Orange Business Services has chosen Ekinops and Dell Technologies as partners for a new universal customer premise equipment (uCPE) platform, based on which Orange will deliver solutions to mid-market and large enterprise customers worldwide.
This platform will allow enterprises to consolidate their site connectivity and functionality with virtual network functions (VNF) management.
The solution is a result of co-innovation between Orange and its strategic partners Ekinops and Dell Technologies, combining Enterprise Branch Server IT and Virtualisation Management. The uCPE uses hardware provided by Dell Technologies OEM | Embedded & Edge Solutions running middleware built by Ekinops, a supplier of advanced network access solutions.
Enterprises can install VNFs remotely to a uCPE deployed at any site. A single box can run multiple network functions, such as routers, SD-WAN, firewalls and WAN optimisation, allowing customers to provision new sites and services much more quickly. The Ekinops VNF certification program currently has certified over 30 third-party VNFs.
Also, the solution will help enterprises move toward Edge computing, with use cases such as video, AI or IoT running locally on the uCPE. Carrying out data processing at the Edge will help them improve application performance and assure data privacy.
“Our global enterprise customers require increased flexibility in terms of connectivity solutions and infrastructure optimisation,” said Anne-Marie Thiollet, VP of the connectivity business unit at Orange. “This uCPE solution developed with Ekinops and Dell Technologies will give enterprises further choice in terms of deployment and reinforces our ecosystem-based approach.”
