Telecom operators seeking to advance their cloud migration strategies now have a powerful ally in the form of a newly strengthened partnership between Ericsson and Dell. These industry giants are pooling their expertise to assist communication service providers (CSPs) in navigating the complexities of network cloud transformation.
A recent survey by Dell highlights the urgency of this issue, revealing that 90% of operators consider network transformation crucial for their survival. Despite this, 96% of respondents report that their progress is hindered by obstacles such as time constraints, budget limitations, and concerns over reliability and security.
Recognizing these challenges, Ericsson and Dell have expanded their collaboration, initially focused on cloud RAN solutions that integrate Ericsson’s software and equipment with Dell’s hardware. The enhanced partnership aims to provide comprehensive consulting and integration services to support operators through their transformation journeys.
While new market entrants like Dish in the US, 1&1 in Germany, and Rakuten in Japan can build cloud-native networks from scratch, most CSPs must contend with the intricate task of transitioning existing networks without significant disruption. This process is both time-consuming and costly, acting as a deterrent to widespread change.
Dennis Hoffman, SVP and General Manager of Dell’s telecom systems business, emphasized the strategic importance of this partnership. He stated that the collaboration with Ericsson leverages their combined expertise to offer CSPs detailed plans and technologies necessary for accelerating network transformations and fostering business growth.
The partnership will see Ericsson and Dell crafting tailored network transformation strategies, advising on network architectures, and reducing the risks of deploying open, multi-vendor environments. They will also co-create solutions to enhance energy efficiency and innovate cloud RAN infrastructure operations.
In addition to these initiatives, the commercial launch of Ericsson Cloud RAN software on Dell PowerEdge servers is a significant milestone. This solution will feature continuous integration testing and lifecycle management, with Dell taking a leading role.
Moreover, Dell and Ericsson plan to develop services to streamline deployment processes, from factory validation to ongoing operational management, all supported by their joint expertise.
Fredrik Jejdling, EVP and head of Business Area Networks at Ericsson, underscored the strategic nature of this partnership, which aims to propel cloud-native programmable networks forward and introduce innovative practices to the telecom market.
