Nokia Siemens Network Opens Silicon Valley Smart Lab

Silicon Valley now joins the likes of Finland, South Korea and France as hosts of an NSN Smart Lab. Smart Labs are charged with finding the balance between providing the best experience for users while ensuring the least possible impact on network performance.

“Our Smart Labs provide the world’s leading mobile broadband testing facilities and collaboration with other industry players allowing us to better advise our customers on how to make their networks more smartphone friendly,” said Jan Hellman, head of Smart Labs. “Our Smart Labs and Smart Labs Performance Advisor reflect our growing commitment to help operators get concrete insights on how to resolve these issues.”

Each lab uses Performance Advisor technology to evaluate app and device behavior. The noted behaviors are then compared to a database of network performance indicators. By utilizing these rankings, operators can gain an understanding of how devices and applications impact their networks, and they can design the ideal configuration to minimize that impact.

NSN cooperates with multiple clients at their Smart Labs, advising them on optimizing network performance. Each facility has an end-to-end network that evaluates the integration of devices, like mobile phones, smartphones and tablets, as well as the integration of technologies like VoIP, social media and mobile video.

“Smartphones with always-connected applications introduce a new type of network behavior, and increase volatility in mobile broadband demand,” said Hellman. “This can considerably increase signaling traffic and drastically reduce smartphone battery life, and thus impact user experience.”

NSN is displaying some exciting technological innovations, like its Performance Advisor, at Mobile World Congress. The company has also received a much needed infusion of capital recently, having obtained a windfall of 1.2 billion euros from 14 European and U.S. banks. This cash comes after a $1 billion investment by its parent companies failed to deliver the profitability that NSN needed. Neither Nokia nor Siemens issued any comments on the cash bailout.