VMware Goes NFV, Announces vCloud For NFV Integrated With OpenStack

VMware has entered the network functions virtualisaion space with ‘vCloud for NFV’, a platform that will be integrated with OpenStack.

“With support for more than 40 different virtual network functions (VNFs) from more than 30 vendors, VMware vCloud for NFV is the only platform available today that runs different VNFs from different vendors side by side on the same unified platform for the cloud,” said VMware.

Faster time to market

“With vCloud for NFV, communication service providers (CSPs) can deploy NFV solutions into production on a proven platform to achieve faster time to market for new and differentiated services while driving sustainable cost reductions.”

More details will be unearthed at VMware’s keynote at this year’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, where CEO Pat Gelsinger will speak on ‘the new mobile identity’.

CSPs are increasingly jumping on NFV to increase network agility and brings costs down. The VMware vCloud NFV Platform features VMware vSphere, VMware NSX, VMware Virtual SAN software-defined storage, and VMware vRealize Operations cloud manager. The platform will include full OpenStack compatibility through VMware Integrated OpenStack.

The vCloud for NFV platform is available today, with VMware Integrated OpenStack scheduled to be available in the platform Q1 2015.

“We are seeing OpenStack momentum continue to grow across the CSP market as our customers seek to achieve greater agility, and to leverage Open APIs to support true multi-vendor NFV. OpenStack also supports the NFV objective of dramatically reducing infrastructure costs to address continued margin erosion,” said Shekar Ayyar, newly-appointed senior VP for VMware’s telco division.

“CSPs need an OpenStack distribution that is optimised for a mature NVFI platform that helps them get started today and carries them through tomorrow, and VMware will meet this need by offering customers a fast and simple path to OpenStack adoption.”

According to VMware, telco Vodafone is an early adopter of its services. “Vodafone chose VMware’s virtualisation infrastructure for our initial Telco Cloud services, and we have successfully been in production with several services,” said Kevin Salvadori, strategy director at Vodafone Group.

“VMware was the solution for NFV that is ready for production across the different workloads we care about. As a result, we have been able to accelerate our time to market for new capabilities.”

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