Posted by Tokyo, Japan: Cisco and NEC Corporation on Wednesday announced major plans to expand their collaboration in the areas of system integration solutions, 5G xHaul and private 5G networks to help customers. These efforts will help to bring 5G connectivity and automation of networks across the globe.
End-to-End 5G xHaul Automation
Cisco and NEC have expanded areas of collaboration under their Global Systems Integrator Agreement (GSIA) signed two years ago. This includes augmented solutions for scalable 5G xHaul transport networks, such as enhanced capabilities for end-to-end automation and routed optical networking to support operators’ monetisation of 5G.
As part of the new collaboration, NEC will leverage its vast ecosystem and expertise as a global network integrator to overcome the complexity of multi-vendor networks. The company’s 5G Transport Centers of Excellence (CoE) in EMEA and LATAM, with both local and regional engineering capabilities and a pool of global experience, will play a central role in navigating customers’ end-to-end network lifecycle and optimisation in a phased approach.
With extensive experience, leadership, and knowledge of the industry, combined with a commitment to research and development, Cisco will provide industry-leading solutions that meet growing customer demands.
“The needs for modernised architecture in 5G have steadily enhanced our partnership with Cisco, leading us to this next level of partnership,” said Hideyuki Ogata, GM – Service Provider Solutions Department, NEC.
“The industry-leading solutions from Cisco and our ecosystem partners, combined with our world-class network integration capabilities, enable us to deliver compelling solutions to multiple operators and verticals across the world,” added Ogata.
“Partnering with world-class technology leaders is essential to reaching the future of connectivity that we know is possible,” said Sanjay Kaul, President – Service Provider Business, Asia Pacific and Japan, Cisco.
“That is why our partnership with NEC is so special. Our multi-level collaboration has enabled some of the largest IP Networks in the world using breakthrough architectures that change economics with routed optical networking, virtual routing, and 5G radio interoperability,” added Kaul.
Private 5G
In addition to transport xHaul networks, the two companies plan to work together in areas of IoT, 5G, and Wi-Fi, driving the next wave of industrial transformation.
Under Cisco’s Country Digital Acceleration program, work is in progress to qualify NEC’s new UNIVERGE RV 1200 radio with Cisco’s Private 5G solution at Cisco’s 5G Showcase in Tokyo, a world-leading 5G services incubation hub and Cisco engineering site to deliver game-changing private 5G solutions in the Japanese market.
“We are pleased to add private 5G for business to our long-standing strategic partnership between Cisco and NEC,” said Suhun Yun, MD – Digital Network Business Division, NEC.
“We look forward to the expansion of the partnership between the two companies, which will help accelerate private 5G market expansion and further efforts to address social issues,” added Yun.