Dell Technologies helps communications service providers transform to capture opportunities at the edge

News summary

• Dell Technologies' cloud-native infrastructure foundation solution with Project Metalweaver software will support the deployment and maintenance of open, industry-standard infrastructure at scale.
• With the Dell Technologies telecoms innovation lab, network operators can consume ecosystem-wide innovation to transform networks, deliver services and grow revenues.
• Dell Technologies’ digital transformation, an industry-leading IT infrastructure and global services expertise allows communications service providers to confidently deploy 5G networks and seize edge opportunities.

Full story

Building on its vast experience helping companies digitally transform, Dell Technologies (NYSE:DELL) is anchoring an open, cloud-native telecom ecosystem – with infrastructure and solutions, industry partners and a new innovation lab – to put communications service providers (CSPs) on the fast track for innovation and revenue growth.

As organisations across all industries look to drive new value with edge technologies, IDC projects that the number of new operational processes deployed on edge infrastructure will grow from less than 20% today to over 90% in 2024¹. CSPs are aiming to transform their businesses and networks to support this enormous growth and benefit from the edge opportunities ahead.

“Telecom companies need ways to mitigate the risk and complexities associated with evolving their network infrastructure,” said Dennis Hoffman, senior vice-president and general manager, Dell Technologies Telecom Systems Business. “An open, cloud-native approach is the answer to quickly capture this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and move beyond the hype of 5G to the reality of a resilient next-generation network that creates more opportunities for operators, industries of all kinds and communities around the world.”

Dell Technologies is creating open software solutions and services designed for the unique requirements of the telecoms industry. Collaborating with Dell, CSPs can use these new solutions to embrace software-defined industry standards, simplify integration and management of data at the edge and capture new revenue opportunities. Dell Technologies is in a unique position to help CSPs transform.

“Network operators are making critical investments in updating their networks for 5G and re-evaluating their legacy systems,” said Daryl Schoolar, practice lead at Omdia. “As communication networks disaggregate, an open ecosystem of hardware and software vendors is forming to support this transformation. Communications service providers need strategic partners to help organise the ecosystem, provide validated solutions and take responsibility for deployment and operating outcomes. With its experience in digital transformation, IT infrastructure, services and global network of partners, we are seeing Dell make significant investments in being this missing link supporting CSPs as they build modern mobile communications networks.”

Modernising to an open, cloud-native network

As telecoms networks disaggregate and move towards delivering powerful infrastructure and applications at the edge, the number of components to deploy and manage across geographic locations grows exponentially. Dell Technologies is launching a cloud-native network infrastructure with a full stack of open, scalable carrier-grade server and software solutions to simplify and accelerate this journey. Today, CSPs can use Dell Technologies' validated reference architectures to deploy full-stack telecommunications solutions from partners, including VMware and Red Hat, with optimal Dell hardware, software and services.

With Project Metalweaver, Dell Technologies is taking this cloud-native infrastructure further to support the need to scale across broad geographies. Project Metalweaver is a flexible software solution enabling CSPs to easily select, autonomously deploy and manage thousands of multi-vendor compute, network and storage devices across multiple locations with this flexible software solution. Open and on-demand resources can be scaled simply to multi-premises, backed by Dell Technologies' global support and services.

Dell Technologies is also introducing new reference architectures to span telecommunications edge, core and Open RAN environments. The reference architectures provide full stack guidance, deployment options and operational recommendations for specific use cases to help CSPs quickly and efficiently deploy applications and services enterprises demand. Through Dell Financial Services flexible payment solutions, CSPs can choose flexible payment solutions for the products and services they need to transform or build their networks.[2]

Building on Dell Technologies' infrastructure foundation solutions with VMware Telco Cloud Platform and Red Hat OpenShift, CSPs initially will be able to deploy:

• Core software solutions from Affirmed Networks.
• Private network solutions from CommScope RUCKUS.
• Multi-access edge computing (MEC) solutions with Intel Smart Edge.
• Dell Technologies is collaborating with Mavenir to develop 5G Open RAN software with Dell EMC PowerEdge XR11 ruggedised servers.
• Core software solutions from Nokia.

New telecoms lab to spark 5G innovation, capture edge revenue opportunities

Dell Technologies is introducing its Open Telecom Ecosystem Lab to create a place where it can work with its partners and customers to explore and collaborate on future telecoms technologies and applications. Hosted at the company’s headquarters in Round Rock, Texas, the carrier-grade testing environment offers CSPs the ability to mirror customer locations and test multi-vendor, real-world solutions and services. New solutions can be incubated in the lab, then quickly brought to market, allowing CSPs to create new enterprise edge services and applications. Dell’s technology partner programme provides engineering resources and project management support to design, build, market and sell network solutions and services.

Additional quotes

“Nokia is excited to see Dell Technologies take this important step of extending its ecosystem. 5G and the digitisation of industries requires nothing short of such an approach, and we look forward to continue the joint effort to create more open choices and options that can be used with Nokia’s leading 5G core technology in order to deliver better outcomes for our customers,” said Ron Haberman, chief technology officer, Cloud and Network Services, Nokia.

“Red Hat believes that the future of edge computing and 5G is rooted in open hybrid cloud,” said Honoré LaBourdette, vice-president, Industry Verticals, Telco, Media & Entertainment, Red Hat. “Through close collaboration with Dell Technologies over the course of two decades, we are helping companies achieve more from their networks by building more secure 5G-enabled edge systems using Red Hat OpenShift. As the service provider landscape continues to evolve, we look forward to working with Dell Technologies and its expanding partner ecosystem to provide flexible, open and scalable solutions for joint customers.”

“The modernisation and cloudification of the network – from core to RAN to edge – gives CSPs two powerful tools: choice and control. Choice to work with a broad ecosystem of VMware Ready for Telco Cloud certified partners and control over how they deliver and monetise 5G services that provide improved security, reliability and performance at both the provider and enterprise edge. VMware Telco Cloud Platform, running on top of Dell Technologies’ infrastructure foundation, enables this open ecosystem and puts CSPs in the driver’s seat of their digital transformation,” commented Sanjay Uppal, senior vice-president and general manager, service provider and edge business unit, VMware.

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1 IDC FutureScape, “Worldwide IT Industry 2021 Predictions,” October 2020.

2 Payment solutions provided to qualified commercial customers by Dell Financial Services (DFS) or through Dell Technologies group companies and/or through Dell’s authorised business partners (together with DFS “Dell”). Offers may not be available or may vary by country. Offers may be changed without notice and are subject to product availability, eligibility, credit approval and execution of documentation provided by and acceptable to Dell or Dell’s authorised business partners. In Spain, services are provided by Dell Bank International d.a.c branch in Spain and in remainder of the EU by Dell Bank International d.a.c, trading as Dell Financial Services which is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.