
Virtualization and Cloud executives share their predictions for 2014. Read them in this VMblog.com series exclusive.
Contributed article by Jim Hudmon, cloud and data services delivery manager
at Nexius Solutions, Inc.
2014: The Year of the Network Operator Cloud
2014 will be the year of the network cloud for operators,
where services lead software in a valued virtualization market. This means more
focus on network functions virtualization (NFV) and software defined networking
(SDN) along with the growth of unified communications as a service (UCaaS).
As we came in to 2013, software defined networking and network
functions virtualization were new areas in the telecom industry. As we leave
2013, we have seen new focus in operators moving to software defined network
services and new planning for moving portions of their network to
virtualization. So what can you expect from 2014?
Making Room for High Value Applications
First, we will start seeing significant trials for SDN/NFV
solutions, with initial focus on application policy, QoS systems, and network
controllers. These trials and solutions will formally start the revenue curve
for SDN/NFV solutions in the telecommunications market.
This shift for operators is fueled by SDN network standards
that have matured over the last two years for the enterprise market. This
evolution has made it possible for operators to consider SDN/NFV solutions in
managing heavy bandwidth and higher QoS-based applications such as voice and
video. SDN opens up the ability for a high bandwidth, high value application to
have more control of its policy, QoS and bandwidth through the network. NFV
efforts are defining how the network frees up network resources in real time
for multiple applications being delivered through the network, such as compute,
process and storage. The two standard
efforts define how the operators free up services for high value applications.
SDN/NFV will open up new revenue streams from both the content provider and
consumers for new valued applications.
What is driving these changes? New LTE networks are being
deployed, and LTE networks can now deliver higher bandwidth-consuming
multi-media services like videos, webinars and teaching paradigms. Therefore, operators
running these services over LTE networks need very cost effective, efficient
networks in place to manage these new applications, especially with new and
upcoming applications and content coming to market for mobile phones and
tablets.
UCaaS: Bringing It All Under One Roof
Another key area in 2014 that is going to have significant
momentum is unified communication as a service. This is going to mature as an
offered service, especially through partners of the operators. Though some
operators will bring this in house as they mature their cloud networks and
their cloud offering, most will partner with vendors and cloud service
partners.
What UCaaS brings to the operators is the ability to offer
true convergence of voice, video and content file-sharing applications that
they can offer to both consumers and enterprises. UCaaS gives operators the
ability to offer a standard unified communications experience across all
devices in the network.
In 2014, UCaaS will enhance enterprise mobility. UCaaS also
enables enterprises to transform their customer care environment so that
customer care services will become much more interactive whether through
social, video chatting or simply web calling into a customer care representative.
UCaaS opens up new options for operators to offer new services in this market.
You can also expect to see UCaaS converge with web real-time
communication (WebRTC). Through WebRTC, operators can offer the ability for
PCs, mobile devices and tablets to have embedded converged communication
services. When you look at what WebRTC is bringing from a client OS evolution
and how that can be integrated with UCaaS, it shows a very powerful service
coming into the market in 2014.
Overall, what we are seeing for 2014 is that the network
operator cloud is very real. Significant investments and trials are changing
the competitive landscape across the industry as both vendors and operators
shift to what the network value means to their enterprise and consumer offerings.
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About the Author
Jim Hudmon is cloud
and data services delivery manager at Nexius Solutions, Inc., a provider
delivering end-to-end wireless services and software solutions. For more
information, visit http://www.nexius.com, Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NexiusInc,
Twitter: http://twitter.com/NexiusInc, and
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/nexius.