Why the Adoption of NFV (Network Function Virtualization) Mandates a Big Data Management Approach

Today’s Communications Service Providers (CSPs) are under intense pressures including:

(1) increasing demand for services such as mobile data, combined with a limited ability to increase the prices they charge for these services (2) the growth of Over The Top (OTT) players that leverage the networks provided by CSPs in order to compete with CSPs in areas such as unified communications and (3) customers shifting away from CSPs’ high-margin services (such as MPLS) to low-margin services such as Internet access.

CSPs are adapting to this changing environment, in part, by adopting Network Function Virtualization (NFV). NFV holds the promise of enabling CSPs to quickly and easily deploy and operate services and functions in a more cost effective manner than is currently possible. This whitepaper argues that to successfully adopt NFV, CSPs should focus on pervasive data collection and a sophisticated, big data approach to storing and analyzing management data.

Download this whitepaper by analyst Jim Metzler of Ashton, Metzler & Associates to learn about:

• The promise of NFV and common implementation pitfalls.
• Examples of Virtualized Network Functions, including the Virtual Evolved Packet Core (vEPC).
• Management challenges associated with NFV
• Fundamental infrastructure changes that CSPs should consider to fully realize the promise of Network Function Virtualization.