Mavenir Buys Brocade's EPC Software BizMavenir Buys Brocade's EPC Software Biz

Reconstituted telecoms software company Mavenir has bought Brocade's virtual EPC business, putting it in competition with Affirmed, as well as other major radio access players.

Mavenir Systems Inc. said Monday that it had acquired the assets of Brocade's vEPC business -- including 22 patents -- for an undisclosed sum. Brocade Communications Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: BRCD) itself bought into the market in March 2015 with its acquisition of Connectem. (See Brocade to Acquire Connectem for Virtual Mobile Networking .)

Virtual Evolved Packet Core (vEPC) software handles the LTE data and call connection functions that used to be done with a series of gateways and nodes in the mobile core network.

The sale appears to signal a scaling back of Brocade's mobile ambitions. Connectem was supposed to be one of the drivers pushing Brocade into a more mobile-focused future back in 2015. (See Brocade Aims for Global Mobile Domination.)

Mavenir, meanwhile, says -- in a statement -- the acquisition will help it enhance its "next-generation core network with a feature-rich, virtualized evolved packet core, expanded customer base, and advanced network slicing capabilities important to 5G architectures."

The "new" Mavenir was created when Xura bought its assets and startup Ranzure in December, and then changed its name to Mavenir in February this year. Executives have been open about their ambition to be a 5G player ever since. (See Xura Bets High on 5G With Acquisitions: Is the Timing Right?)

In fact, CEO Pardeep Kohli told Light Reading Friday that Mavenir is testing out small cells with "two operators" as it works on "C-RAN" software aimed at future 5G networks. Such centralized software would operate as a brain for the large numbers of distributed radios needed for 5G coverage.

— Dan Jones, Mobile Editor, Light Reading