Nokia has optimized its Cloud Packet Core product line so it can be more easily used by transportation, government, utilities, and other industry sectors that want to deploy private LTE networks. Nokia is also positioning its Cloud Packet Core as a useful tool for companies that want to take advantage of the industrial Internet of Things (IoT).
This move by Nokia isn’t surprising. The company has spent the past several months integrating Alcatel-Lucent after its $17 billion acquisition of the firm, and now it is focused on growing the enterprise business.
Nokia says its Cloud Packet Core is flexible and secure and will let businesses scale the number of endpoints, users and devices, as well as manage bandwidth and latency as needed. For example, it can support up to 50,000 simultaneous devices and 100 eNodeBs.
The Cloud Packet Core also incorporates Nokia’s Cloud Mobility Manager and the Cloud Mobile Gateway software. It will also interconnect with Tier 1 operators so that enterprises can extend the coverage of their private LTE networks.
The Cloud Packet Core works with the Nokia Airframe server, which helps speed up deployment time.
Nokia envisions its Cloud Packet Core supporting applications like train control and real-time video feeds as well as alarm notifications for transportation companies. It also can be used in oil and gas refineries to enhance productivity by facilitating real-time processing and relaying of rig production data.
Earlier this month, Nokia introduced a new Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) platform that lets enterprises connect low-latency applications at the edge of the network. The platform will use a combination of small cells and macro base stations to let enterprises process data closer to end users, reducing bandwidth costs. Sometimes the connectivity will be over operator LTE networks, and sometimes it will use WiFi networks.
