Ericsson has announced the release of its Intelligent Automation Platform, a service management and orchestration tool that allows any mobile network to be intelligently automated.
As a natural next step in building the future networks, Ericsson is adding the Ericsson Intelligent Automation Platform and a suite of rApps to its existing products, which include cloud native dual-mode 5G Core the Cloud RAN portfolio. The solution enables AI and automation, which helps to develop smarter networks by improving network performance, operational efficiency, and customer experience. The cloud-native solution will support a variety of vendors and RAN technologies, including purpose-built and Open RAN, and will function across new and existing 4G and 5G radio access networks (RAN).
Jan Karlsson, Senior Vice President and Head of Business Area Digital Services Ericsson, says: “We embrace the principle of openness and the evolution to open network architectures. Building upon our Cloud RAN offering, we are taking another major step towards building the network for the digital future with the launch of Ericsson Intelligent Automation Platform, which fundamentally enables smarter mobile networks. We look forward to providing our customers with an open platform that enables operational efficiency, enhances customer experience and drives service innovation. I am happy to hear the reactions from our customers already being positive towards our new product and we look forward to future development and innovation.”
Neil McRae, MD Architecture & Strategy, BT Group Chief Architect, says: “At BT we connect for good and continuously innovate to provide the best services for our customers. As we expand and modernize building more reliable networks in more places, managing network complexity via automation is critical to ensure our customers best quality of experience. I’m pleased to see that Ericsson is launching the Intelligent Automation Platform for automating networks, based on the O-RAN Alliance Service Management and Orchestration (SMO) concept. Ericsson’s vision to extend that SMO concept to support both Open RAN and existing 4G and 5G networks, using a single operational pane-of-glass is an innovative approach.”
Toshikazu Yokai, Executive Officer, Chief Director of Mobile Technology, KDDI, says: “KDDI recognizes the importance of Service Management and Orchestration (SMO) and automation to achieve optimal network operations across multi-vendor, purpose-built RAN and Open RAN environments. SMO combined with an open software-development toolkit (SDK) can drive application (rApps) innovation and diversity, unleashing CSP, telecommunications vendor and third-party software provider innovation to optimize network performance, improve operational efficiency drive superior customer experiences. KDDI expects SMO and the Non-Real-Time RAN Intelligent Controller (Non-RT-RIC) to fine-tune RAN behavior and to assure SLAs dynamically based on slice specific service requirements. KDDI looks forward to collaborating with Ericsson to explore the potential of these solutions.”
Sue Rudd, Director Networks and Service Platforms, Strategy Analytics, says: “Ericsson Intelligent Automation Platform brings scalability, performance and operations simplicity to the increasingly complex environment of mobile networks, including purpose-built and Open RAN. Ericsson’s long-demonstrated expertise in radio networking and end-to-end network slicing, in parallel with its active participation in the O-RAN Alliance and leadership in ONAP network automation, have enabled it to create this powerful platform to assist customers to maximize their ROI through smart delivery of high-quality services to their end-customers. Ericsson’s proven record of multi-vendor service orchestration and open operations automation make it an excellent partner for rApps developers and systems integrators who can leverage this unique toolkit and development environment.”
As communications service providers (CSPs) evolve their networks, this will provide them more options. Ericsson’s investment reflects the company’s efforts to the development of Open RAN technology in the industry.
Ericsson’s Intelligent Automation Platform uses artificial intelligence (AI) and radio network applications (rApps) to automate the radio access network. Ericsson Intelligent Automation Platform features a non-real-time RAN intelligent controller (Non-RT-RIC) that manages rApps, comparable to an operating system that automates processes, resources and discovers network enhancements.
The platform encourages ecosystem innovation by allowing software developers to create products using a toolset (SDK). On the platform, Ericsson will make a suite of rApps with field-proven capabilities available in four domains: efficient automated deployment, network healing, network evolution, and network optimization. In conjunction with clients, the suite will continue to expand.
