Internet Initiative Japan Selects VMware to Enable New Virtual CPE service

VMware, Inc., the global provider of cloud infrastructure and business mobility, announced that its VMware vCloud for NFV platform has been selected by Internet Initiative Japan Inc. to support a new Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) virtual CPE (vCPE) service.

The new vCPE "IIJ Omnibus Service," due to launch in September 2015 will include its proprietary SEIL series of high-performance routers and VPN gateway services to business customers. By moving to a virtualized CPE deployment model, IIJ will be able to transform the economics of the company's CPE-based services while attaining the agility to adapt quickly to new service opportunities and integrate with their broad digital services portfolio.

IIJ provides reliable, value-added services, including Internet access, outsourcing, and systems integration for all network usage requirements. Today the company offers customer premise equipment as physical appliances deployed onsite. IIJ is developing the vCPE virtual network function and service management and orchestration systems in house based on their existing physical solution, and will work with VMware professional services to integrate with VMware vSphere® and VMware NSX™, using open APIs.

"IIJ and VMware have been longstanding partners, having first collaborated on the successful IIJ GIO Virtual Platform VW Series based on VMware vSphere," said Kiyoshi Ishida, Executive Managing Officer, Product Division Director, IIJ. "When IIJ decided to extend its virtualized platform to support network functions, we saw VMware's production-proven technologies and professional service capabilities as the most reliable and fastest route to market."

VMware vCloud for NFV is an integrated Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) platform that combines VMware's production-proven virtualized compute, networking, storage and management solutions with integrated support for OpenStack. With support for more than 40 different virtual network functions (VNFs) from more than 30 vendors, VMware vCloud for NFV is the only platform available today that runs different VNFs from different vendors side by side on the same unified platform for the cloud. With vCloud for NFV, communication service providers (CSPs) can deploy NFV solutions into production on a proven platform to enable faster time-to-market for new and differentiated services, with the ability to drive sustainable cost reductions.

"IIJ has fully embraced NFV in a way that will allow sustained differentiation in a highly competitive market," said Shekar Ayyar, corporate senior vice president, Strategy and Corporate Development, and General Manager, Telco NFV Group, VMware. "They are creating a single horizontal platform that will not only allow the onboarding of their own new VNF today, but provide choice to IIJ for the addition of best in class VNFs from external vendors and developers as service needs evolve."