SD-WAN and 5G updates: VMware is delivering new and enhanced remote worker/device connectivity and intelligent wireless capabilities to its SD-WAN and SASE customers. This includes the announcement that VMware SD-WAN Client is expected to be available in the first quarter of VMware’s 2024 fiscal year. At the same time, VMware and Intel are collaborating on new edge appliances featuring 5G connectivity. These are to allow support for additional SD-WAN use cases involving mobile and IoT devices.

New Partner Agreement with Samsung: Samsung Electronics and VMware announced their first commercial collaboration at MWC. It centers on the integration of Samsung’s virtualized RAN with VMware Telco Cloud Platform as a part of a Dish 5G network buildout. VMware said the two companies offer “an advanced topology that is proven, fully interoperable and allows CSPs to accelerate and streamline their RAN deployments at scale and helps reduce network costs.”

Collaboration with NTT DATA: Elsewhere, NTT DATA and VMware expanded their partnership. The companies are looking to accelerate software-defined, large-scale Open RAN deployments through combined solutions and services. They said they will further collaborate on enabling global CSPs to transform from traditional operations to more agile, cloud-smart approaches in the RAN. This includes instantiation, configuration, testing and operation of cloud native functions (CNFs) on new or existing network deployments. VMware also noted that NTT DATA’s CI/CD/CT framework now incorporates extensive support for the vendor’s Telco Cloud portfolio.

Service Management and Orchestration Framework: VMware also introduced its vision for the Service Management and Orchestration framework. This follows the O-RAN alliance’s approach of simplifying, optimizing and automating the RAN and its applications. To achieve this, VMware is leveraging its suite of telco cloud management and orchestration solutions. These include VMware Centralized RIC (non-real-time RIC), VMware Telco Cloud Automation, and VMware Telco Cloud Service Assurance. VMware said CSPs can better streamline the deployments of a programmable 5G RAN network with end-to-end automation and optimization.

Project Kauai: Additionally, VMware unveiled Project Kauai as a technical preview, to provide CSPs with more options for deploying a modern and disaggregated RAN. It said Project Kauai will complement VMware ESXi by allowing CSPs to run virtualized and disaggregated RAN functions directly on a bare metal server with VMware Tanzu. VMware said it hopes to provide CSPs with greater choice and flexibility particularly in the most demanding areas of their RAN – far edge cell sites.