Brocade introduced its Virtual Core for Mobile (VCM), a fully virtualized Evolved Packet Core (vEPC) suite of products that supports network slicing with independent localization and scaling of the control and user planes—ahead of the targeted standardization date established by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP).
Brocade said its VCM transforms mobile networks by eliminating expensive and proprietary hardware devices, long upgrade cycles and over-provisioning. Depending on specific network and deployment requirements, the same software package can serve as a complete vEPC or a combination of mobility management entity (MME), home subscriber server (HSS), serving gateway (S-GW) and packet data network gateway (P-GW). The overall deployment model of the Brocade VCM can be used to create network slices that are optimized for IoT traffic profiles to enable a mobile packet core-as-a-service offering for hosting MVNO services or to support non-traditional, innovative services from mobile operators. The solution interoperates with all major radio and 3G/LTE core network equipment through standard interfaces and bridges 5G capabilities to older networks.
Brocade also announced new technology partnerships targeting SDN, NFV and mobile edge computing and aimed at providing mobile operators with an open network for the demands of 5G. These include Coriant, Rift.io, MetaSwitch and Openet.
Brocade and Coriant are working together to deliver virtualized mobile networking-as-a service for enterprise bandwidth-on-demand provisioning as well as multidomain programmability and control via a web-based service portal. This collaboration enables capabilities such as mobile network slicing.
Brocade and Rift.io are working on network-intelligent and proximity-aware orchestration to help mobile operators deploy virtual network function (VNF) capabilities in data centers and in the right virtual location within the mobile network.
Brocade is collaborating with MetaSwitch and Openet to deliver pre-integrated NFV solutions, including a complete virtual IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) VoLTE solution. Brocade and Openet are collaborating to provide MVNOs and mobile virtual network enablers (MVNEs) with machine-to-machine (M2M) and Internet of Things (IoT) solutions.
Brocade’s Mobile Edge Computing platform, which is based on its vRouter, offers mobile edge virtual infrastructure capabilities that integrate routing, IPsec termination, and network firewall functions with the virtualization infrastructure in the host operating system. Applications partners include PeerApp, Saguna, and Vasona, providing capabilities in the areas of video serving and optimization; video caching; network visualization and analytics; network optimization; and VoLTE local routing.
The Brocade open mobile networking ecosystem also includes partners that extend the company’s solutions for network visibility and wireless networking. Network visibility partners include Avvasi, EMC, Guavus, and Viavi. Wireless networking partners include Aerohive, Aruba, and Ruckus.
“Today’s announcements solidly plant Brocade in the business of delivering innovative networking solutions that help MNOs and MVNOs solve their most critical business and technology problems,” said Kevin Shatzkamer, chief technology officer of mobile networking, Brocade. “The combined offerings for vEPC, mobile edge computing and network visibility provide a future-proof technology foundation well in advance of 5G availability which will help MNOs accelerate new revenue streams today. Brocade is committed to working with partners in our open mobile networking ecosystem, in order to bring new innovations that put mobile operators on the path to delivering 5G services enabled by New IP infrastructures.”
