Nokia Siemens Networks unveils Liquid Applications
New technology enables data-rich applications to be run from base stations, reducing latency in mobile networks
Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) unveiled new technology to bring more power to mobile operator base stations, today.
This key aspect of the network has traditionally been used to send and receive radio signals, ensuring connections between devices but nothing more. With Liquid Applications, NSN wants to offer more data services direct from base stations, claiming it will increase the performance of the network.
“Liquid Applications redefines the role of the base station and will transform the mobile broadband experience,” said Marc Rouanne, head of mobile broadband at NSN. “The beauty of Liquid Applications is in the simplicity of using information that has always been there in the network, to fundamentally change the definition of personalised service and shatter forever the perception of the network as ‘just a bit-pipe'.”
“Liquid Applications will drive innovation and new business models across the mobile industry.”
The service works by enabling data to pass through the base stations and give more information to where the users are. Not only does this means large sets of data avoid having to go through the core network, which increases traffic and in turn latency, they can bounce back to local users and give a more helpful service.
The example NSN gave when launching the Liquid Applications at this week’s Mobile World Congress (MWC) was local news services. Rather than storing this centrally, it believes it would be more appropriate to keep this data at a base station so those interested are close to the information and it does not clog the network for other purposes.
Gabriel Brown, senior telecoms industry analyst for Heavy Reading, praised the process, and added: “Exposing applications and services to real-time network data from inside the base station enables improvements to performance and service quality.”
“Also placing services close to the user is a step toward creating a network architecture that prepares mobile operators for content-heavy, performance-orientated service models that will be critical to competitive advantage in the future.”
The whole thing is powered by NSN’s radio applications cloud server (RACS), which change base stations into “local hubs for service creation and delivery.”
IBM today announced it was partnering with NSN on the project to provide data analytics that all the local Big Data operators will be able to gleam from the service.
