Telefónica Business Solutions is using VMware, Dell EMC, and Intel for its Virtual Data Center 4.0, the next iteration of its VDC public cloud offering. And Telefónica has worked with these partners to introduce new features, including Kubernetes-as-a-Service and self-managed MPLS-VPN.

Telefónica is interconnecting all of its Virtual Data Center (VDC) nodes to deliver solutions for multinational customers in Spain, the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, and Peru.

According to a VMware spokesperson, the VDC service is based on VMware’s Cloud Provider Platform, and it enables customers to create virtual infrastructure combining compute and storage as well as advanced networking such as software-defined LAN, SD-WAN, and MPLS Virtual Private Networks. The VMware Cloud Provider Platform also provides management and operations software. It delivers flexible tenancy and self-service options across multi-tenant and single-tenant cloud-hosted environments.

Telefónica’s upcoming VDC 4.0 release introduces the ability for an enterprise to self-manage its MPLS-VPN to order bandwidth on-demand. And it includes Kubernetes-as-a-Service based on VMware’s Container Service Extension for vCloud Director.

The VDC also provides services such as backup, disaster recovery, security, and packaged enterprise applications. And the VDC 4.0 release includes advanced data backup and recovery capabilities based on Dell EMC Data Protection for vCloud Director.

VMware clarified that this relationship with Telefónica pertains to the service provider’s Business Solutions group and not to Telefónica’s telco network virtualization project called Unica. VMware declined to comment on whether it was working with Telefónica on Unica. Although VMware’s logo appears on some charts explaining Unica that the analyst firm Analysys Mason prepared.

For its Unica project Telefónica requires all vendors that want to sell virtual network functions (VNFs) to it to prove their products in Telefónica’s lab. Netscout Systems said earlier this year that two of its network monitoring products made the cut.

Last year Telefόnica expressed its discontent with vendors that it felt weren’t helping it enough in relation to its implementation of OpenStack. The Spanish telco worked with Analysys Mason to publish a white paper that spells out the work of its Unica virtualization project.

Telefόnica is also a member of the Open Network Foundation’s partner supply chain project. The project is creating reference designs for how to put modular open source components together to create platforms for different use cases. The ONF created the project because some telecom operators were frustrated and impatient with vendors that they think aren’t evolving their products fast enough.