25 February 2016, Shenzhen, China – ZTE Corporation (0763.HK / 000063.SZ), a major international provider of telecommunications, enterprise and consumer technology solutions for the mobile internet, today announced the release of its efficient, scalable and elastic cloud bearing solution that makes full use of software-defined networking (SDN) / network function virtualisation (NFV) technology to develop a network structure centred on the datacentre and integrated with cloud and channel. ZTE’s elastic cloud bearing solution is composed of cloud access, cloud interconnection and cloud network, addressing all scenarios including terminal and cloud, cloud and cloud, as well as inside the cloud. 

Cloud access focuses on the network connection from terminal user to the edge cloud. It provides users with a high-speed and convenient network connection service such as mobile backhaul. ZTE has released software defined internet protocol radio access network (SD-IPRAN) and single protocol transport network (SPTN) solutions, which introduces SDN network architecture, uses virtualisation, and an SDN controller to take unified management of all devices at the access layer and aggregation layer. In this way it can implement plug and play and one-key service deployment. 90 percent of the work can be completed by one key so that the operations, administration and management (OAM) workload can be greatly reduced and simplified. In addition, the PC version, PAD version, and app mobile phone version being released at the same time, enable network everywhere instead of limiting to within the equipment room. It is estimated that 30 percent of personnel cost can be saved with ZTE SD-IPRAN OAM system. 

Cloud interconnection is the connection between clouds. At present, ZTE has conducted in-depth research and has made distinctive achievements on datacentre interconnect (DCI), IP backbone traffic optimisation, optical network automatic scheduling and IP+ optical coordination. ZTE released its software-defined optical networking (SDON) solution at the WDM & Next Generation Optical Networking forum in 2015, and helped operators build efficient, elastic and open optical networks in three planes. At the transport plane, it uses the programmable optical network devices with large crossing capacity, excellent transmission performance, complete service types, and 100G/beyond-100G orientation. At the control plane, it takes a centralized control and management of the transmission capability and switching capability of the programmable optical network devices. The hierarchical controller enables the network scale to expand flexibly. At the application plane, it provides the operators, leasing customers, and partners with service application cloud to meet their maintenance, operation and value-added service needs. 

Cloud network is the network inside the cloud. The major challenges that the cloud network faces are how to quickly and efficiently meet cloud service needs, realise quick service activation, and how to effectively integrate virtual data centre (VDC) service and resources to reduce network construction and OAM cost. ZTE’s VDC network solution gets connected with cloud platform system via SDN controller. It can quickly implement real-time control and adjustment of the network, realise end-to-end (E2E) network deployment and adjustment, and meet cloud service needs. Additionally, it can dramatically simplify the network so as to reduce network operation costs. 

Mr. Fan Chengfa, Chief Engineer of Bearer Network product line of ZTE says: “ZTE continues to provide innovation to global operators with its competitive solutions and products. ZTE is actively involved in how SDN/NFV technology is currently reconfiguring the network by promoting and piloting its own SDN/NFV implementations. So far ZTE has finished more than 30 SDN tests and pilot projects. The ZTE elastic cloud bearing solution will assist operators around the world to build an efficient, scalable and elastic bearing network that addresses the needs of to the future.”