ECI unveils Hybrid Virtualization Platform to support carrier NFV evolution

ECI has launched its Hybrid Virtualization Platform, which works with elements of its optical transport systems portfolio and vE-CPE family to support communications services providers' network functions virtualization (NFV) initiatives. The platform promotes the use of virtual network functions (VNFs) in fixed, mobile, and converged networks.

Based on an open industry standard architecture, the Hybrid Virtualization Platform comprises:

• The Mercury NFVi platform, which is available as both a standalone appliance and as a blade for the company's Neptune packet-optical transport system
• ETSI-compliant open source NFV management and orchestration (MANO), which runs ECI's PaaS system
• A library of VNFs, which currently includes edge routing, sessions border control, WAN optimization, LAN monitoring, caching, and other functions.

The platform is designed to reduce the workload of core networks by increasing the capabilities and intelligence of mobile edge computing (MEC) to the customer premise via universal customer premise equipment (uCPE), or to the eNodeB. ECI offers the platform on a "pay-as-you-grow" subscription model. Use of NFV via the Hybrid Virtualization Platform can increase application delivery flexibility and service agility while decreasing cost and time to market, ECI says.

"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, vice president, SDN/NFV solutions global portfolio at ECI. "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."

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