Nuage Networks, a bit of Nokia devoted to software-defined networking, has won some datacentre work with the China Pacific Insurance Company.

This is a pure-play SDN gig in which Nuage is acting more as a system integrator than a networking vendor, in keeping with Nokia’s broader diversification strategy. The project revolves around Nuage’s Virtualized Service Platform, which will be used in two CPIC data centers to move a lot of the company’s IT into the cloud.

As well as bolstering Nuage and Nokia’s credibility in the IT services game, the deals also gives it some traction in the financial services vertical and a shot of credibility in the massive Chinese market. The contract was won via Nokia Shanghai Bell.

“Nuage Networks VSP has clear momentum in the telecoms industry, and we’re excited to bring that same technology to large enterprises here in China, in this case helping CPIC deliver a unified cloud experience,” said Jin Jian, Head of the Enterprise & Public Sector unit at Nokia Shanghai Bell. “Working with a top insurer like CPIC serves as an excellent reference for the broader industry, and we see this as an opportunity to win more large enterprise projects in China, continuing Nokia’s push into vertical markets beyond the telecoms space.”

Most of the emerging telecoms megatrends, such as virtualization, 5G and IoT lean heavily on datacenters, generally considered to be more of an IT sector thing. How the telecoms industry handles the growing confluence of these two sectors will be critical to its future success, so deals such as this have a significance beyond the immediate business they provide. You can read more analysis on this news at Light Reading here.