How SUSE Helps Telcos De-Risk Their Multi-Vendor Strategy

Telecommunications companies (or telcos, for short) are facing rapidly-increasing volumes of traffic. According to global consulting firm PwC, global data consumption over telecom networks will nearly triple, from 3.4 million petabytes in 2022 to 9.7 million PB in 2027.

To handle the skyrocketing amounts of data and traffic from streaming and 5G, many telcos moved to edge computing in order to lower bandwidth requirements, scale faster and lower costs. However, those advantages came at a cost.

Because edge computing usually involves hardware and software from a variety of different vendors, many companies were not prepared for the security risks and poor integration that accompanied multi-vendor edge computing environments, not to mention the administrative burden of managing disparate systems and vendors. Here’s how to de-risk your multi-vendor strategy so you can keep all the benefits of edge computing while safeguarding your data.

Modular solutions for flexibility and scalability

One of the easiest ways telcos can de-risk their multi-vendor strategy is by implementing modular solutions. Adding new modules to an existing edge computing framework is scalable. Companies can add and remove modules as needed to accommodate data needs. Modular architecture supports multi-vendor integration by reducing dependency on a single vendor and reducing the risk of vendor lock-in. 

Because multi-vendor environments often have a wide variety of requirements, modular systems are a great option. Modules can be customized to meet specific workload requirements and provide a level of redundancy to ensure continuous operation if one of them fails.

Support your existing infrastructure with vendor-agnostic solutions

Telcos with multiple vendors need a solution that supports their infrastructure. Existing configurations are often complex and have been set up purposefully, so it’s much easier to minimize risks by getting vendor-agnostic support than by changing the way everything else is set up. When telcos use vendor-agnostic support, they are able to use their choice of operating systems and management tools to manage their infrastructure or use cloud-based methods to support and manage the ecosystem that fits their needs. 

It’s also a smart future-proofing strategy: using vendor-agnostic solutions means you can adapt to dynamic environments and quickly shift to accommodate user demand, network conditions and physical restraints. 

Look for security across the full stack

Security is one of the most important elements of a multi-vendor strategy in edge computing. The flexibility of multiple vendors is great, but the decentralized setup means an increased attack surface, a lack of unified security standards, poorer visibility and a higher likelihood of DDoS attacks. Companies using edge computing should look for solutions that can offer data-center-level security. Companies can further de-risk their multi-vendor environments by looking for edge-specific security solutions that have tailored intrusion detection systems, zero trust architecture and end-to-end encryption. 

For example, SUSE’s telco-optimized edge stack offers a minimized attack surface and immutable Linux foundation supporting containers and microservices. From applications to Kubernetes to operating systems, data-center-level security is made available to every device.

Cut costs and reduce risks with centralized management

Consolidating to a central management system allows telcos to keep the flexibility and scalability of a distributed edge environment while reducing the security risks and administrative burden associated with multiple vendors. 

You can still work with multiple types of hardware and software and use a centralized management system to implement predictive maintenance, more effectively do capacity planning, increase incident response time and keep security policies consistent. When telcos have consolidated management, they can identify security risks in their many distributed points of vulnerability and maintain a unified view of potential threats.

Centralizing management not only increases security and oversight, it also reduces costs. Avoiding fragmented management can help telcos avoid duplicative spending on redundant tools and optimize resource usage across the organization, freeing your team up for more innovative work that impacts your bottom line. 

SUSE Edge: Tailored for telco

Telcos typically rely on multiple vendors and end up with a wide variety of hardware and software, an approach that offers lower latency but also comes with risks. To keep the advantages of a distributed edge computing environment while de-risking a multi-vendor strategy, telcos should prioritize modular solutions, use solutions that can support their existing infrastructure, invest in solutions that offer full-stack security and still cut costs at the same time. 

SUSE Edge for Telco supports each of those de-risking strategies. Designed to thrive in a multi-vendor environment, SUSE Edge includes modules which can be used together or individually to suit your needs. For example, it is ideal to support and enable future-looking cloud frameworks, such as Linux Foundation Europe’s Project Sylva for Telcos. 

To support your existing infrastructure, SUSE Edge is vendor-agnostic and offers data-center-level security. No matter how fragmented your current edge environment is, SUSE’s telco-specific solutions can help centralize your management to keep your distributed or hybrid environment safe. Learn more about what makes SUSE Edge uniquely tailored for telcos.