IBM: Can New Network Innovation Centers Drive Operator Adoption of SDN, Virtualization and Analytics-Driven Automation?

Ron Westfall
Ron Westfall

Summary Bullets:

• IBM unveiled the opening of two new Network Innovation Centers in Nice, France and Dallas, Texas, designed for operators and large enterprises to test SDN, virtualization and analytics-driven automation technologies for easing adoption of cloud models.

• After recent restructurings reduced its telco portfolio assets, IBM faces channel challenges in convincing operators that its innovation centers will prove essential in testing the orchestration and automation between their various IT systems and network infrastructure platforms.

IBM launched two new Network Innovation Centers, designed to address operator and large enterprise testing of SDN, virtualization and analytics-driven automation technologies, to ease the adoption of cloud models for driving their IT and network transformation objectives. Lab participants can vet solutions for capabilities such as automated and dynamic network resource management in support of burgeoning data applications such as Internet of Things (IoT), online transactions, social media, and mobile apps. Continue reading “IBM: Can New Network Innovation Centers Drive Operator Adoption of SDN, Virtualization and Analytics-Driven Automation?”

InfoVista: Can the VistaNEO Solution Advance Mobile Network Experience Optimization?

Ron Westfall
Ron Westfall

Summary Bullets:

  • InfoVista introduced its VistaNEO solution that targets growing operator demand to use geo-analysis of subscriber and network experience to advance QoS management and actionable insight.
  • InfoVista can improve the VistaNEO proposition by forming alliances with geo-location specialists, such as Polaris Wireless, to improve device location inputs and address policy control interworking concerns.

At Mobile World Congress 2015, InfoVista introduced its VistaNEO solution designed to extend geo-analytics of subscriber and network experience to improve operator management of network and service quality at the subscriber level. The solution targets the RAN engineering, optimization, and troubleshooting teams of operators with the goal of reducing customer churn and defending existing revenue streams. VistaNEO automates the collection and post-processing of subscriber-centered call detail records to aid operator analysis of QoS over temporal and spatial dimensions. Continue reading “InfoVista: Can the VistaNEO Solution Advance Mobile Network Experience Optimization?”

When Operators Ask “Will My Data Center Support NFV?”, Vendors Reply “Yes, But …”

David Snow
David Snow

Summary Bullets:

  • MWC 2015 has passed into history, but the Q&A between operators and vendors on how much existing data center infrastructure can be re-used for NFV continues.
  • Whether it’s using existing infrastructure better or procuring new NFV-optimized kit, vendors are stepping up to help.

As March draws to a close, and memories of Mobile World Congress 2015 start to fade, the Current Analysis’ Service Provider Infrastructure practice has been publishing its final advisory reports. The team has also been asking itself whether any aspects of the show have been overlooked and reviewing the news flow pre-, during and post the event together with digesting on-site vendor briefings around the SDN/NFV theme. One conclusion is that there seems to be an underlying “question and answer” session going on between operators and vendors about the readiness (or otherwise) of their existing data center infrastructure to support NFV. After all, NFV is supposed to liberate applications from having to run on specialized telecom hardware and set them free to run on “commodity” hardware, but is it the hardware telcos already have or is it something different? Continue reading “When Operators Ask “Will My Data Center Support NFV?”, Vendors Reply “Yes, But …””