Etisalat Deploys Residential vCPE Using NEC/Netcracker's NaaS Solution

WALTHAM, MA — March 15, 2018 — NEC Corporation and Netcracker Technology announced today that Etisalat has implemented NEC/Netcracker's full-stack Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) solution for the deployment of its residential virtual customer premises equipment (vCPE). Etisalat is the first communications service provider to leverage vCPE in the Middle East and Africa.

Etisalat is the Middle East's leading communications provider, offering a wide range of 3G, 4G and fiber-to-the-home services to more than 142 million customers across the region. This deployment is part of Etisalat's larger cloud initiative, called the Sahaab program, which will help it reduce the time needed to bring innovative services to market and enable the delivery of a better digital experience for its customers.

As part of the initiative, Etisalat is using NEC/Netcracker's full-stack Network-as-a-Service solution comprised with Self-Service Portals, Service Orchestration and MANO offerings, as well as security virtual network functions. The solution will enable Etisalat to generate new revenue by providing a wider range of value-added services to residential customers.

The NaaS solution will help Etisalat reduce costs and create a platform to offer innovative services and open up new revenue streams.

• Through the use of NaaS and virtualization capabilities that are hardware-independent, Etisalat will be able to move away from proprietary network hardware platforms and save on capex. By virtualizing customer premises functions and moving them into the network, Etisalat will be able to cut down on truck rolls and mitigate technician costs.
• The NaaS platform also creates the foundation to introduce new services faster and in a much more flexible way, enabling greater segmentation and targeting of residential customers and providing greater control and usability to Etisalat's customers.

"We are excited to kick off our virtualization program with NEC and Netcracker," said Esmaeel Alhammadi, Senior Vice President of Network Development at Etisalat. "NEC/Netcracker's NaaS solution will help us generate new revenue and deliver new offerings using value-added services, leading to a better overall customer experience."

"We are honored to have partnered with Etisalat to launch the first commercial vCPE solutions in the Middle East and Africa," said Shigeru Okuya, Senior Vice President at NEC Corporation. "Our solution will help Etisalat automate the operation and maintenance of its physical and virtual network infrastructure, while generating new revenue streams in the residential market."

"Etisalat is demonstrating market-leading vision and execution in the deployment of network functions virtualization across its new service offerings," said Aloke Tusnial, CTO of SDN/NFV at Netcracker. "We are excited to help Etisalat bring new, innovative solutions to market faster with our Ecosystem 2.0 program and be a strategic partner in executing its vision."

About NEC Corporation

NEC Corporation is a leader in the integration of IT and network technologies that benefit businesses and people around the world. By providing a combination of products and solutions that cross utilize the company's experience and global resources, NEC's advanced technologies meet the complex and ever-changing needs of its customers. NEC brings more than 100 years of expertise in technological innovation to empower people, businesses and society.  For more information, visit NEC at http://www.nec.com.

The NEC Group globally provides "Solutions for Society" that promote the safety, security, efficiency and equality of society. Under the company's corporate message of "Orchestrating a brighter world," NEC aims to help solve a wide range of challenging issues and to create new social value for the changing world of tomorrow. For more information, please visit https://www.nec.com/en/global/about/vision/.

NEC is a registered trademark of NEC Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Other product or service marks mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners. ©2018 NEC Corporation.

About Netcracker Technology

Netcracker Technology, a wholly owned subsidiary of NEC Corporation, is a forward-looking software company, offering mission-critical solutions to service providers around the globe. Our comprehensive portfolio of software solutions and professional services enables large-scale digital transformations, unlocking the opportunities of the cloud, virtualization and the changing mobile ecosystem. With an unbroken service delivery track record of more than 20 years, our unique combination of technology, people and expertise helps companies transform their networks and enable better experiences for their customers.

For more information, visit www.netcracker.com.

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