How Containerization and Kubernetes Drive Cost Control and Scalability

Video streams are crystal clear. Data transfers are completed on time without interruption. Every digital interaction occurs without a hitch.

We have grown to expect these levels of performance in the 5G era, but mobile network operators (MNOs) can find it difficult to provide them. They’re often hampered by rigid systems, an inability to properly scale resources, high operational costs, and the need for constant manual adjustments.

Containerization and Kubernetes enable more efficient design patterns and offer flexibility to better manage resources and support unplanned load in hybrid environments. According to VMware’s “The State of Kubernetes 2023” report, 25% of software development and IT professionals reported their business is seeing growth in market share, while 21% said new revenue-driving customer experiences have been created and 20% said profit margins are increasing. All in all, 90% said that cloud-native technology such as Kubernetes “is transforming the way our business operates.”

Containerization and Kubernetes, which can manage containers automatically, are changing deployment strategies and controlling costs — a pressing need because of the considerable investments you’re making in 5G networks.

Greater efficiency through flexible deployment

Containerization is not new, but it has only recently begun to drive connectivity solutions.

Unlike traditional virtual machines (VMs), containers have everything an application needs to run, making deployment and management significantly more straightforward and efficient. They can be run on-premises, in public and private clouds, and in hybrid environments. They also have firewalls and network partitions and software controls.

An effective software-driven containerization strategy can help reduce time to market for new services, roll out new features, swiftly address any service issues, and improve responses to customer needs. For example, fraud prevention systems can be quickly scaled to counter emerging threats, and critical 5G network components, such as the security edge protection proxy (SEPP), can be embedded in the customer’s environment for increased security and lower latency.

Containerization also significantly impacts your relationships with your customers. You can establish licensing agreements and deploy containers directly in their environments to allow for faster proof-of-concept testing and faster time to market. Containers can even mitigate concerns around data security as sensitive operations can be managed more effectively.

The VMware study found that 60% of respondents reported that their developers “are more productive” by adopting a containerization strategy. This boost in efficiency drives faster innovation cycles and benefits end customers through more rapid service improvements and new feature releases.

But there’s another considerable advantage that you will like about containerization: its impact on your bottom line.

Balancing capacity and demand

The number of devices requiring a cellular connection is increasing rapidly, with the GSMA estimating that 38 billion devices will be connected to the Internet of Things (IoT) by 2030. As this growth continues, embracing containerization and Kubernetes will help you control your costs more effectively through dynamic scaling.

Cloud storage can be expensive. Kubernetes helps manage traffic spikes when demand surges because additional containers can be activated to meet the increased load. On the contrary, during periods of low demand, excess containers can be automatically decommissioned. Therefore, you save money as you only have to go to the cloud if you need to shed load. However, this takes some pre-planning as there must be sufficient bandwidth, and direct connections and secure access control lists (ACLs) must be set up, to allow the routing work requests from an on-premises Kubernetes container environment to, for example, Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS)-deployed containers.

Containers also enable edge computing solutions by bringing processing power to the far edge. This is critical for the low-latency applications that are central to many 5G use cases, including autonomous vehicles, smart city infrastructure, delivery drones, and industrial automation.

What’s more, containers can run on shared infrastructure — even if it’s older hardware. You don’t have to purchase new equipment to handle containerized applications. You can breathe new life into what you’d otherwise consider to be outdated or legacy systems and save the costs associated with upgrades.

These advancements may drive substantial organizational changes. Containerization is altering the roles of development and operations teams by venturing toward a “zero ops” model and creating a more integrated approach to service delivery and management. And because Kubernetes automatically handles the deployment and scaling of containerized applications, it leads to more efficient and reliable network operations.

Advancing connectivity through containerization

By embracing containerization and Kubernetes, you can position your company to meet the diverse demands of the 5G era with agility.

Syniverse offers a range of containerized solutions, including Messaging Trust, Clearing and Settlement, Universal Commerce, and Evolved Mobility for Outbound Roaming, that enable flexibility and efficiency across on-premises environments and cloud platforms. We can also package and deploy applications on customers’ existing Kubernetes estates to reduce capital expenditure while maintaining high-quality service delivery.

These solutions showcase our commitment to containerization and a more agile future for telecommunications. Contact us today to discover how we can help you take steps toward maximizing your operations during your 5G network deployment.