Future-proofing telco networks with Network Functions Virtualization Infrastructure

[TelcoExperts]

Since the ETSI Industry Specification Group for Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) was launched in late 2012, NFV technology and use cases has been continuously gaining momentum and support across the telecommunications industry with leading communications service providers (CSPs), technology vendors, systems integrators and other players all working together to make it a reality. As CSPs began exploring how virtualization technology could be leveraged within their networks, they quickly accepted the logic and the benefits of an NFV implementation as a way to reduce CapEx and OpEx while increasing agility and time to market. However the answer to the question “How can it be done?” took longer to define.

With the help of industry standards and open source organizations, CSPs have started on the path to bridging the IT and network divide, reducing vendor lock-in and bringing new services to market faster. As the industry now moves from the proof of concept (PoC) stage towards real NFV deployments, CSPs are looking to NFV as a critical building block to enabling next-generation telco networks like 5G. According to the recent SDxCentral 2018 NFV Report Series Part 1: NFV Infrastructure (NFVI) and VIM, SDxCentral surveyed their audience and 63% of end-user respondents indicated NFV was changing the way they architect their networks, making it “very relevant to enterprises.” In this same report, SDxCentral identified the NFV infrastructure (NFVI) and virtual infrastructure manager (VIM) as key foundational building blocks for a successful NFV deployment.

Among other industry leaders showcased in this report, HPE shared our approach to enabling successful NFV deployments via our new HPE NFV Blueprints. The HPE NFV Blueprints are validated reference configurations based on HPE infrastructure platforms and partner software-defined networking and VIM offerings that are enhanced for specific NFV use cases. These Blueprints are offered with toolkits and documentation to simplify the install and build of the NFVI stack. This approach to building an effective NFVI highlights the importance of architecting open NFVI solutions, incorporating multi-vendor components and leveraging industry standards.

Learn more about NFVI best practices, top NFV technologies and HPE’s NFVI approach by downloading the complete SDxCentral 2018 NFV Report Series Part 1: NFV Infrastructure (NFVI) and VIM and registering for the upcoming “NFVI for 5G: Technology and Strategies to Future-proof Telco Infrastructure” webinar taking place on May 15.

Interested in seeing this technology first hand, join us at HPE Discover 2018 from June 19-21 to see how HPE can help prepare your telco network for 5G and the next-generation evolution with the HPE NFV Blueprint.