Caspar Herzberg |
This article first appeared in the
Autumn 2017 issue of The Record.
The telecommunications industry is becoming more software-oriented, led by the transformation to network functions virtualisation (NFV) and software-defined networking (SDN). What began as an efficiency drive to reduce dependency on proprietary hardware and take operational costs out of the network, soon became a means to boost innovation and rapidly commercialise new virtual services like enterprise security and software-defined WAN.
But the industry knows that migrating to NFV does not mean completely separating from network hardware. Hybrid networks will remain for the foreseeable future, with existing physical network elements interworking with new virtual elements across different network domains. To accelerate innovation, the telecommunications community needs a common framework that addresses the complexity of onboarding virtual network functions and exchange expertise.
In 2017, the Linux Foundation introduced the open-source Open Network Automation Platform (ONAP), which provides this common framework and offers a community of service providers, vendors and systems integrators.
ONAP comprises the open-source ECOMP platform, which was initiated by AT&T and co-created by Amdocs, and Open-O, an open-source project supported by a consortium of mobile operators.
Backed by giants like AT&T, China Mobile and Comcast, ONAP represents over 50% of the global subscriber base. Major operators are taking open-source seriously and a strong ecosystem of partners, including Amdocs and Microsoft, is emerging to drive NFV standardisation. ONAP is set to become the de-facto industry standard open-source platform for NFV/SDN automation.
Open source is one of many paths to accelerating network virtualisation, but the ultimate goal is to reap the efficiencies of virtualisation sooner and innovate faster. To achieve this, service providers need to rapidly introduce, operate and monetise new virtual services. They must work with a partner that has a deep technical understanding of ONAP, and real experience with NFV transformation projects, integrations with existing operational and business support systems, and commercialisation of virtual services. The partner should also have a software and services portfolio that addresses the challenges of the current and future hybrid network.
Open source brings agility and innovation, so it’s vital that the industry can package open source contributions into a mature capability set for live network operations. Amdocs has achieved this with Amdocs NFV powered by ONAP software and services portfolio, which addresses time-to-market challenges and offers the future-proof advantages of ONAP open-source technology.
Ann Hatchell is head of Network Marketing at Amdocs