Varnish Software recently announced the launch of a new 5G-ready content delivery network (CDN) that enables customers to build new services that harness the power of 5G and mobile edge computing (MEC).
The new offering, Varnish Edge Cloud, is a carrier-grade, 5G-ready virtualized CDN and edge caching software solution that will help network operators transform their businesses, opening up new services and revenue streams, while handling more client requests with less infrastructure utilization.
With 5G rollout accelerating across the globe, and operators faced with growing consumer appetites for high-fidelity video, user-generated content and new experiences like virtual reality, traditional content delivery networks (CDNs) will struggle to match 5G for speed and capacity. As third-party services running on telecommunications hardware, these CDNs also miss out on optimal resource utilization. Network operators therefore have an opportunity to take control of content distribution on their networks and offer these 5G services themselves.
Key to making this level of control possible is the cache capacity of Varnish Edge Cloud nodes, which also scale on demand, whether deployed at the network edge in virtualized PoPs, in aggregate data centers or between 5G base stations. This highly elastic, cloud-native technology can handle high density situations, such as those needed in stadiums and city centers, as well as demand spikes from live sports events, season finales and viral content. Indeed the solution is already being used by a major telecommunications service provider, preparing for exactly those eventualities.
Varnish Edge Cloud can be delivered as a fully managed software solution, where Varnish experts become an extension of the operator, designing and supporting a network unique to specific business needs. Varnish Software provides all the expertise, experience and resources required for deploying and running the 5G-ready vCDN, overcoming hurdles such as lack of in-house knowledge or timescale concerns.
Lars Larsson, CEO, Varnish Software
Consumer expectations of 5G have been set high, but to make these a reality, operators are going to have to rethink how they architect their systems, and move storage and caching needs to take place at the outermost edge of the network.
Espen Braastad, VP Engineering, Varnish Software
Varnish Edge Cloud enables our partners to deliver on the promise of 5G networks by matching the speed gains that 5G makes possible, while protecting the core network and origin servers from huge demand.
