LUTON, England & CALABASAS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Anritsu A/S, a leading provider of Operations Support Systems (OSS) for advanced and virtualized networks and Ixia, a leading provider of network test, visibility and security solutions, announced today the successful completion of a Network Function Virtualization (NFV) Monitoring Proof of Concept (PoC) organized by O2 Czech Republic around NFV network monitoring and troubleshooting.

Network Monitoring in NFV Environments

The ability to monitor network service level agreements (SLAs) and customer experience are critical requirements in telecoms networks. As Communication Service Providers (CSPs) move to NFV, they need to effectively deploy Service Assurance solutions that can help uncover the blind spots introduced by the dynamics of virtualized environments. The virtualized, integrated solution demonstrated by Anritsu and Ixia enables O2 Czech to rapidly adopt NFV and conform to SLAs with an “operations first” focus.

The PoC was built using Anritsu’s MasterClaw vProbe solution for traffic capture and real-time processing, together with Ixia’s Phantom Virtualization Tap (vTap) for breakthrough visibility and control of traffic flowing between virtual machines. The setup was done in both lab and production environments and was successfully validated against a physical MasterClaw Probe proving that CSPs can now ensure the same exceptional customer experience, obtain the same network insights and maintain the same troubleshooting capabilities regardless of the underlying platform – physical or virtual.

Anritsu MasterClaw vProbe is a high performance, auto-configured, passive virtual probe that captures and correlates incoming network traffic creating easy to understand call session data records (CSDRs). Part of MasterClaw Multi-Dimensional Assurance solution, it enables the generation of actionable insights via real-time dashboards and next generation customer experience big-data analytics and reports.

“Anritsu and O2 Czech Republic have a long lasting partnership and recently signed a 5 year agreement focusing on Anritsu’s Multi-Dimensional Assurance Solution. This PoC proves that Anritsu is committed to being the right partner for O2, always in sync with our customer’s plans, supporting and leading the way for operationalizing their NFV deployments,” said Mr. Neil Tomlinson, COO at Anritsu Service Assurance.

Ixia’s Phantom Virtualization Tap with TapFlow™ enables proactive monitoring for security, availability and performance with total visibility of inter-VM traffic in NFV deployments. The Phantom solution provides centralized management with an easy-to-use web user interface for total access and control of security and performance monitoring needs.

“Ixia’s collaboration with Anritsu and O2 clearly demonstrates that the ability to capture, correlate and analyse subscriber experience in mobile carrier networks is possible in NFV environments today," said Scott Westlake, Vice President of Business Development at Ixia. “The use of Ixia’s virtual network taps in concert with Anristu’s MasterClaw platform solves an immediate challenge for carriers seeking to migrate key network functions to NFV.”

O2 Czech is recognized as a technological leader in the Czech market and early adopter of new technologies, offering their customers the latest features and functionalities available in the market while running an efficient and carefully maintained network.

“The success of the PoC gave us confidence in the capabilities and forward-looking strategy of Anritsu and their partners, re-confirming our sound decision to engage them as a long term partner. Network Functions Virtualization is a strategic initiative for O2 and having the right tools to monitor the NFV network is a must for us,” said Mr. Jakob Votava, Director of Networks at O2 Czech Republic a.s.

About O2 Czech Republic

O2 (https://www.o2.cz/osobni/en/) is the largest integrated telecommunications provider in the Czech market. At present we operate close to eight million mobile and fixed accesses, which ranks us among the market leaders in fully converged services in Europe. To users of mobile services in the Czech Republic we offer state-of-the-art HSPA+ and LTE technology. We have the most comprehensive proposition of voice and data services in the Czech Republic, and we actively exploit the growth potential of the various business lines, especially ICT. Our data centres, with total floor area of 7,300 square metres, rank us among the leaders in hosting, cloud and managed services. O2 data centres belong to the few commercial ones in Central Europe to have TIER III certification. With our O2 TV we are also the largest IPTV service provider in the Czech Republic.

About Ixia

Ixia (Nasdaq: XXIA) provides testing, visibility and security solutions, strengthening applications across physical and virtual networks for enterprises, service providers and network equipment manufacturers. Ixia offers companies trusted environments in which to develop, deploy and operate. Customers worldwide rely on Ixia to verify their designs, optimize their performance and ensure protection of their networks to make their applications stronger. Learn more at www.ixiacom.com.

About Anritsu

Anritsu Corporation (www.anritsu.com) is a provider of innovative communications solutions for more than 120 years. The company's test and measurement solutions include wireless, optical, microwave/RF and digital instruments, operations support systems and solutions, customized software solutions, that can be used during R&D, manufacturing, installation, and maintenance. Anritsu also provides precision microwave/RF components, optical devices, and high-speed devices for design into communication products and systems. With the addition of multidimensional service assurance solutions for network monitoring and optimization, Anritsu provides complete solutions for existing and next-generation wireline and wireless communication systems and service providers. Anritsu sells in over 90 countries worldwide with approximately 4,000 employees.

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