At Mobile World Congress 2017 (MWC 17) in Barcelona, Nokia launched solutions for 5G, the Internet of Things (IoT), Software and Cloud based applications. They outlined how the rapid execution of its new strategy is delivering industry-leading innovation for communication service providers in network speed, agility and efficiency, while broadening the company's footprint in faster-growing areas including software and the utilities and transport markets.
Paving the way for future 5G and IoT, Nokia introduced 5G FIRST, the industry's first commercial 5G product and comprised of Nokia's AirScale Radio Access platform that helps customers prepare for 5G-ready architectures that cover core, software-defined networking, cloud and more. Nokia and Intel will collaborate on commercial deployments later in 2017 using the Intel® 5G Modem. 5G FIRST cements Nokia's strong position with communication service providers, helping them transition to new applications that will benefit from the low-latency and high data rates offered by 5G.
Nokia had also announced that they have won a three-year contract from Telefonica to boost the performance of its 4G network in London as data demand grows. The deal includes Nokia 4.5G Pro technology, powered by the Nokia AirScale Radio Access portfolio, Nokia Flexi Zone small cells, the Nokia NetAct Network Management System, Nokia Traffica Real-Time Network Analytics and Nokia Global Services.
Another new product to be showcased was WING, the worldwide IoT network grid aimed at providing a full-service model offering IoT connectivity across different technologies to manage a client's IoT connectivity needs and assets, such as connected cars, as they move around the globe. It followed the introduction of a new wireless router to bring electricity distribution networks into the IoT era and help utilities reliably and securely connect and manage the proliferation of field devices as more smart power grids are deployed.
The efforts now highlight how Nokia is expanding into vertical markets like energy, transportation, public safety and Webscales (big Internet companies). Furthering the momentum in the vertical space, they won contracts, with Infraestruturas de Portugal to provide a mission-critical communications network to the country's national railway infrastructure operator; for a high-speed fiber optic network with Xiaomi; and a demonstration with Qualcomm and GE of a private LTE network for the Industrial Internet of Things market.
Advancing its momentum in Cloud, Software, and Licensing, Nokia recently launched Cloud Packet Core that enables fixed and wireless technologies to be used together or individually to drive ultra-broadband and IoT service delivery in multiple verticals, including enterprise. Nokia also enhanced their Intelligent Management Platform for All Connected Things platform, or IMPACT, with new IoT features such as video analytics. The improved offering highlights their progress in delivering on their third strategic focus area of building a strong standalone software business and taking their largely network-agnostic software assets beyond mobile customers and into fixed, cable, and new vertical markets. Earlier this month, they had announced plans to buy Comptel to boost their software portfolio and go-to-market capabilities.
At the MWC, Nokia demonstrated their recently acquired Deepfield analytics technology, which further bolsters their software offering to communication service providers, cable operators, cloud, Webscales and technological extra-large enterprises. Using automation, Deepfield technology can identify and track around 30 000 popular cloud applications and services to help networks quickly adapt to changes in application demand and traffic patterns.
Their presence at the event involved the launch of 22 products and services, along with over 60 product and service demonstrations at the Nokia Experience Center. The demonstrations were related to 5G, some involving racecars and robots. Nokia and China Mobile, the world's biggest mobile operator by subscribers, had a joint demo of tele-health services and showed how 5G products and services can be integrated in different vertical industries.
The company also gave its perspective on a variety of important issues, including a keynote speech by Nokia President and CEO Rajeev Suri, on enabling the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Nokia Chief Strategy Officer Kathrin Buvac discussed the path from 4G to 5G; and Marcus Weldon, President of Nokia Bell Labs and Corporate Chief Technology Officer discussed the future of technology and how the 5G era will transform many dimensions of human life.
