AVP: A Better Way to Embrace SDN/NFV
The launch of AVP highlights the drive to make virtualization more viable and profitable.
Virtualization has been around for years, but despite all the talk about the many benefits of going virtual, few operators have actually gone through with deployment. While service providers may be enjoying lower operational costs and faster time-to-market for new services as they move functions and processes from dedicated hardware to the cloud, the next step of actually generating new revenue remains elusive.
The launch of NEC/Netcracker’s Agile Virtualization Platform and Practice (AVP), a unique set of tools, best practices, methodologies and professional services, aims to address the challenge of creating revenue from virtualization.
AVP’s unveiling took place in Monaco a week ahead of TM Forum Live! 2016. Here are a few takeaways from the event:
Operators are looking for fast and easy ways to onboard, deploy and generate revenue from virtual services.
At the heart of AVP is its Virtual Development and Operations Center (VDOC), which will help operators reduce time-to-market for new services and lower costs. With a DevOps approach and various development tools, VDOC can make partner onboarding and the rollout of innovative services easier.
Traditional OSS must expand to address operations and maintenance issues surrounding virtual services.
AVP’s Hybrid Operations Management (HOM) component helps service providers operate virtual and traditional networks at scale simultaneously. It fills the gaps in conventional hybrid network management and integrates with VDOC in order to create a dynamic and continuous loop between production and development environments.
The value of delivering VNFs to customers is diminished if service providers can’t rate, charge or bill for them.
Business Enablement Applications (BEA), an integral part of AVP, help operators operationalize and monetize SDN and NFV by enabling them to leverage greater BSS functionality. With a virtualization-ready product catalog, VNF onboarding and license management, partner management, self-service and a cloud-ready marketplace with real-time transaction management, operators can create new revenue streams using virtual services.
The inherent complexity of virtualization necessitates help from trusted partners.
Service providers generally face three key challenges with virtualization: commercialization uncertainty, operational complexity and organizational misalignment. The overarching Primary Systems Integration Practice (PSIP) component of AVP enables operators to access strong technical expertise in both physical and virtual environments to deploy SDN and NFV in a way that suits their needs.
Industry watchers and analysts have embraced AVP positively since its launch largely due to the fact that AVP’s unique combination of technology and best practices is unlike anything currently available in the market. As operators embrace this new approach to deploying and ultimately monetizing SDN and NFV, expect to see a greater uptick in virtualized services and environments, allowing service providers to become more agile and deliver a better customer experience.