Service providers invest in new technology and network evolution to increase revenues with the introduction of new services AND to reduce their operating expenses.  Network transformation has already been happening in multiple stages, starting with migration from physical network functions (PNFs) running on proprietary hardware, to software-only network functions on virtual machines running on hypervisors on COTS appliances, to virtual network functions (VNFs) implemented with network orchestration. And now we are at the next step, the transformation to cloud-native network functions (CNFs) implemented as microservices deployed in containers and managed by automated cloud-native operations.

This transition has occurred using a service provider’s data center(s), their private cloud, and even the use of one or more public clouds.  The result is that many service providers now have a hybrid network infrastructure for their network and services.  Ribbon’s Telco Cloud portfolio is designed to work across these hybrid environments and enable network evolution at the right pace for each service provider and for each specific network function.

Telco Cloud Transition

AvidThink Telco Cloud and Edge Report 2023

Next-generation foundations for communications workloads

Cloud-Native Networks

Transitioning to a cloud-native network means network functions are based upon the adoption of cloud-native design principles AND the adoption of cloud-native operations principles.  Only with both will the transition to cloud-native network functions (CNFs) meet the high expectations being set by service providers.

For Ribbon, the adoption of cloud-native design and operations principles begins with container-based microservices and automation.  Our cloud-native products enable our customers to:

  • Deliver services using a common cloud investment leveraging an extensive ecosystem of open-source software
  • Efficiently and dynamically scale up or down to optimize cloud resources
  • Seamless fit into an observability framework, across multiple network domains
  • Gain operational efficiencies with automation for software delivery, testing, workload lifecycle management, and provisioning.
  • Reduce operations expense

Ribbon currently provides the following products as cloud-native network functions:

Cloud-Native Voice for Cloud-First Service Providers

Ribbon Automation

 

Service providers who transition their real-time communications workloads to a cloud-native environment will expect Ribbon to align with their Continuous Integration / Continuous Delivery processes.   Ribbon will accomplish this with Ribbon Automation for:

  • Software Delivery
  • Testing
  • Lifecycle Management
  • Provisioning

Ribbon’s goal is to provide automation that hides eliminates the complexity of CNF management for each cloud-native function we provide

Cloud-Native SBCs for CSPs Whitepaper

Network Functions Virtualization

Many service providers are only beginning to investigate or plan their transition to a cloud-native implementation. Instead, they have implemented a network functions virtualization (NFV) infrastructure in their private cloud to eliminate dependencies on proprietary hardware, to enable more dynamic scalability, and to improve network and service flexibility.
 
Ribbon has been already been delivering multiple software products as virtual network functions (VNFs) that can be deployed on OpenStack-based private clouds as well as on public clouds such as AWS, Azure, and GCP.
 

Bandwidth Case Study

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