Ericsson and Intel teamed to align their development efforts for software-defined infrastructure (SDI), to help communications service providers deliver 5G and edge services.

“The resulting next-generation infrastructure management platform will deliver a new level of cloud-like agility, transparency and efficiency required for Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV), distributed cloud and 5G,” Ericsson said in a statement.

Ericsson’s SDI Manager software and Intel’s Rack Scale Design will be converged, with software and hardware innovations resulting from the collaboration offered in Ericsson hardware platforms.

They may also be offered with Intel’s server products.

Sandra Rivera, SVP and general manager of Intel’s Network Platforms Group, said: “Our infrastructure manageability collaboration with Ericsson will help communications service providers remove deployment barriers, reduce costs and deliver new 5G and edge services with cloud-like speed on a flexible, programmable and intelligent network.”

In September 2018 she proclaimed Intel is “powering the first wave of 5G networks”, highlighting work with Ericsson and Nokia on trials and pilots.

Meanwhile last week Ericsson revealed plans to open a facility in the US to train infrastructure workers in how to install and maintain 5G networks.