Based on its recent analysis of the global 5G network infrastructure market, Frost & Sullivan recognizes Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) with the 2021 Global Enabling Technology Leadership Award. 5G networks include an increasing number of suppliers, which raise the risk in 5G deployments. HPE approaches the market in a way that is unique and helps customers reduce this risk.

HPE, via its newly formed Communications Technology Group (CTG), supplies both the infrastructure that the telco cloud operates on and the software that enables the various cloud-based networks to function and be managed. In effect, the company offers the "infrastructure for the infrastructure," which is the infrastructure that the network’s functions operate on, referred to as network function virtualization infrastructure (NFVI).

"In addition to hardware and NFVI software, HPE provides a set of key 3GPP-compliant 5G core network functions via its HPE 5G Core Stack that are cloud native and built on a container and microservices-based architecture," said Troy Morley, Senior Industry Analyst at Frost & Sullivan. "HPE also offers a full suite of orchestration and management solutions that enables key 5G needs, such as network slicing. This includes a recent offering, the HPE Resource Aggregator for Open Distributed Infrastructure Management, to simplify the management of multi-vendor, distributed compute, storage, and data networking infrastructure with the required scalability and flexibility."

To help customers design their 5G-ready networks, the company presents HPE Telco Blueprints. These blueprints are reference designs validated by HPE telecommunications experts leveraging infrastructure as code principles and HPE NFV best practices. Designed to enhance every layer of the NFVI stack, HPE Telco Blueprints ensure scalability through modularity, reliability with no single point of failure, and accelerated performance. The company provides blueprints for both the core network and edge network, including blueprints optimized for virtual RAN configurations that are included with the recently announced HPE Open RAN Solution Stack

HPE serves a wide range of companies in the communications industry, in addition to outside the industry, offering both 5G and previous generations of infrastructure needs. In addition, the company’s consulting and services organization, HPE Pointnext, provides clients all over the world with a full range of services.

"HPE supplies the infrastructure behind 5G RAN, transport networks, and core and edge networks as well as network and orchestration software that makes up the 5G core and edge networks," noted Morley. "Going forward, HPE plans to become a consumption-driven company; wherein everything it delivers will be available as a service, which also helps reduce risk for its customers."

Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to a company that has developed a pioneering technology that enhances current products and enables the development of new products and applications. The award recognizes the high market acceptance potential of the recipient’s technology.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analyses, and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry.