Achieving 5G Slicing Across Multi-Cloud & Multi-Vendor Networks

Network slicing is a hot topic that has been touted as a critical capability to unlocking the monetization of 5G. However, it’s rare to find a real-world example of how to do it that isn’t limited in both scope and capability. Part of the challenge has been the multi-domain and multi-vendor coordination required to actually achieve end-to-end network slices, as well as the deep expertise required across multiple technology silos. Our team at Itential took on this challenge to develop a solution that would address these challenges to make network slicing a reality for our customers.

Recently, we hosted a live webinar showcasing this very solution. Leveraging our partnership with Kaloom, we joined forces with Equinix to demonstrate an end-to-end customer solution for multi-customer network slicing. This is a very exciting demo as it shows a high level of innovation around network slicing, specifically in multi-cloud and multi-vendor environments.

Here are some key takeaways that make this a very unique solution for organizations trying to unlock the keys to 5G:

The Flexibility to Slice Across Clouds

Typically, network slicing demos only address the three main domains (RAN, Transport, and Mobility Core), but fail to address slicing across multi-cloud. We’ve all seen demos of network slicing automation and multi-cloud automation, but have yet to see a full end-to-end solution for multi-cloud network slicing automation until now. This solution we showcased does just that, adding an additional level of flexibility for organizations to be able to automate across their multi-cloud networks, making more scenarios and use cases than ever possible. This is a huge feat that shows the diversity of technologies and domains the Itential Automation Platform is built to automate across.

The Speed to Build & Deploy End-to-End Network Slicing

A huge accomplishment of this demo is that our team was able to spend only a two week effort to build and deploy this solution when most organizations expect to spend at least 6-9 months with multiple engineers to build something of this magnitude. This is a testament to the speed and efficiency of the Itential Automation Platform to easily integrate with any network technology. By having the ability to integrate with anything, it allows organizations to build an end-to-end network slicing solution specific to their environment in record time.

The Integration to Work with Multi-Vendor Environments

Another big highlight of this solution is the diverse set of vendors. Big vendors have shown us time and time again that they’re only focused on providing the capabilities for end-to-solutions across their ecosystems and products as opposed to their customers’ entire ecosystem, regardless of the vendor. Itential’s integration capabilities provide an immense benefit as it allows customers to focus on the full end-to-end process regardless of the domain, technology, or even vendor.

Here’s a quick demo of the solution that was showcased during our webinar so you can see these takeaways in action:

5G network slicing is becoming more and more of a reality and we are finally starting to see the technologies come together to make it possible. By working with Equinix on this real-world demo, it really solidifies the innovation and need for this end-to-end solution. You can watch the full webinar on-demand to hear firsthand from Itential, Kaloom, and Equinix on the architecture and solution as well as some insight into the current and future state of 5G.

Are you curious about how this solution could benefit your organization? Contact our experts to learn more about this project and see how your team can benefit from network automation with Itential.