VMware, the global leader in virtualization and cloud infrastructure, has debuted VMware vCloud® for NFV, an integrated Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) platform that will combine VMware's virtualized compute, networking, storage and management solutions with integrated OpenStack support to help communication service providers (CSPs) to deploy NFV solutions into production . VMware vCloud for NFV will include VMware Integrated OpenStack, VMware's fully-tested and supported OpenStack distribution. The VMware vCloud for NFV will enable CSPs to be able to take a phased approach to adopting OpenStack, and VMware will help CSPs drive increasingly greater value from OpenStack as the framework evolves to help them accelerate service innovation and reduce costs. Faced with declining margins and the need to accelerate service innovation, CSPs globally are embracing NFV to make their core network more agile and cost-effective.
According to VMware, the platform boost support for more than 40 different virtual network functions (VNFs) from more than 30 leading telecoms vendors, including Affirmed NEtworks, Connectum, Cyan, EMC, Mavenior and Metaswicth Networks. The VMware vCloud NFV Platform features VMware vSphere, a compute virtualization solution for the cloud; VMware NSX, a full network virtualization platform that delivers the entire networking and security model from L2-L7 in software; VMware Virtual SAN, software-defined storage that reduces storage CapEx and OpEx; and VMware vRealize™ Operations, an extensible cloud management solution which will deliver purpose-built management packs to meet the unique requirements of CSPs.
Vodafone chose VMware's virtualization infrastructure for our initial Telco Cloud services, and we have successfully been in production with several services. 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.
Shekar Ayyar, Corporate Senior Vice President, Strategy and Corporate Development and General Manager, Telco NFV Group, VMware
By moving Network Functions Virtualization into production today, our communications service provider customers, such as Vodafone, are accelerating their own transformation into next-generation cloud providers, building the operational expertise needed to succeed in the cloud era ahead of their competition. Today, CSPs can deploy virtual network functions on VMware vCloud APIs, building valuable production cloud DNA into their operations and support teams. At the same time, they can begin to test OpenStack-based VNFs on the same infrastructure and deploy to production as OpenStack's suitability for NFV use cases improves in future releases.
