Cisco and NEC Corporation have announced their plan to expand collaboration efforts to provide system integration solutions and explore opportunities in 5G xHaul and private 5G.
The Global Systems Integrator Agreement (GSIA) between Cisco and NEC has been expanded under the new collaboration. The collaboration will offer scalable 5G xHaul transport networks and provide enhanced automation capabilities and routed optical networking to support operators' monetization of 5G, said a statement.
NEC will play a central role in navigating customers' end-to-end network lifecycle and optimization in a phased approach. Meanwhile, Cisco will provide networking solutions.
Hideyuki Ogata, General Manager, Service Provider Solutions Department, NEC, said: “The needs for modernized architecture in 5G have steadily enhanced our partnership with Cisco, leading us to this next level of partnership. The industry-leading solutions from Cisco and our ecosystem partners, combined with our world-class network integration capabilities, enable us to deliver compelling solutions to multiple operators and verticals across the world.”
Also, Cisco and NEC said that they plan to work together in the areas of IoT, 5G, and Wi-Fi to drive the next wave of industrial transformation.
Under the Cisco Country Digital Acceleration program, the two companies are working together to qualify NEC's new UNIVERGE RV 1200 radio with Cisco's Private 5G solution. The solution is being tested at Cisco's 5G Showcase in Tokyo, 5G services incubation hub and Cisco engineering site.
“We are pleased to add private 5G for business to our long-standing strategic partnership between Cisco and NEC,” said Suhun Yun, Managing Director, Digital Network Business Division, NEC. “We look forward to the expansion of the partnership between the two companies, which will help accelerate private 5G market expansion and further efforts to address social issues.”
Sanjay Kaul, President, Service Provider Business, Asia Pacific & Japan, Cisco, said, “Partnering with world-class technology leaders is essential to reaching the future of connectivity that we know is possible. That is why our partnership with NEC is so special. Our multi-level collaboration has enabled some of the largest IP Networks in the world using breakthrough architectures that change economics with routed optical networking, virtual routing, and 5G radio interoperability.”
