VMware-Vodafone Love Fest Hits a New High at MWC

VMware rolled out several updates targeting carriers’ network virtualization efforts and said Vodafone expanded its VMware cloud infrastructure footprint as it prepares to deploy 5G networks. A day after VMware CEO Pat Gelsinger touted the operator as one of its top customers, the companies said that VMware is Vodafone’s primary strategic partner for telco cloud infrastructure services. This means VMware’s products and services are live in 15 countries, in more than 50 Vodafone sites, and carrying subscriber traffic on more than 300 core network functions. VMware’s telco cloud platform is a single architecture that supports both 4G and 5G networks, which aims to make it easier for communication service providers to transition to next-generation mobile networks. Vodafone started using VMware’s NFV platform in 2017. At the time, Gelsinger called it “our largest-ever telco deal.”