VMware and Nokia are expanding their collaboration to enhance interoperability between VMware’s Telco Cloud platform and Nokia’s software applications. This will make it easier for service providers to run virtualised and containerised network functions on VMware’s cloud infrastructure.
With the extended collaboration, VMware and Nokia provide better support for service providers working in a multicloud environment and wanting to migrate their network and IT environments to private enterprise clouds, edge clouds and public clouds.
Specifically, Nokia’s virtual network functions (VNFs) and containerised network functions (CNFs) are run on the Telco Cloud platform, writes SDX Central. This supports application migration, workload balancing and disaster recovery in data centres and clouds.
The interoperability tests should also improve the work of the two companies at an earlier stage. Earlier, for example, other Nokia applications were already running on the Telco Cloud and VMware’s HCX application mobility platform.
vCloud NFV platform
Nokia has also previously installed an on-site lab specifically for the technical certification of its VNFs and software applications on VMware’s vCloud NFV platform. This lab should provide a more streamlined approach to testing the performance of VNFs from providers and applications running in VMware environments.
Nokia already has a number of applications with certifications. These include Cloudband Application Manager, Smart Plan Suite, virtual IP multimedia subsystem (IMS), virtual packet core (VPC) and session border controller (SBC).
Support for 5G ambitions
The now extensive collaboration also provides better 5G support, which VMware is increasingly working on. According to the company, the Telco Cloud and 5G represent “a good opportunity to participate in a huge market”.
Earlier this year it also became clear that VMware is more focused on this market, when it concluded a five-year partnership with Ericsson. With this partnership, the two companies should be able to offer better network virtualization services to operators. As a result, operators should be able to roll out services more quickly.
The partnership includes technical collaborations and interoperability tests between the VNF portfolio, billing and charging, automation and orchestration solutions from Ericsson, and the vCloud NFV platform.
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