Camberley, 1 August 2017 – Quortus today announced PocketEPC, the first in a range of App-based edge computing solutions that will dramatically change the way in which cellular technology is configured and deployed, paving the way for the 5G networks of the future. PocketEPC – a complete 4G cellular core network realized as an App – will be offered via the Lime Micro LimeNET Ubuntu App Store.
PocketEPC is the flagship product in a new range from Quortus that includes virtualized, App-based implementations of both key cellular functions and value-added applications such as enterprise-level access control, caching and local breakout. When hosted on a platform such as LimeNET, PocketEPC allows rapid, cost-effective development of a 4G (or 5G / IoT) network, putting the powerful features of cellular technology in the hands of a range of individuals and organizations for the first time.
Built on “download-and-go” principles and delivered at low cost, PocketEPC will foster innovation and spawn a new edge-App ecosystem by giving academia, the developer community and even individuals access to technology that historically has been restricted to large, specialized vendors. This concept was demonstrated at the recent BT Infinity Labs / Lime Mini Hackathon, which searched for innovative development teams ready to make a real impact on the future of mobile by the use of leading edge technology.
The new range of cellular Apps from Quortus will include a variety of virtualized 3GPP standards-compliant core network functions, collapsed into a super-efficient software instance and made available as ‘Edge Function Apps’. Functions may be “pushed” to the network edge by mobile network operators (MNOs), or may be pulled down by private cellular operators or enterprises, reflecting the increased interest in the use of cellular – and particularly 4G/LTE – for private network deployments.
Capable of running on edge-located cellular equipment such as a basestation (eNodeB), or on commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware, Quortus edge function Apps will be provided certified against target hardware, NFV containers, or virtual machines (VMs). The joint Quortus and Lime offering will include Lime Micro system-certified edge computing functions packaged as SNAPs and hosted on the Ubuntu App Store.
Edge computing is a key enabler for the mobile industry’s current transition to next-generation 5G networks. Quortus’ App-based approach provides a particularly suitable platform for the development of enterprise-grade cellular applications, with reference use cases that range from small-to-medium enterprise (SME) to utilities and healthcare. The enterprise can customize and manage the solution, while the mobile operator (MNO) gains the ability to tailor solutions specifically for needs of its enterprise customers. Defined APIs to the edge computing solution will foster the creation of a strong App development community, and a wider ecosystem to develop further ideas.
“We’ve been deploying intelligence at the network edge for many years now,” said Andy Odgers, Quortus CEO. “But giving people access to sophisticated network and value-add functions in the form of an App is a game-changer. We’re enabling an open App environment that provides a flexible platform for anyone wanting to make a business out of added-value cellular connectivity. We’re delighted that PocketEPC has been selected as its certified EPC by Lime – which with its LimeNET and LimeSDR initiatives has done more than anyone to put 4G and 5G cellular technology into the hands of the wider developer community.”
Ebrahim Bushehri, Lime CEO, commented: “Quortus has field-proven core networking solutions, and so was a natural choice for the LimeNET App Store. Network operators like BT and EE are already using our jointly-provided solutions to develop a variety of new services, ranging from fixed-wireless access (FWA) to Internet of things (IoT) connectivity and enterprise networking as a service. It’s never been easier for mainstream developers to leverage the many advantages of cellular connectivity.”
PocketEPC will be available under a developer’s license via the LimeNET Ubuntu App Store during the third quarter of 2017.
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