InterCloud Launches Industry Leading Virtual Network Function Validation Services

NEW YORK, Feb. 05, 2016 -- InterCloud Systems, Inc. (the "Company" or "InterCloud") (NASDAQ:ICLD), a leading provider of cloud networking orchestration and automation solutions and services, today launched its  industry leading vendor-independent, multi-vendor Virtual Network Function validation services. Through third-party VNF validation, service providers know in advance that virtual network functions are working together in a specific, dynamic, environment. VNF sits on top of the hierarchy and requires validation each time any new release of underlying software layers is introduced. The VNF validation service provides VNF vendors with an efficient methodology that ensures vertical integration is consistent, without degradation in performance of any other functions of the VNF.

Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) is a telecom led initiative seeking to utilize standard IT virtualization technology to consolidate many telecom network equipment types onto industry standard high volume servers, switches and storage. NFV will likely transform the entire telecom infrastructure ecosystem. It is estimated that the overall global market for NFV will grow at a CAGR of 83.1% between 2015 and 2020. NFV revenues will reach $ 8.7 Billion by the end of 2020. (See Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) Market: Business Case, Market Analysis and Forecasts 2015 – 2020, published November 2014).

InterCloud CEO, Mark Munro stated: “The explosion of NFV solutions signals a revolution in IT networking, operators have a bewildering set of new tools at hand as they launch SDN and utilize OEM virtualized devices such as routers, switches, fire walls and load balancers throughout their massive network footprints. But on another level, network operations are changing from a relatively static model to a dynamic one where whole services are on-boarded and terminated, and the interdependencies affected by that must be known in advance”. 

Since each VNF validation is as unique as the network itself, InterCloud has created three levels of validation services that are available through annual contracts.  No matter how intricate a network is, InterCloud offers the level of service needed. InterCloud offers:

• Silver validation

This first tier of qualification says that a NFV successfully operates in the Cloud/SDN environment, which includes the validation of basic NFV functionality running on fully virtualized SDN-enabled Cloud platform.

• Gold validation

This tier of qualification includes everything in the Silver Validation, plus guaranteed performance testing of scalability (both up and down) to address the demand volatility that CSPs face. Gold validation is done in compliance with OPNFV testing requirements.

• Platinum validation

This is the highest level of validation. It includes everything in the Gold Validation and guarantees that the NFV will remain functional as software and hardware continue to update or change.

“A well-defined interoperability testing strategy for network virtualization is a critical next step for telecommunication equipment vendors gearing up towards virtualization and cloud,” says Mark Munro. “With many network functions now in virtualized form, interoperability will be critical both horizontally among the virtualized network functions working in the chain, and vertically as well, thus ensuring that the system as a whole is working efficiently. Our goal is to become the global leader in multi-vendor, third party NFV validation services and build a brand of excellence.”

InterCloud’s validation service offering is an outgrowth of the company’s experience in NFV-MANO grounded orchestration, based on NFVgrid. Combining cloud, big data, and virtualization technologies into one NFV controller, NFVgrid brings PID-level granularity and machine learning to network function virtualization.

About InterCloud Systems
InterCloud Systems, Inc. is a single-source provider of end-to-end information technology (IT) and next-generation network solutions including Software Defined Networking (SDN) and Network Function Virtualization (NFV) to the telecommunications service provider (carrier) and corporate enterprise markets through cloud solutions and professional services. Additional information regarding InterCloud may be found on InterCloud’s website at www.intercloudsys.com.

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InterCloud Systems, Inc.
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