Red Hat and Lenovo Partner on Telco, NFV Effort
Over the past couple of years, we've spotted a lot of action from telecom players and the open source community surrounding Network Function Virtualization (NFV) technology. For example, Red Hat and NEC have partnered to develop NFV features in the OpenStack cloud computing platform, to deliver carrier-grade solutions based on Red Hat's OpenStack build.
Now, Lenovo and Red Hat have partnered to build open infrastructure that will run Red Hat's software stack for network-functions virtualization (NFV). NFV remains key in telco initiatives to create more agile, open and scalable networks. Telecom companies have traditionally had a lot of proprietary tools in the middle and at the basis of their technology stacks. NFV is an effort to combat that.
Lenovo is joining the Open Platform for NFV (OPNFV) project as a Platinum member. OPNFV is a carrier-grade, integrated Open Source platform that is spawning advanced solutions and services using NFV. Lenovo’s offerings leverage Red Hat, Linux, OpenStack and OPNFV technologies, among others.
"As part of its efforts, Lenovo plans to work with Red Hat to develop a certified solution stack based on Red Hat’s NFV Platform, built on Red Hat OpenStack Platform. The integration of Red Hat NFV platform with Lenovo’s OP@L is the latest development in an expanding strategic collaboration between the companies, which was announced late last year. Now, the two companies are collaborating to develop and deliver open and flexible solutions for service provider clients, as well as those in other industries. Lenovo already offers Red Hat Enterprise Linux, Red Hat Enterprise Virtualization and CloudForms software within its portfolio, and published reference architectures and deployment guides to enable faster design and delivery of solutions running Red Hat software on its infrastructure."
Brian Connors, VP, Next Generation IT & Business Development at Lenovo, said: "Working within the framework of the OPNFV and OCP communities, Lenovo is aggressively investing in product enablement, system architecture, and research and development to create the best user experience. Together with Red Hat, a leading enterprise OpenStack provider, we’re helping reduce complexity and cost, while enabling even greater flexibility and value. Our engagement with the OPNFV project as a Platinum member will help accelerate development around NFV platforms for our shared service provider customers."