Verizon has completed what it is describing as the biggest network functions virtualisation OpenStack cloud deployment to date, across five of its US data centres.
The US operator has worked with Big Switch Networks, Dell and Red Hat on the project, which started in 2015.
The deployment involved developing a production design based on core and pod architecture that allows an operator to achieve the necessary hyperscale capabilities and network flexibility.
Verizon is in the process of rolling out deployments to further domestic data centres and aggregation sites, before turning its attention to international markets over the next few months and then the edge network by the end of 2016.
Adam Koeppe, Vice-President, Network Technology Planning, Verizon, said: “Building on our history of innovation, this NFV project is another step in building Verizon’s next-generation network — with implications for the industry. New and emerging applications are highlighting the need for collaborative research and development in technologies like NFV. We consider this achievement to be foundational for building the Verizon cloud that serves our customers’ needs anywhere, anytime, any app.”
Tom Burns, Vice-President and General Manager, Dell Networking, Dell, added: “With the open source leadership of Red Hat, the SDN expertise of Big Switch and the infrastructure, service and support at scale from Dell, this deployment demonstrates a level of collaboration that sets the tone for the Open Networking ecosystem. This is just the beginning.”