The NEC said the acquisition is expected to be fully completed this month
Japanese tech giant NEC has increased its ability to deliver end-to-end open RAN (O-RAN) ecosystems with the acquisition of Irish firm Aspire Technology, the former said in a release.
Aspire Technology is a specialized systems integration (SI) company that, according to an NEC release, has “unique expertise” in designing and integrating open networks. Aspire Technology provides solutions and services across 2G to 5G for legacy and open architecture.
The NEC said the acquisition is expected to be completed in July 2022.
The Japanese company noted that the addition of Aspire strengthens NEC’s SI offer for open RAN 5G applications, which require an increased level of system design and integration when compared to legacy ecosystems.
Aspire Technology provides technology solutions, software applications, advice and system integration for Tier-1 telco operators in legacy network architecture. Aspire Technology works with operators, vendors and other SI companies across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
“The NEC has made a strong, public commitment to lead the rollout of the Open RAN,” said Naohisa Matsuda, General Manager, 5G Strategy and Business, NEC. Part of that commitment is building our ability to act as a major system integrator for global operators as they take on open networks at their own pace. SI business is all about people and skills. Combined with a strong pool of strong capabilities and talented engineers, their technology solutions and portfolio of applications, our NEC is a big step towards open network strategy. NEC is now better prepared than any supplier to integrate isolated network components into a well-protected ecosystem. “
“We believe that the integration of NEC and Aspire Technology will provide tremendous benefits to our customers, both in the legacy network-based and those who are evolving in a more open environment, and in the larger 5G and Open RAN marketplaces, which are growing rapidly. We share a general view of the 5G and open RAN markets and a history of delivering complex integration projects with the world’s largest carriers. Together, we build an attractive and comprehensive 5G solution portfolio, ”said Bill Walsh, Founder and CEO of Aspire Technology.
In February, NEC Corporation announced that it had Stretched Its open RAN radio unit (O-RUs) portfolio with the introduction of several new products and configurations. The company said the 18 new RU products will help meet the needs of private and public mobile networks by complementing NEC’s existing portfolio, which will drive the Open RAN initiative in 2022.
