SmartSky Networks to Build Air-to-Ground Broadband Network
671
![]() 1154
![]() 208
![]() |
FREMONT, CA: SmartSky Networks, an aviation communications provider has selected Brocade (NASDAQ: BRCD) and VMware, Inc. (NYSE:VMW) to build a robust Air-to-Ground broadband network, as recently announced by the companies. SmartSky Networks intends to leverage the companies’ interoperable and pre-certified network functions virtualization (NFV) solutions.
To seamlessly connect more than 250 cell sites strategically situated across the U.S., SmartSky has decided to deploy the Brocade Virtual Evolved Packet Core (vEPC) running on VMware vCloud NFV and implement a new network. In addition, the airborne users can have a similar experience of their office or home through SmartSky’s Air-to-Ground network. To support SmartSky’s high-speed broadband service running over a large geographic area, Brocade and VMware’s integrated solutions will adopt a software-defined approach, which is agile, flexible, and cost-effective.
“We are building SmartSky’s network from the ground up, enabling us to rethink how a cross-continental air-to-ground network such as this should be built,” stated David Claassen, Vice President of Network and Service Architecture at SmartSky. “As we worked through the design, it became clear that using an NFV approach and leveraging commodity hardware for the underlying physical fabric would deliver the best ROI while increasing our service-ability and reducing many of the operational headaches common with traditional hardware-based networks. Brocade and VMware are delivering a combined NFV solution that will help us accelerate our delivery of this unique service offering.”
Brocade’s vEPC facilitates seamless data services across the continent, eliminating redundant functionalities and internode dependencies, which in turn lowers the cost of ownership and boosts performance more efficiently than physical node-based packet cores.
“Brocade and VMware have collaborated for years as NFV partners, driving performance, scalability and life-cycle management for network functions to customers such as SmartSky,” said Nishi Kant, vice president of mobile networking, Brocade. “Stability, ease of deployment and ongoing management of the Brocade vEPC solution are recurring themes in our customer deployments, and certification of the Brocade vEPC as VMware Ready for NFV gives customers confidence in the interoperability of our NFV platforms.”
Read Also
Cyient Set to Showcase new module at UK Airshow
Cyient to Develop the Geographical Information System and Management Information System for Varanasi
Featured Vendor
TRI-COR Industries (TCI): Delivering Innovative IT Solutions that Drive Customer Mission Performance
Kinney Group, Inc.: Disk is Dead - Forward Thinking Themes for Building Next-Generation Federal Data Centers
EDITOR'S PICK
Leverage The Customer's Personal Mobile Interaction Point
By Debra Jensen, CIO, Charlotte Russe
Use Technology to Understand Customer Better
By Phil Jordan, CIO, Telefonica
Staying Connected to Organizational Priorities is Vital...
By Alberto Ruocco, CIO, American Electric Power
IT Competing in a Segmented Marketplace
By Sven Gerjets, SVP-IT, DIRECTV
Fueling Your Business through Insights- Driven...
By Adrian Mebane, VP-Global Ethics & Compliance, The Hershey...
The Next 10 Years in Wireless: A Vision for Enterprise...
By Mike Fitton, Wireless Business Unit Director, Altera
Leveraging Cloud and Big Data to Enable Mobile Work...
By Jim Kaskade, VP and GM, Big Data & Analytics, CSC
By Graham Welch, Director-Cisco Security, Cisco
Cisco Stakes Its Claim on the Data Center -Even Your...
By Michael Watkins, Senior Product Director, Global Knowledge
Cloud Computing- Revolutionizing the Education Industry
By Nelson C. Vincent, EdD, VP for IT and CIO, University of...
4Must-Have Technologies for Metals & Mining
By Sharon Gietl, VP-IT & CIO, The Doe Run Company
Optimized Customer Experience through Technology
By Arnold Leap, CIO, 1-800-Flowers.com
By Gary Barlet, CIO, USPS OIG
Your Next Transportation Management System: TMS 2.0
By Mike Dieter, CTO, Transplace
Connecting People and Technology to Deliver the Best...
By Bill Schimikowski, VP, Customer Experience, Fidelity...
The Exchanges Sector Need to Evolve Technologically
By Kevin Kometer, CIO, CME Group
You better watch out, You better not pout, IOT is...
By John Landwehr, Public Sector CTO, Adobe
Four Cybersecurity Weak Spots You Should Care About When...
By Marc Probst, CIO & VP, Intermountain Healthcare
Change Agents in a Digital Healthcare World: People,...
By Charles Koontz, President & CEO, GE Healthcare IT & Chief...
Revolutionizing Industrial Mining through Smart Tools
By Jeff Bauserman, VP-Information Systems & Technology,...