Nokia got a big win with Vodafone Group to help the service provider virtualize its data centers around the globe. Vodafone’s virtualization project is internally named “Project Ocean.” It’s a group-wide transformation to virtualize its network and compute infrastructure and to use cloud technology.
Nokia’s Nuage Networks business unit will be the supplier of software-defined networking (SDN) for all of Vodafone’s data centers. Nuage’s Virtualized Services Platform (VSP) is at the heart of the efforts.
According to Nuage’s Founder and CEO Sunil Khandekar, Vodafone’s different operating companies in different regions have multiple data centers. These regional data centers are typically used for internal IT or for hosting its services.
“They’re taking a big step here transforming all their operations,” said Khandekar. “Vodafone needs to transform its data centers for internal IT, services to customers, and NFV applications.”
The environments at the data centers are a mix of bare metal servers, virtualized workloads on VMware ESXi, and virtualized workloads on OpenStack KVM.
“We provide automation across all three different types of workloads with a single policy automation layer,” said Khandekar. “To have an application that stretches multiple data centers — we are able to do that quite easily.”
SD-WAN
In addition, Vodafone, is also looking at transforming its IP VPN portfolio and bringing in software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) for its enterprise customers. As part of that, it’s working with Nuage on a live pilot project of what it’s calling VPN+.
Nuage’s SD-WAN technology actually sprang from its SDN automation for data centers, explained Khandekar in a previous interview with SDxCentral.
Vodafone Approved Vendors
Nokia went through a vigorous selection process to become an approved vendor for Vodafone and has been working with the operator for three years.
The service provider does continue to vet other vendors, however. In February, Juniper announced it had become a Vodafone Group approved vendor for its Contrail Networking.
“As far as we know, with regards to the virtualization and automation they need across their different data centers that host their services or that will host the NFV functions they will offer to their VPN customers, for all of that, Nuage has been selected,” said Khandekar.