NEC and Netcracker have launched a network-as-a-service (NaaS) solution to help operators orchestrate their virtualised functions and cloud applications and rapidly commercialise new applications.
NEC’s US-based software subsidiary Netcracker Technology said the NaaS solution will reduce the risk of network virtualisation and cloud initiatives for operators by providing a simpler, faster and cheaper way to deploy and make money from both residential and business services.
Operators will be able to move beyond straight connectivity, it said, and provide a single self-service portal for the sale and distribution of their new cloud applications.
It is the first in a family of management tools, based on Netcracker’s Agile Virtualization Platform and Practice (AVP), that will make use of software-defined networking (SDN) and network functions virtualisation (NFV) technologies to address specific market needs.
Shigeru Okuya, General Manager of SDN/NFV at NEC, said: “The NEC/Netcracker NaaS solution takes full advantage of the network and enables the provisioning of new services, such as security and enterprise applications. Moreover, the NaaS solution contributes to fast and flexible service engagement for B2B services in which service providers face increasing competition in the market.”
Fran Heeran, Vice President and General Manager of SDN/NFV at Netcracker, added: “Service providers are increasingly looking beyond their traditional core offerings as they face continued competition and price erosion. The need to rapidly onboard and launch new services, including enhanced network facilities as well as third-party offerings, is critical as they broaden their revenue mix.
“The NEC/Netcracker NaaS solution provides a complete, end-to-end environment that supports the definition, provisioning, orchestration and lifecycle management of complex services. It leverages the advances in both network and function virtualization to allow a new level of flexibility and automation, lowering costs and reducing time-to-market.”
NEC and Netcracker announced last year they were collaborating on new SDN and NFV solutions for business and operations support systems (BSS and OSS), as well as virtualised evolved packet core (vEPC), virtual customer premises equipment (vCPE) and virtualised MVNO solutions.
The pair also completed a proof of concept for a new vCPE solution with Portugal Telecom in May this year, allowing the operator to migrate IP networking functions from users’ home gateways to its data centre.