Nokia launches cloud-native network operations software for 5G

Nokia recently came up with Nokia Network Operations Master to offer highly automated and scalable software to communication service providers (CSP). The software will play a key role in the management of 5G networks.

“5G networks will require significantly more operations automation than past networks in order to achieve promised levels of efficiency and new service support,” explained Dana Cooperson, research director at Analysys Mason. “Nokia’s Network Operations Master is a cloud-native network management system that is underpinned by machine learning and automated actions and provides the types of tools mobile network operations teams need now for 5G.”

As 5G adds new layers of technical complexity, CSPs will require an intelligent management system to deal with the fast-increasing number of physical and virtual network events that will place heavy workloads on network operation centers. Network Operations Master is a new addition to Nokia’s network management portfolio, which delivers best-in-class tools for troubleshooting, administration, software management and configuration management.

Until now, existing network management systems used for 2G/3G/4G networks have been largely manually driven. They have also been incapable of scaling up to the needs of network evolution to cloud at scale and 5G, and managing the volume of network “slices” — or parts of network capacity tailored to different subscriber and application needs.

With a software-driven approach, machine learning techniques and customizable operations, Network Operations Master allows these processes to be automated and simplified, while ensuring that existing operations functionalities are kept. By automating actions in milliseconds in response to a wide variety of network events, Network Operations Master significantly reduces workloads of repetitive actions and allows CSP operation centers to concentrate on the most critical network events.

Network Operations Master is built on Nokia’s cloud-native Common Software Foundation (CSF) designed to deliver applications that are hardware- and vendor-agnostic, and easy to deploy, integrate, use and upgrade.

“With 5G forcing traditional functions, like revenue management and customer care, to the cloud and helping drive software deeper into the network, communication service providers need a modern approach to performing network operations that is automated, more efficient and scalable,” said Ron Haberman, CTO, Nokia Software.” The Nokia Network Operations Master delivers these capabilities and allows our customers to perform lifecycle operations with ease, efficiency, and confidence.”