Mobile World Congress 2009

NSN Matches RAN Upgrades with New Core Kit

| Feb 11, 2009 | Wireless Infrastructure | Show Update

| Analyst: Peter Jarich

Current Perspective: Positive Vendor Importance: Very High Market Impact: Moderate

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Event Summary

February 10, 2009 -- Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) launched its Flexi Network Server and Flexi Network Gateway products as key elements of its Evolved Packet Core (EPC) portfolio. Both built on a common ATCA platform and planned for early deployments in H2 2009, the Network Server builds on NSN’s Combi SGSN to provide MME functionality while the Network Gateway serves as an SAE gateway, building on NSN’s Flexi ISN R&D. Both products will be demonstrated at Mobile World Congress 2009.

Analytical Summary

• Current Perspective: Positive on NSN’s new Flexi Network Server and Flexi Network Gateway, because the ATCA-based MME and SAE Gateway offers promise to leverage NSN’s SGSN/GGSN credibility while giving it the added capacity to deal with new mobile broadband traffic demands. Yet, while the timing is right (in tandem with early LTE launches), a lack of performance data or claims will run up against new packet core launches from competitors.

• Vendor Importance: Very high to NSN, because competitors are rolling out their own packet core upgrades and NSN needed a proactive response. With LTE (as well as HSPA+) promising to deliver more and more data from the wireless RAN into the core, a new generation of packet core gear is clearly necessary. In NSN’s case, the need was even more acute; its SGSN and GGSN session capacity lagged many competitors and platform upgrades from NSN have been limited in the recent past.

• Market Impact: Moderate on the wireless infrastructure market, because the need for NSN to launch a new set of enhanced packet core products was well known; while the company could simply evolve its SGSN and GGSN to support LTE, the capabilities of these products made this strategy untenable. Of course, news of new EPC launches – particularly from a vendor with enviable packet core momentum – inevitably puts pressure on competitors to respond with their own innovations.

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Current Perspective

Competitive Positives and Concerns

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