Established in 1876, Ericsson has a long history of shaping how the world communicates. From manufacturing some of the first telephones to providing infrastructure solutions, Ericsson specializes in delivering the hardware, software and cloud-based platforms that telco providers use to build, manage and optimize their networks. Since the mid-2010s, Ericsson has been paving the way for optimized 5G functions (and beyond) with cloud native technologies.
At-a-Glance
Recognizing the need to provide a cloud native solution for next-generation telco services, Ericsson developed its Cloud Container Distribution (CCD), a Kubernetes-based platform designed to run Containerized Network Functions (CNFs). To ensure CCD could meet stringent telco standards for reliability, security and performance, Ericsson selected SUSE Linux Enterprise Server as the foundation for its workloads. The partnership enabled Ericsson to streamline operations, improve security and scale to meet the demands of a 5G world.
Unifying platforms for cloud native telecommunications
After a boom in the 1990s, growth in the telecommunication industry began to flatline as markets matured with high penetration rates of basic telecom services. To maintain growth and remain competitive, telco companies shifted from focusing on new customer acquisitions to delivering advanced technologies faster and at lower costs.
This competitive environment led Ericsson to launch its Cloud Execution Environment (CEE), which allows telco companies to run traditional network services (like routing, switching and firewalls) as Virtualized Network Functions (VNFs) on general-purpose hardware. By replacing proprietary hardware systems with software-defined infrastructure, CEE helped reduce capital and operating expenses while accelerating time-to-market for new services.
With the adoption of cloud native applications, containers, and microservices, Ericsson recognized that it could help the telco industry provide better services more securely and at less cost with Containerized Network Functions (CNFs). Where VNFs rely on traditional, monolithic lifecycle management processes, CNFs offer even greater scalability, automation and flexibility. Ericsson, therefore, launched CCD, a Kubernetes-based container-as-a-service (CaaS) platform designed to support modern telecommunications in the 5G era and beyond.
Ericsson’s plan for this year is to consolidate its infrastructure so that both VNFs and CNFs run on a single, unified solution — the Cloud Native Infrastructure Solution (CNIS). This would simplify operations, reduce maintenance costs and streamline ongoing upgrades and security patches. In the meantime, Ericsson is helping customers gradually transition to the CCD while maintaining operational continuity with CEE for existing workloads. The interim dual-platform strategy is helping customers bridge the gap between legacy systems and next-generation networking technologies.
To create this unification plan, Ericsson needed a robust operating system capable of hosting Kubernetes workloads while meeting the stringent requirements of telco standards. For Ericsson, the operating system had to be scalable, interoperable, easy to manage and secure enough to support telco services worldwide. The operating system Ericsson chose to underpin CCD is SUSE Linux Enterprise Server.
It also chose SUSE Linux Enterprise Server as the base platform for the products included in the latest version of the Cloud Native Infrastructure Solution (CNIS): SDI 3, CCD 2, CEE 10, and OMC 2, which are all based on the SUSE SLES OS, enabling the strength of alignment, optimization and reuse.
“SUSE Linux Enterprise Server allows us to bring together our platforms in a way that simplifies management and ensures compatibility across both VNFs and CNFs.”
Why SUSE?
The relationship between Ericsson and SUSE spans two decades and is rooted in Ericsson’s commitment to open source. A long-time champion of open source technologies, Ericsson uses technologies like OpenStack, Linux, Kubernetes and others to build its solutions. It also actively contributes to upstream projects, ensuring its enhancements benefit the entire ecosystem while avoiding fragmented or forked codebases. This approach allows Ericsson to integrate widely adopted and well-supported open source technologies into its solutions while adding its own value outside the core components.
Ericsson began using SUSE Linux in the 2000s to underpin its component-based architecture (CBA). It later embedded SUSE Linux Enterprise Server into its reusable Application Development Platform (ADP) to ensure a consistent and reliable operating system across a wide range of products. In 2016, SUSE received the Ericsson Supplier Award for Software Ecosystem Excellence, recognizing SUSE’s ability to adapt and integrate its products in complex, multi-vendor environments.
“We have used SUSE Linux Enterprise Server from the very beginning and are very happy with it,” says Karin Bering, Strategic Product Manager at Ericsson. “We see it as a building block for many of our internal and external systems.”
Having consistently proven to be a reliable partner for Ericsson, SUSE provides a robust and dependable technology stack that meets the demanding needs of the telco industry. One of SUSE’s key advantages is its commitment to open source principles, which ensures Ericsson and its customers remain free from vendor lock-in — a critical factor for maintaining interoperability and controlling costs. SUSE Linux Enterprise Server is also hardened for enterprise use cases, delivering the proven reliability and security required to support Ericsson’s telco-grade workloads.
