Etisalat has chosen NEC/Netcracker as the prime solution provider for its multivendor telecom cloud program. NEC/Netcracker will provide systems integration services, operational tools, NFV orchestration and full automation in a DevOps mode to “cloudify” its network. As the prime integrator, NEC/Netcracker will also provide third-party hardware, VIM, SDN control and network equipment to create a full end-to-end cloud platform. Etisalat’s companywide program, called the Sahaab initiative, will leverage NEC/Netcracker’s NFVI solution to make its network more agile, responsive, scalable and efficient, enabling the deployment of advanced digital services.

Etisalat is the Middle East’s leading communications provider, offering services to more than 160 million customers. Etisalat’s Sahaab program will help it improve operational performance, reduce time-to-market for digital services and enable greater network elasticity.

NEC/Netcracker’s open, standards-compliant solution will introduce new levels of automation for Etisalat, enabling the speed and agility required for optimizing virtual network function (VNF) performance. NEC/Netcracker’s NFV Orchestration solution, which can seamlessly scale to manage dynamic network services and virtual resources, will ensure that Etisalat’s cloud-based network can support new digital services such as 5G, IoT and smart cities.