IBM and Cisco on Tuesday announced that they are collaborating to help enable orchestration and management of 5G networks.
As 5G network deployments ramp quickly, a few requirements are emerging in both the business model and the technical architecture which are leading to a rethink about how 5G networks, and specifically 5G RAN and Cores should be deployed.
The introduction of 5G appears to have led to a paradigm shift as the sheer number of radio locations required began to out-scale the ability of a single core to manage the very large number of nodes. Perhaps, not surprisingly, a software-powered, virtualized 5G environment is at the heart of 5G core and also RAN (vRAN, oRAN). As 5G core roll-out progresses, you can deploy at small-scale first and grow compute and virtual core instances as your number of base stations and 5G subscribers grows.
IBM has been tackling the virtualization orchestration of 5G networks through the deployment of its Cloud Pak for Network Automation product. By automating and then abstracting the complexity of the underlying virtual radio and core network, we present a simplified approach to building network services, up to and including building network slices from the cloud out to the radio edge. IBM has been chosen by diverse providers such as Dish Networks and Telefónica.
In parallel, Cisco has been addressing the problem of transport and IP network orchestration through Crosswork Network Automation software to manage their network infrastructure. Adopted by network providers globally, Crosswork has become the market leader for the orchestration and management of connectivity.
The two companies announced a new cross-business collaboration between IBM and Cisco which tie our products together to help enable orchestration and management of virtual 5G networks and the underlying optical and IP networks in a single framework, single solution, driven from any cloud.
With this joint announcement, service providers can expect to ultimately tie their customer’s cloud services together with a network slice that provides an end-to-end SLA under a single cross-managed network.
