
Azhar Sayeed, Chief Architect, Service Provider, Red Hat
Are operators virtualizing their RAN? When, and with what goals in mind? Heavy Reading surveyed over 80 global operators to gain their perspective on deploying virtualized RAN solutions. In this webinar we share the results of that survey, sponsored by Red Hat. We focus on vRAN deployment opportunities and challenges; how existing 4G RAN infrastructure and planned 5G implementations influence deployment, and how emerging container and cloud native technologies impact vRAN plans. We also examine how the operators' desire to avoid vendor lock-in may require evolving platform solutions to simplify managing and integrating multi-vendor VNFs in an NFV environment.
Key topics include:
- The VNFs operators are implementing today
- Their plans for vRAN deployment
- How these plans vary in relative to 4G and 5G roll-out
- The choices operators are making in terms of vertical versus horizontal solutions
- How the move to cloud native and containers will impact vRAN implementation.
Jennifer Clark, Principal Analyst - Cloud Infrastructure and Edge Computing, Heavy Reading
Cloud Infrastructure and Edge Computing. Clark provides actionable insight into service provider evolution, examining the challenges and opportunities facing network operators as they move towards 5G and IoT with an increasingly virtualized and cloud native infrastructure. Clark examines the solutions and technology reshaping the telco data center, technologies such as Edge Computing, Open Source, OpenStack, container networking, Network Orchestration, Data Center Interconnect, Software Defined Networks (SDN), and Network Functions Virtualization (NFV).
Clark started her industry research career with the Yankee Group, which was acquired by 451 Research in 2013. She held the role of Sr. Vice President at Yankee Group. Prior to joining Yankee Group, Clark was Manager of Network Planning and Strategy for Wang Laboratories'corporate data network. She began her career at Wang with responsibility for the domestic and international roll-out of Wang's packet network, connecting more than 250 locations in 14 countries. Before joining Wang, she was a member of the IT research and development division of Commercial Union Insurance Companies.
Clark is a highly regarded speaker at industry seminars and conferences and is frequently cited by the commercial and trade press. She has been a guest lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management and is a member of the IEEE. She holds a B.A. degree from Mount Holyoke College.
Azhar Sayeed, Chief Architect, Service Provider, Red Hat
Azhar Sayeed is currently at Red Hat Inc., as a Chief Architect driving their Service Provider Architectures and solutions with Openstack, SDN, NFV and DC orchestration. Prior to Red Hat, Azhar is a 17 year veteran of Cisco Systems Inc. His last responsibility there was a Sr. Director of Solutions Engineering. Azhar was responsible for developing System Architectures, developing and delivering Cloud based solutions and bringing them to market as whole offers for SPs. He is an active participant and contributor to industry forums and standards bodies.