Now that Nokia has spent the past several months integrating Alcatel-Lucent after its $17 billion acquisition of the firm, the company is setting its sights on growing its enterprise business.
With that in mind, Nokia has introduced a new Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) platform that lets enterprises connect low-latency applications at the edge of the network. Basically, the MEC 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. Nokia also says that eventually the connectivity options will include MulteFire technology, which makes LTE work over unlicensed spectrum.
Once Nokia gets the connectivity figured out, it will then work with enterprises to produce applications that will be integrated into the MEC platform. Initially, Nokia is focusing on three specific enterprise edge applications including object tracking, video surveillance, and video analytics.
Everything-as-a-ServiceNokia is also developing a portfolio of “everything-as-a-service” products that will leverage the company’s AirFrame Data Center technology, which is part of the Open Compute Project and promotes non-proprietary gear in the data center.
Nokia introduced AirFrame in June 2015. The product line includes servers, switches, and storage hardware built off of open source specs and are optimized for network functions virtualization (NFV).
Nokia will include a variety of technologies in its XaaS portfolio including WiFi, fixed, and mobile that will help guarantee connectivity for enterprises. The company will deliver these services on a multi-tenancy basis using its AVA cognitive services platform allowing customers to reduce operating expenses like installation costs.
For example, Nokia’s WiFi controller-as-a-service will let Nokia manage up to 8,000 outdoor and indoor access points and provide subscribers with secure access. The company’s optimization-as-a-service lets operators get access to proprietary software like 3-D Geolocation.
Nokia will host the XaaS platform at its data centers.
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