VMware turns its attention to telcos
CEO Pat Gelsinger outlines plans for VMware to work more with telcos, highlighted by an agreement with Vodafone announced today
VMware CEO Pat Gelsinger has announced the vendor's plans to move further into the telecoms space, kick-started by a global deal with Vodafone.
The partnership will see Vodafone use VMware products to support the global rollout of its network functions virtualisation (NFV) - a software-defined platform that will be used to roll out 5G.
Speaking at VMworld in Barcelona, Gelsinger said that VMware will now look to branch out further into the comms sector.
"Think about the VMware vision… you've seen this picture if you've been with us for a while," he said.
"We've evolved it and refined it but essentially it's the strategy that we've been painting for the last five years or so - to consume any device with any application, from any cloud, and built with intrinsic security.
"We're expanding that to say 'we're transforming the telecom network', and with partnerships like Vodafone and NFV we're seeing that the cloud world and the telecom world are becoming closer together than ever before. Our technologies are becoming intrinsic to the underlying networks of the service providers themselves.
"We're seeing that environment is not just human-connected devices, but with edge and IoT stretching to every device as well, and we're seeing that this is a key aspect of tech breaking out of tech."
The partnership will see Vodafone deploy VMware's vCloud NFV product while also using VMware's Carrier-Grade Support - a new implementation service launched by the vendor.
Fran Heeran, Vodafone Group's head of network virtualisation, said: "Virtualised, cloud-native network functions are a critical element of our group-wide programme as we continue to transform how we build, operate and evolve our networks and services.
"Reducing the time and cost to deploy and operate services, utilising automation and convergence in standardised cloud environments for our network and IT businesses is a critical part of our technology and operational transformation strategy."