Turkcell Selects Affirmed Networks to Drive Network Transformation Initiative

BARCELONA, Spain, Feb. 28, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Affirmed Networks, the leader in virtualized mobile networks, today announced it has been selected both as the provider of a virtualized GiLAN solution and as the system integrator for Turkcell's network transformation initiative designed to streamline costs and drive revenue growth.

Turkcell is Turkey's leading mobile network operator, serving more than 54 million subscribers. A key goal of their network transformation initiative is to embrace the next-generation mobile architecture and quickly begin experiencing the cost savings and service agility that accompany the deployment of a virtualized network. As both solution provider and system integrator, Affirmed Networks is responsible for developing a cohesive strategy, onboarding its own and 3^rd party virtual network functions (VNFs) and ensuring the overall success of the program.  

A critical area of focus for the project has been the creation of a single, unified NFVi (Network Function Virtualization infrastructure) architecture that allows Turkcell to eliminate silos and align diverse functions and solutions onto a single architecture.  Leveraging Affirmed Networks' deep domain expertise and "best practices" developed from deployments with Tier One operators globally, the deployment was completed seamlessly and ahead of schedule, producing significant operational savings. Turkcell has deployed Affirmed Networks' virtualized GiLAN solution to enable rapid delivery of new revenue generating services with optimized use of the NFVi.  The GiLAN solution provides a rich set of features and capabilities including proxy services, TCP optimization, security services, DPI, and video optimization.

In addition to providing the underlying NFVi and virtualized GiLAN solution, Affirmed Networks will also oversee the day-to-day operations of the network for the next five years.

"With such a large transformation initiative before us, we needed to ensure that we had a sound strategy in place and that the effort would occur as quickly and efficiently as possible," said Gediz Sezgin, Turkcell's Executive Vice President - Network Technologies.  "Our selection of Affirmed Networks as a strategic partner was critical to the success of our transformation as they provided a level of expertise and innovation across a wide range of areas that allowed us to exceed our milestones and experience significant savings."

"Mobile operators see the clear path that exists between network transformation and business growth, yet many are unaware of the many technical and organizational considerations that accompany the move to virtualized architectures," said Hassan Ahmed, Chairman and CEO, Affirmed Networks.  "Through our work virtualizing some of the world's largest networks, we have gained invaluable deployment expertise which accelerates the time-to-revenue for operators such as Turkcell and allows us to best assist their teams as they transition to a new way of designing, deploying and managing the next-generation of mobile networks."

Affirmed Networks has more than 65 customers across five continents, including some of the world's largest and most innovative operators.

About Turkcell
Turkcell is a digital operator headquartered in Turkey, serving its customers with its unique portfolio of digital services along with voice, messaging, data and IPTV services on its mobile and fixed networks. Turkcell Group companies operate in 9 countries – Turkey, Ukraine, Belarus, Northern Cyprus, Germany, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Moldova. Turkcell launched LTE services in its home country on April 1st, 2016, employing LTE-Advanced and 3 carrier aggregation technologies in 81 cities. In 2G and 3G, Turkcell's population coverage in Turkey is at 99.61% and 97.94%, respectively, as of December, 2017. Turkcell offers up to 1 Gbps fiber internet speed with its FTTH services. Turkcell Group reported TRY17.6 billion revenue in FY17 with total assets of TRY34.0 billion as of December 31, 2017. It has been listed on the NYSE and the BIST since July 2000, and is the only NYSE-listed company in Turkey. Read more at www.turkcell.com.tr.
About Affirmed Networks, Inc.
Affirmed Networks has achieved significant attention as its Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) solution has become the standard for the world's top mobile operators. Currently, the company has been deployed commercially, including in Tier 1 and Tier 2 mobile networks, and is engaged in many trials worldwide. For more information, please visit: www.affirmednetworks.com.

SOURCE Affirmed Networks

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