du Selects GENBAND’s NFV Session Border Controller (SBC) for High Scale Interconnect Applications, a First in the Middle East

Barcelona, Spain, Feb 28, 2017 – GENBAND™, a leading provider of real-time communications solutions, today announced that UAE-based telecommunications service provider du has selected GENBAND’s Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) Session Border Controller (SBC) to provide industry-leading interconnect applications, enabling seamless connectivity between disparate communications networks, a first time in the Middle East. The geo-distributed Virtual Network Function (VNF) SBC running in du’s cloud will combine with GENBAND’s Advanced Media Software (AMS) on the Q50 platform in a hybrid deployment environment, offering the service provider high network resiliency and the opportunity to future-proof its network via a seamless evolution path to a fully virtualized cloud environment.

GENBAND’s SBC VNF, a key component of GENBAND’s NFV software technology, utilizes the latest Intel architecture and software-based media processing capabilities to provide du with advanced independently scalable signaling and media processing functionality. GENBAND’s SBC VNF enables an industry-leading 200K concurrent media sessions and more than 100K transcoded sessions. This capacity can be shared across multiple distributed appliance-based or NFV-based virtual signaling SBC instances – a unique capability enabling operators to achieve significant cost savings and an easier migration path to NFV cloud environments.

“GENBAND’s innovative architecture not only provides us with the flexibility to transition to the NFV cloud at our own pace, but offers superior interconnect, media and transcoding capabilities,” said Saleem AlBlooshi, Executive Vice President - Infrastructure & Technology, du. “GENBAND is an emphatic choice based on our demanding requirements. Deploying the Genband Interconnect SBC in a cloud environment gives du significant advantages because of the ease and speed by which virtual instantiations of an SBC can be deployed. This provides elasticity - the ability to have on-demand instantiation of a virtual SBC to match dynamic traffic demands. Elasticity gives du much greater flexibility in how to meet dynamic traffic demands. We are embarking on major transformation towards virtual converged IT/Telecom cloud hosted in our data centers. This transformation will helps us reduce costs, virtualize our networks beyond hardware limitations, automate our services, and deliver agility and flexibility.”

“Our NFV SBC provides du with a revolutionary architecture that meets their current interconnect demands and seamlessly addresses the ever increasing need for scale,” said Paul Miller, Chief Technology Officer for Networks, GENBAND.  “Our NFV solutions allow forward thinking service providers like du to optimize their networks for cost and traffic in a very efficient manner and effortlessly evolve as their network and market demands change.”

GENBAND’s solution also offers fully virtualized software-based centralized element management and analytics, offering du cutting-edge data collection and reporting.

Key Takeaways:

• du has selected GENBAND’s NFV Session Border Controller and in-network Advanced Media Software (AMS) for high scale interconnect and advance media scaling and transcoding capabilities.
• The AMS solution also enables the service provider to migrate the media processing and transcoding to the NFV cloud as a fully elastically scalable VNF.

• The GENBAND NFV SBC and geo-resilient Q50 will run in a hybrid environment, offering du high network resiliency and a seamless migration path to a full NFV cloud environment.
• Following a comprehensive due diligence process du selected GENBAND’s SBC because of its market-leading performance and its ability to meet the company’s demanding requirements.
• GENBAND’s comprehensive solution also comes with fully virtualized software-based centralized element management and analytics, offering du cutting-edge data collection and reporting.

View this short video to learn more about the numerous benefits of the Q50 Advanced Media Software.

About du

du is a vibrant and multiple award-winning telecommunications service provider serving over 8 million individual customers with its mobile, fixedline, broadband internet, and Home services over its 4G LTE network. du also caters to over 80,000 UAE businesses with its vast range of ICT and managed services. Since its launch in 2007, du has many UAE firsts to its credit, including introduction of Pay by the Second® billing system, IPTV and self-service portal.

du is ideally placed to support the realisation of UAE Vision 2021 and transformation of Dubai into a Smart City. du is also the official strategic partner of the Smart Dubai Office and the platform provider for Smart Dubai. Following the successful testing of the Middle East’s first Internet of Things (IoT) network, du is on course to complete deployment of its IoT network in 2016.

Brand Finance ranked du as the 12th most valuable brand in the Middle East in 2016. du previously won the coveted Brand of the year title by Superbrands Middle East in 2013. The company has been recognised with several other awards such as ISO 27001 certification of Managed Security Services and having the distinction of opening UAE’s first LEED Platinum Certified Green Shop. du also has the unique distinction of the first telecom in the world to release Sustainability Report based  on GRI-G4 guidelines in 2014. du is also credited with du’s world-class teleport is the largest of its kind in the Middle East and ranked among the top teleports in the world by World teleport Association.

As an Emirati business, du is vested in supporting innovation and entrepreneurship in the UAE. The company has, on average, had an Emiratisation rate of 34% since 2013 across its entire business. Human capital is a key focus area for the company, and the company employs nearly 2000 people from over 60 nationalities. du has won Gallup Great Workplace Award for two consecutive years.

du is 39.5 percent owned by Emirates Investment Authority, 19.75 percent by Mubadala Development Company PJSC, 19.5 percent by Emirates Communications and Technology LLC and the remaining by public shareholders. Listed on the Dubai Financial Market (DFM), the company trades under the name ‘du’.

For more information visit www.du.ae

About GENBAND

GENBAND is a global leader in real-time communications software solutions for service providers, enterprises, independent software vendors, systems integrators and developers in over 80 countries. Kandy, its award-winning, disruptive real-time communications software development platform, is built from the company’s global telecommunications network and security technologies. The platform enables these companies to easily embed a full suite of voice, video, chat, screen-sharing and collaboration capabilities into their existing business, web and mobile applications.  The company’s Network Modernization, Unified Communications, Mobility and Embedded Communications solutions enable its customers to quickly capitalize on growing market segments and introduce differentiating products, applications and services. GENBAND’s market-leading solutions, which are deployable in the network, on premise or through the cloud, help its customers connect people to each other and address the growing demands of today’s consumers and businesses for real-time communications wherever they happen to be. To learn more visit genband.com.

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