HCL Technologies and Cloudify to bring 5G network slicing to telecoms providers

HCL Technologies (HCL), a leading global technology company, today announced it has partnered with Cloudify, provider of a leading cloud native orchestration platform, to bring Network Function Virtualization (NFV) orchestrated network slicing to telecoms providers. HCL’s Engineering and R&D Services (ERS) team is using Cloudify’s platform and capabilities for a new solution that enables telecoms to create dedicated, reliable Software-Defined Network (SDN) connections. This will allow telecoms providers to offer differentiated services tailored to specific customers and use-cases, so they can maximize the value of their investments in 5G technology and unlock new revenue streams through transforming their existing 4G networks.

The ability for telecoms providers to create dynamically-provisioned, dedicated virtual networks with functionality and performance tailored for real-world scenarios will benefit many industries; including manufacturing, automotive, utilities, healthcare, multimedia, public safety, public transport and financial services. These capabilities will be particularly important for the emerging use cases around the Internet of Things (IoT), where flexible network services and performance will be essential to supporting concepts such as connected cars, smart cities and predictive maintenance in manufacturing.

“Like every industry, telecoms providers have faced a growing need to digitally transform in recent years, to keep up with the demands of the market. As a result, telecoms providers are undergoing a transition from physical to virtual infrastructure, and a shift to cloud-native network functions. Tying all these new and existing technologies together is creating a complex challenge,” said Nati Shalom, CTO at Cloudify. “At the same time, the demand for faster connections and better customer experience has made investment in 5G and SDN crucial priorities for telecoms providers. HCL’s powerful network slicing solution, built on our open technology, provides telecoms providers with a unique opportunity to simplify the challenge significantly, while unlocking valuable new revenue streams.”

“Our new network slicing solution will help telecoms to capitalize on their investments in next-generation network technologies to greater effect than ever before. The ability for telecoms providers to diversify their services and provide guaranteed connections for MVNOs and important business functions, such as IoT, is crucial as traditional communications services become increasingly commoditized,” said Sukamal Banerjee, Corporate Vice President – ERS Sales (Hi Tech & Comm) and Head – IoT WoRKS™, HCL Technologies. “This combined service offering is a great example of how HCL’s ERS team partners with market-leading technology providers across the entire telecoms ecosystem to bring all the pieces of an increasingly complex puzzle together and position our customers on a fast track to success.”