PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ConteXtream, Inc., a rapidly emerging network virtualization solution provider, today announced that its ConteXtream Service Provider Software-Defined Networking (SDN) solution has been deployed by a Tier 1 U.S. wireless operator to virtualize a network of nearly 40 million wireless users. ConteXtream’s Service Provider-SDN technology was selected by the wireless operator to create a virtualized service abstraction layer, constructing the largest SDN implemented on production traffic to date. This deployment represents the true first step to achieving Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) as outlined by the ETSI1 Industry Specification Group (ISG).
Today’s networks are built using many proprietary hardware appliances that are physically wired together, configured redundantly and provisioned to handle the highest peak of projected traffic load within the region they are installed. This results in a severely underutilized network and limited ability for operators to innovate with new revenue generating services. Seeking help from vendors and other industry participants, an independent group of network operators issued the NFV white paper to outline the challenges service providers face and the benefits of transitioning network functions to software running on high volume industry standard servers.
“Our customer recognized the potential benefits of network virtualization for Mobile Service Delivery and had the vision to pioneer an approach that is now recognized as the foundation of Service Provider-SDN for carrier network virtualization, we are proud to have been selected to be at the core of this groundbreaking large scale deployment of Service Provider-SDN,” said Nachman Shelef, CEO at ConteXtream. “ConteXtream’s Service Provider-SDN enables operators to leverage standard, low-cost server hardware and virtualize network functions, resulting in a more efficient and higher utilized network, at a far lower cost. Given the NFV white paper and this large scale production deployment by a leading carrier, we expect that this will be a model that many service providers follow in the coming years.”
ConteXtream’s solution is being leveraged by the Tier 1 wireless service provider to create a virtualized service abstraction layer, enabling the wireless service provider to more quickly add new applications and network services. ConteXtream’s Service Provider-SDN solution identifies and steers traffic to the specific subset of network functions needed to support each subscriber flow, enabling far greater network efficiency, and providing improved network management and subscriber visibility. Existing network functions, as well as the ones being newly introduced, benefit from this deployment. They include content filtering, spam filtering, customized billing, distributed caching, video optimization, TCP optimization, ad insertion, and network and subscriber analytics.
ConteXtream’s Service Provider SDN solution is implemented as a SDN overlay flow-mapping fabric that embraces the existing IP network and extends it with a virtualization layer that enables resource elasticity and mobility of both subscribers and services. ConteXtream is promoting, together with other industry leaders, this SDN overlay approach based on IETF RFC6830, IETF NVO3 guidelines, and IETF draft-lisp-nfv, in standards bodies and industry forums. The performance and scale of ConteXtream’s in-line software solution relies on the advanced hardware technology of Intel based high performance multi-core and advanced IO Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) servers.
For more information on ConteXtream’s Service Provider-SDN solutions, please visit the company’s website at http://www.ConteXtream.com, find us on Twitter under the handle @ConteXtream, or connect with us on LinkedIn.
About ConteXtream
ConteXtream, Inc. is a rapidly emerging network virtualization solution provider that creates a new business model for wireless carriers by allowing them to sell network capacity in the same way cloud computing providers sell compute and storage capacity. Deployed by tier-1 operators, ConteXtream’s Service Provider Software-Defined Networking (SDN) solution facilitates elastic provisioning of network capacity and its dynamic allocation to multiple enterprise customers based on their exact needs, much like multi-tenant cloud providers do for other infrastructure services. Headquartered in Palo Alto, Calif., ConteXtream is backed by Benhamou Global Ventures, Gemini Israel Funds, Norwest Venture Partners and Sofinnova Ventures as well as Comcast Ventures and Verizon Ventures. For additional information, visit www.ConteXtream.com.
1 ETSI – European Telecommunications Standards Institute