The News: VMware announced that the VMware Private Mobile Network, a managed connectivity service to accelerate edge digital transformation, will become initially available in the current quarter (FY24 Q3). Read the full Press Release on the VMware website.
VMware Orchestrates New Private Mobile Network Service
Analyst Take: At VMware Explore 2023, VMware launched VMware Private Mobile Network as a key component of its VMware Edge Cloud Orchestrator (VECO) solution. VECO, formerly VMware SASE Orchestrator, is designed to provide unified management for VMware SASE and the VMware Edge Compute Stack, bridging the gap between edge networking and edge compute.
Integral to VMware Private Mobile Network is the collaboration with wireless managed service providers aimed at removing the complexity associated with private mobile networks, thereby assisting enterprises to sharpen their focus on improving business outcomes. Built on VMware Edge Compute Stack, VMware Private Mobile Network offers service providers VMware technology capabilities that are integrated into existing IT management platforms.
VMware Enlists Betacom, Boingo Wireless, and Federated Wireless as Beta Partners
Through the offering, I anticipate that VMware could broaden and hasten enterprise adoption of private wireless services by easing the management and orchestration processes, especially across its extensive enterprise footprint. VMware selected Betacom, Boingo Wireless, and Federated Wireless as its initial beta wireless service provider partners for the new offering.
Federated Wireless is set to construct and oversee private 4G and 5G radio access network (RAN) infrastructure right at the customers’ locations. In accord, VMware contributes its Private Mobile Network Orchestrator, ensuring the network’s integration with existing IT platforms. Specific key benefits include enhanced security for mission-critical applications, carrier-grade performance with SLAs tailored to enterprise requirements, and the ability to use Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) shared spectrum as well as privately-licensed spectrum.
Betacom will integrate into VMware’s Private Mobile Network offering built on Edge Compute Stack into its existing private network managed service offering, 5G as a Service (5GaaS). Betacom 5GaaS is developed to safeguard data by isolating traffic and maintaining company data behind the enterprise firewall by implementing Zero Trust design principles and Betacom AirGap Protection features a combination of traffic segregation, 3GPP tunneling, encryption, and granular access controls.
Boingo is collaborating with VMware to enhance its managed private 5G networks that connect mobile and IoT devices at airports, stadiums, and large venues. I view VMware’s Private Mobile Network as providing network integration and management simplification that can prove critical to accelerating deployments across private 5G environments.
Augmenting its VMware Private Mobile Network proposition, VMware rolled out new orchestration capabilities for VMware Edge Compute Stack based on Project Keswick. Keswick is targeted at allowing edge administrators to work with VMware to develop use cases. As a result, customers can benefit from simplified lifecycle management of virtual machine (VM)- and container-based applications and infrastructure.
Moreover, the new VMware Retail Edge Solution seeks to deliver agility, management ease, and better security of VMware Edge Compute Stack to retail store environments. A single software-defined platform to deliver critical business outcomes, VMware Retail Edge can enable customers to build, run, manage, connect, and protect their business services across all their retail stores, simply and more cost-effectively.
This directly links to VMware invoking its collaboration with customers to further propel use cases, including private wireless networks, across the retail market segment in conjunction with the manufacturing, energy, and healthcare segments. VMware’s targeting of the private wireless market segment also coincides with recent launches by high-profile communications service providers (CSPs) such as UScellular, Swisscom, Globe Telecom, and Virgin Media O2, further indicating broader service provider interest in pursuing expanding private wireless market opportunities.
Key Takeaway: VMware Is Ready to Jump into the Growing Private Wireless Network Mix
I expect that VMware Private Mobile Network is solidly positioned to provide critical capabilities such as VECO orchestration and automation that is key to addressing the expanding demand for private wireless networking across edge computing environments. Now VMware needs to show it can move the private mobile network needle through its VMware Edge managed connectivity service, aimed at enabling wireless services providers to accelerate and improve the delivery of their 4G/5G services to enterprises.
Disclosure: The Futurum Group is a research and advisory firm that engages or has engaged in research, analysis, and advisory services with many technology companies, including those mentioned in this article. The author does not hold any equity positions with any company mentioned in this article.
Analysis and opinions expressed herein are specific to the analyst individually and data and other information that might have been provided for validation, not those of The Futurum Group as a whole.
Other insights from The Futurum Group:
VMware Explore: Making Moves with Multi-Cloud and Private AI
5G Factor Video Research Note: HPE Completes Acquisition of Private 5G Specialist Athonet
Author Information
Ron is an experienced, customer-focused research expert and analyst, with over 20 years of experience in the digital and IT transformation markets, working with businesses to drive consistent revenue and sales growth.
Ron holds a Master of Arts in Public Policy from University of Nevada — Las Vegas and a Bachelor of Arts in political science/government from William and Mary.
