Cisco has unveiled its new network functions virtualization (NFV) infrastructure solution (NFVI), combining virtual and physical environments, and providing the infrastructure to run NFV network services.

The new NFV Infrastructure complements existing virtualization solutions like the Cisco Virtualized Packet Core (VPC), which provides network functions as virtualized services. It combines all mobile packet core services for 4G, 3G, 2G, Wi-Fi, and small cell networks into a single solution.

Customers including South Africa’s Vodacom are in the integration phase to use the Cisco VPC, with NFV Infrastructure and Cisco Advanced Services delivery to scale their network capacity and introduce new services faster and more cost-effectively, a statement said.

NFVI helps to further simplify and automate service providers’ NFV operations to deliver applications and services faster, while providing a robust solution with carrier-grade performance, availability, security, and scalability, it added.

The automated life cycle management of Cisco NFV Infrastructure can significantly lower network total cost of ownership by as much as 40 per cent, said Kelly Ahuja, senior vice president, Cisco Service Provider business, products and solutions.

“This solution is another step in delivering on our strategy for an open, modular and expandable network architecture,” he added.

“We are committed to helping our service provider customers embrace the network transformation toward virtualization with the right foundation to successfully deploy virtualized network functions.” – TradeArabia News Service