ecotel, a leading German telecommunications provider, has deployed a fully virtualized and secured network solution for Volkswagen Group Retail Deutschland (VGRD GmbH), leveraging Ekinops hardware and software. The deployment includes the Ekinops OneOS6-LIM virtualization middleware and uCPE platform, enabling dynamic delivery of virtual network functions (VNFs) such as firewalls and SD-WAN without additional hardware.
VGRD sought an open, flexible solution to support the increasing software demands of modern vehicles and avoid vendor lock-in. The Ekinops-based system offers agility for onboarding new applications and maintaining “always-on” connectivity across Germany’s largest automotive retail network. ecotel, one of the first German operators to offer uCPE-based solutions, emphasized the environmental and cost benefits of this compact, software-defined approach.
The solution was fully rolled out between Q3 2024 and Q2 2025 and includes EU-based supply chain advantages and future-ready features like container support and SASE capabilities. The deployment enhances ecotel’s value proposition to enterprise customers with built-in redundancy and rapid service upgrades.
- Volkswagen Group Retail Deutschland selects ecotel for a next-gen virtualized network
- Ekinops uCPE with OneOS6-LIM powers VGRD’s secure, flexible infrastructure
- Deployment includes firewall VNF; SD-WAN and SASE planned for future rollout
- uCPE reduces power, cost, and CO₂ footprint while enabling fast feature delivery
- EU-based supply chain and open architecture set Ekinops apart in a crowded market
“The solution we delivered to VGRD is perfectly seamless, easy-to-operate and to deploy,” said Markus Hendrich, CEO of ecotel.
