Software-definable Networking

One of the challenges facing mobile operators is the migration of their network to accommodate the next generation wireless services. Part of the challenge incorporates protecting their investment during the course of this migration. The typical “fork-lift” upgrade process, involving multiple truckrolls and hardware replacement results in a very expensive, lengthy, and difficult to manage process. As the carriers migrate from 2G to 3G to 4G and beyond, continually employing this “rip-and-replace” strategy only creates unnecessary headaches for the operators and limits their flexibility and speed of execution. Carrier Access® FLEXengine™ software enables this process to be performed as a software migration, without changing the hardware (except when new interface cards are required), and as part of its design enables interoperability between Carrier Access products and third party equipment as well. This software-defined networking capability allows the operator to reuse the same hardware throughout this migration process, thus protecting that investment, saving significant costs, and allowing the operator to migrate with efficiency, speed and flexibility.