ECI has launched its Hybrid Virtualization Platform designed to support multiple network functions virtualization (NFV)-based use cases to help communication service providers simplify operations, increase agility, reduce OPEX and provide better service level agreements (SLAs). The platform is intended to support delay-sensitive services and improve security and termination of flows at the network edge. The platform features ECI's vE-CPE family, which is designed to provide virtualization across customer premises and service provider's edge PoP.
ECI's Mercury hybrid solution is designed to address fixed, mobile and converged networks. The platform is intended to take the pressure off the network core by increasing the capabilities and intelligence of MEC (mobile edge computing) all the way to the customer premises, via universal customer premises equipment (uCPE) or to the eNodeB.
"Service providers are not only challenged by increased traffic and demand for new services, they are continually tasked with the need to stay relevant in a highly competitive market. It's abundantly clear the old way of doing things will not suffice anymore," said Erez Zelikovitz, ECI's vice president of SDN/NFV Solutions Global Portfolio. "Carriers need to get everything they can out of their current network assets. Virtualization at the edge can help unlock all the potential hidden in their current infrastructure, and create additional value on top of current assets. We are giving our customers a cost-effective, future proof and easy-to-implement solution, which they can use now to improve service agility, and for the demands of future IoT and 5G networks on the same open and flexible platform."
The modular platform is based on open standards to interoperate with third-party software and features a "pay-as-you-grow" subscription model. The platform consists of:
- ECI's Mercury NFVi platform - Available as both a stand-alone appliance or as a blade that can be integrated into the Neptune packet-optical transport system
- Open Source NFV Management and Orchestration (MANO) - ETSI-compliant MANO, which runs ECI's PaaS system
- Library of virtualized network functions (VNFs) - A growing library of VNFs, including edge routing, sessions border control, WAN optimization, LAN monitoring and caching