Cisco & Vodafone Idea Limited: Building a Distributed Multicloud Network

Vodafone Idea Limited, the largest telecom service provider in India, is deploying a state-of-the-art, automated multi-cloud network across the country to enable an unmatched experience for its retail and enterprise customers.

As pioneers in cloud implementation, Vodafone Idea is deploying the largest integrated cloud platform for its IT and network applications. It has collaborated with Cisco to deploy a distributed multi-cloud architecture based on Cisco Network Functions Virtualization Infrastructure (NFVI). This automated solution has enabled a nationwide deployment in record time. It has fast-tracked Vodafone Idea’s Data Core Network rollout, increased capacities, and helped reduce costs as Cloud implementation is now done in just 72 hours. The platform being built is ready to host both IT and Network applications on one cloud.

As Vodafone Idea Ltd. modernizes its network to make it more efficient and future proof, the agile, smart, and efficient platform will help the operator adapt to changing customer preferences, and allow for the continued launch of innovative use cases. In the face of unpredictable data growth, agility means getting adequate capacity on line, where needed, in time.

Vodafone Idea Limited’s automated cloud scale architecture is synchronized across applications, operating systems, infrastructure, and an underlying IP-MPLS core. The lean architecture design is brought to life with Cisco solutions comprised of Cisco VIM for NFVI management, Cisco Ultra Packet core, and Policy, 3rd party  VNFs (Virtual Network Functions), Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (Cisco ACI) – the industry-leading intent-based data center solution, Leaf-Spine Architecture, and Cloud Security. Together with Cisco Customer Experience teams, Vodafone Ideal Limited ensures that the deployment of cloud infrastructure is done in less than 72 hours.

Vishant Vora, Chief Technology Officer, Vodafone Idea Limited, said that they are in the midst of a large scale Network Integration and Transformation program to serve our approximately390 million subscribers. Building a robust, secure and future proof network infrastructure based on the cloud is a key component of the transformation. The distributed cloud architecture will enable edge and fog computing services for our customers in both the enterprise and consumer spaces. Cisco has collaborated with us in building this fully virtualized, scalable cloud architecture that supports their traditional connectivity as well as IOT, he said.

Kishen Mangat, vice president, and general manager, Mobility Business Group, Cisco, said that this project furthers Cisco’s position as a trusted partner at Vodafone Idea Limited India for cloud, virtualization, data center, and mobile packet core. Their work together has helped to advance Vodafone Idea Limited rapidly growing data traffic over many years, and they look forward to their future networking transformation, he said.