Hewlett Packard Enterprise OpenNFV Solution Portal Brings Telcos Closer to Realizing NFV Benefits

Catalog provides one-stop access to pre-validated OpenNFV partner solutions, accelerating time-to-market and reducing deployment risks

PALO ALTO, Calif., Dec. 9, 2015 – Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) today announced the OpenNFV Solution Portal, a network functions virtualization (NFV) industry first, providing communication service providers (CSPs) access to pre-validated virtual network function (VNFs) solutions from HPE OpenNFV partners.

In order to adapt more quickly to changing demands and respond to emerging competitors, CSPs need to be able to rapidly deliver new revenue generating innovations. NFV enables CSPs to innovate and launch new services faster, easier and at a lower cost through the virtualization of telecommunications core networks and network functions.

The OpenNFV Solution Portal provides CSPs access to a catalog of more than 60 OpenNFV partners. CSPs can search the catalog by use case or vendor, connecting them with the solutions that best address their specific requirements. By providing CSPs access to pre-validated VNFs, HPE is delivering a critical component of the NFV service lifecycle management process, helping streamline onboarding and accelerating time-to-market, while reducing capital and operational expenditures.

“Providing CSPs with an array of pre-validated VNFs is critical to accelerating their journey to the telco cloud,” said Werner Schaefer, vice president, Network Functions Virtualization, Hewlett Packard Enterprise. “The HPE OpenNFV Portal gives CSPs access to the breadth of the OpenNFV partner ecosystem and ready-to-deploy solutions, helping them offer more compelling services and adapt quickly to changing demands.”

Partner solutions have been pre-validated in HPE OpenNFV Labs, where joint testing occurs in a safe environment prior to deployment in carrier networks. The testing and validation helps ensure CSPs have a consistent and reusable way to onboard and configure VNFs. Partner solutions are validated on up to three levels of testing, depending on solution requirements, including:

• Basic onboarding – VNF onboarding and lifecycle validation, virtualized infrastructure manager (VIM) level monitoring and basic functional testing
• Deployment and performance boundaries – Functional and performance testing, network service orchestration and service chaining
• Integration into service operation processes – Lifecycle management and upstream operations support system/business support system (OSS/BSS) integration

Availability

The OpenNFV Solution Portal is being delivered in multiple phases. The catalog containing pre-validated VNFs, is available now. Future phases, including a marketplace to acquire pre-validated VNFs, a solution designer and deployment services are planned for release in 2016. For more information on the HPE OpenNFV Solution Portal visit: http://hpenfv.com/.

Supporting Partner Quotes

“Virtualization and cloud technologies have revolutionized the way service providers view networks. Cost and efficiency are surely part of the equation, but service providers truly benefit from the ability to rapidly create and launch innovative, customized and revenue-generating services.”

• Amit Tiwari, Vice President, Strategic Alliances and Systems Engineering at Affirmed

“In such a software-defined environment such as NFV, access to pre-verified VNFs become increasingly important. HPE's OpenNFV Portal will enable carriers to identify VNFs from market leaders like F5 Networks. HPE’s OpenNFV partners have taken on the responsibility of not only creating the software, but also validating the VNFs with HPE products, enabling a more streamlined decision and implementation process.”

• Mallik Tatipamula, F5 Vice President of Service Provider Solutions

“We’re extremely proud to play a strategic role in helping CSPs virtualize their networks and reap the benefits of NFV. GENBAND’s comprehensive VNF portfolio allow CSPs to accelerate service agility and create faster paths to revenue. CSPs need an NFV solution portal for network functions and we are looking forward to continue to work closely with HPE and the OpenNFV ecosystem partners to build and introduce cloud-enabled network services that will allow CSPs to maintain their dominance in the communications value chain.”

• Sanjay Bhatia, VP Marketing at GENBAND

“In the complex world of software data centers, rapid provisioning and deployment of micro services and VNFs coupled with interoperability with a broad set of technologies and vendors are critical to their success. HPE’s OpenNFV program is aiming to solve this complex problem with an open platform and architecture. Intel is proud of our long history of collaboration with HPE and are glad to team with them to validate our security VNFs in the OpenNFV program. This will enable us to offer CSPs access to our validated security VNFs and help them to quickly deploy and leverage their value in the HPE OpenNFV environment.”

• Vinay Anand, Head of Product Management for Network Security, Intel Security

“There is a tremendous level of noise around NFV today. Much of which contributes to the confusion Carrier Service Providers have about what is a real VNF and what is simply softwarization of a hardware device. KEMP is pleased to have the opportunity to provide real, validated VNFs to CSPs via the HPE OpenNFV Solution Portal.”

• Michael Worlund, Technical Director, Emerging Technologies at Kemp Technologies

“At Metaswitch, we believe the key to accelerating the adoption of NFV is to enable network operators to access pre-validated, VNFs that are interoperable within a multi-vendor environment. HPE’s OpenNFV Solutions Portal, which provides a way for operators to select, publish and consume VNFs, will be a valuable asset for helping network operators get the most out of NFV.”

• Brandon Harper, SVP Business Development and Channels, Metaswitch

“As a first mover in the deployment of virtualized network solutions to CSPs, Mitel has partnered with HPE for many years. The evolution of these early virtualized offerings into NFV-compliant solutions, through the HPE OpenNFV Program, allows Mitel to maintain that leadership position and participate in an ecosystem that brings about transformation of the carrier business.”

• Terry McCabe, CTO, Mitel Mobility