end-user devices or rote connectivity such as RFID, ZigBee, WiFi or Bluetooth; only in less-heralded places, like tech blogs, do the “blood and guts” such as mobile connectivity, and the OSS/BSS software and/or professional services needed to stitch it together, get discussed.
This focus on “things” fails to capture just how much work needs to be done on the Internet.

First things first… shameless pitch time. Last week, I sat down with RCR Wireless for the inaugural episode of its weekly IoT show, Connect This. Take a look; I’ll wait right here.

Good show? Please feel free to share it with your friends.

But, as fun as it was to do the show, and despite the fact that it was about trends in a hot high-tech market, I still found myself feeling like a bit of a fish out of water. The show was about devices and what will drive adoption. All important stuff, but I had to fight the urge to dive headlong into the real blood and guts, not of what will drive IoT adoption, but what will enable it… you know, the Network Matter. Continue reading “What’s So Hard About Building an Internet of Things, Anyway?” →

MWC 2015: The Trends of MWC Were Telegraphed at CES

February 4, 2015 by , posted in Het Nets, Net Transformation, OSS/BSS/CEM, SDN/NFV, Ultra Broadband, Vendor Transformation

Summary Bullets:

CES 2015 was dominated by high-profile telecom trends – IoT, Connected Cars, 4K Video – along with a growing number of potentially connected devices (EG, robots and drones)
Mobile World Congress 2015 should see a focus on the technologies needed to execute on the trends of CES, including LTE-A and 5G

With less than a month to go before MWC 2015 kicks off, we will soon start to see reports and analyses of what will likely be the show’s big themes. It turns out that nobody really likes a surprise. Or maybe they just want to come to Barcelona prepared so that they can plan early to hit all the important booths, exhibits and keynotes. In any case, if you’re one of those people who wants to start outlining your MWC wrap-up reports even before the show begins, you’ve got a few options for predicting its dominant themes. You could just assume that the major themes of 2015 are likely to be extensions of what we saw in 2014. That’s probably a safe bet. With vendors trying to get their MWC messaging out long before the noise of the show (see ) you can just see what gets announced over the next few weeks. Or, you can look to themes that emerged at CES and extrapolate from there. Continue reading “MWC 2015: The Trends of MWC Were Telegraphed at CES” →

MWC 2015: The Vendor Messaging Has Officially Begun!

February 3, 2015 by , posted in Net Transformation, Ultra Broadband, Vendor Transformation

Summary Bullets:

Vendor messaging and announcements in the run-up to Mobile World Congress (MWC) has begun.
Samsung’s messaging – announcing new products and features before MWC – point to its continuing commitment to network infrastructure.

If you’re not a follower of the GSMA’s CMO – Michael O’Hara – on Twitter, you should be; his handle is @jmohara. He is the CMO of the GSMA, after all. If you do follow Michael, however, you saw his tweet from Monday morning in reference to Samsung’s invitations for a press conference at Mobile World Congress (MWC) next month. “And here we go on #mwc15 announcements.” Continue reading “MWC 2015: The Vendor Messaging Has Officially Begun!” →