In addition to its technology, SUSE’s Premium Support services provide Ericsson with access to expert assistance for resolving complex issues, ensuring uninterrupted service delivery even in mission-critical scenarios. Furthermore, SUSE tailored its solutions to align with Ericsson’s specific requirements, offering cost-effective options that address the price sensitivity of the telco industry while maintaining the high performance and flexibility Ericsson needed for its CEE 10 and CCD solutions.
The impact of SUSE Linux Enterprise Server
Today, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server underpins all of Ericsson’s CEE 10 and CCD workloads on HPE and Dell Servers with both Intel and AMD CPUs. This implementation has helped deliver a series of benefits to Ericsson and its telco customers.
Scales to support over 50,000 compute nodes
SUSE Linux Enterprise Server supports tens of thousands of compute nodes in Ericsson’s Kubernetes deployments, delivering the scalability required to meet growing demands for bandwidth, compute and storage in the 5G era.
Bering states: “We are currently reviewing our installed base, and it’s substantial — at least 50,000 compute nodes, probably more. SUSE Linux Enterprise Server underpins this infrastructure, providing the stability and reliability we need to support both virtualized and cloud native workloads at this scale.”
62.5% faster vulnerability patches
Security and continuous updates are among the most significant challenges faced by telco infrastructure, particularly with CNFs. Maintaining high availability while addressing vulnerabilities requires a proactive and efficient approach to patch management. For Ericsson, this is where SUSE Linux Enterprise Server plays a vital role.
With SUSE Linux Enterprise Server, Ericsson benefits from a reliable, enterprise-grade Linux distribution that provides encryption for its storage solutions through the use of the LUKS feature and enables faster integration of security patches and supports uninterrupted operations. “SUSE Linux Enterprise Server allows us to integrate patches quickly, helping us stay ahead of vulnerabilities and ensure our systems remain secure,” says Bering.
SUSE’s quick response to vulnerabilities, combined with its robust automation features, has transformed Ericsson’s patching cadence. Previously, the company’s patch cycles stretched to 16 weeks. With SUSE, Ericsson reduced these cycles to just six weeks — a 62.5% improvement. This accelerated cadence ensures that vulnerabilities are mitigated promptly, strengthening the security of critical telco systems while minimizing disruption to services. Moving forward, Ericsson will further reduce the time from vulnerability identification to mitigation implementation, with SUSE’s help.
Provides power of choice
In the cloud native world, continuous and seamless software updates are essential. However, until the vision of “software that never sleeps” becomes a reality, Ericsson can offer flexibility and choice to its customers through SUSE’s Long Term Service Pack Support (LTSS). Customers who prefer to stay with their current software can do so while still receiving the necessary support and security LTSS provides. Meanwhile, customers who want to stay on the cutting edge can opt for the latest software versions. With SUSE LTSS, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server’s annual release cadence, and the possibility of patch releases, Ericsson’s customers can freely choose the support and update strategy that best fits their needs.
According to Bering, “these maintenance and support options pave the way for Ericsson to offer best-in-class solutions.”
Simplifies management
As the foundation of Ericsson’s CEE 10 and CCD infrastructure, SUSE Linux Enterprise Server streamlines the management and migration of applications, helping bridge the gap between traditional and modern technology stacks. This consistency simplifies operations and lays the groundwork for Ericsson’s long-term goal of consolidating all workloads into a single, cloud native environment.
“SUSE Linux Enterprise Server allows us to bring together our platforms in a way that simplifies management and ensures compatibility across both VNFs and CNFs,” says Bering.
This unification is particularly valuable as the telecommunications industry moves toward fully containerized systems. SUSE Linux Enterprise Server provides a stable, trusted platform for both virtualized and cloud native environments, making it easier for Ericsson to align its infrastructure with the demands of next-generation networks.
The impact of SUSE Premium Support
SUSE Premium Support has been a cornerstone of Ericsson’s success in delivering reliable, high-performance solutions to its customers. With a focus on resolving complex issues that cannot be addressed independently by Ericsson’s internal teams or customers, SUSE’s Premium Support team provides deep technical expertise that ensures swift and efficient problem resolution.
“When it comes to complicated cases, SUSE Premium Support has been essential in providing the expertise needed to keep our systems running smoothly and securely,” says Bering. “Since we incorporate SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 100%, then we really need this support.”
What’s next for Ericsson?
Ericsson plans to deepen its use of SUSE solutions, leveraging SUSE Linux and Premium Support to enhance its cloud native capabilities. With the telco industry poised to grow 6.5% CAGR over the next several years — fueled by rising investments in 5G infrastructure and soaring demand for high-speed data connectivity — Ericsson is strategically positioned to lead this dynamic sector. By partnering with SUSE, Ericsson ensures its infrastructure remains secure, scalable and efficient, enabling it to meet the growing demand for next-generation technologies and value-added managed services in the 5G era and beyond.