Nokia announced it enhanced its Altiplano cloud platform and launched Cloud Acceleration Services to accelerate SDN deployment targeting broadband builders and application developers.
The open and programmable Altiplano platform allows operators to leverage the broadband network as a platform, making it easy to connect and deploy new devices, applications and services.
Cloud Acceleration Services help build and maintain personalized SDN solutions, ensuring all network nodes – third party, virtual and legacy – are structured correctly.
Sandra Motley, president of Fixed Networks at Nokia, said: “We already have more than 250 cloud-ready customer deployments in place around the world.”
Investment in SDN and cloud enables network builders to boost competitiveness and add operational efficiency, scalability and agility. It allows evolution beyond closed hardware-based infrastructure towards software-defined platforms.
Software-defined access networks (SDAN) brings flexible cloud attributes to the network, including IT-style programming, fast feature delivery, quick adjustments and automation, Nokia said.
Nokia’s new Cloud Acceleration Services are designed to simplify the network evolution by applying a three-step approach that allows operators to define the optimal path and pace towards open disaggregated access solutions:
Business and technology consulting services and modeling tools help quantify the operator specific SDAN benefits and use cases.
System integration, automated testing services and key assets like Nokia SDAN Multivendor Integration Centers and Migration Operations Centers bring the customized SDAN solution from drawing board to reality.
The capabilities of the Nokia Altiplano platform, combined with Nokia’s System Integration approach and Nokia DevOps Automation Platform help operators test and quickly launch their new features and services.
Nokia also offers the Altiplano Developer Portal, with a software development kit (SDK) to integrate and control the connectivity of devices and applications. This allows custom solutions with a mix of Nokia and third party elements to be engineered.
Operators also gain access to a virtual lab, where they can easily develop and test applications and services before deployment. Under the Connected Partner Program, independent software vendors proactively integrate their OSS applications with Nokia fixed networks solutions to fast track integration efforts.
Jeff Heynen, senior research director at Dell’Oro Group, said: “Software defined access is quickly becoming the guiding principle for a growing list of major broadband providers around the world. Suppliers must demonstrate a multitude of capabilities to be chosen as a preferred partner.”
The Altiplano platform can operate as a traditional network management system, as a full-featured SDN access domain controller or as an open modular solution, offering selected tools and applications to control, visualize and optimize the fixed access network.
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