NC1707

OPINION
BENDING NETWORKS
TZVIKA NAVEH, PRODUCT
MARKETING MANAGER FOR
AMDOCS NETWORK SYSTEMS
EXPLAINS WHY SOFTWARE-
CENTRIC NETWORKS ARE
CRUCIAL TO THE SURVIVAL OF
COMMUNICATIONS SERVICE
PROVIDERS
With predications of 20 billion
connected devices by 2020, the
demands on mobile network
infrastructure are set to grow at breakneck
pace and with this our reliance on them will
only increase, especially as our relationship
with the technology deepens. This dynamic
creates a huge challenge to communications
service providers (CSPs) who are already vying
to survive in the face of new disruptive players
who are changing the game.
There is no silver bullet but scalability and
automation will certainly be important in
ensuring that the service and ultimately, the
user experience, are not adversely impacted.
To manage this in the enterprise, the
telecommunications industry has long
considered the role of software-defined
networking (SDN), but it is only just starting to
gain traction. With this development, further
questions arise, such as how will CSPs, with
the same need to scale and adapt their
network, be able to deliver this on a much
larger scale?
There is still no simple answer, but we
believe that the focus must be to embrace
collaboration. By harnessing software
platforms through the likes of the open
source community, service providers will
have the ability to design and operate
software-centric networks running on virtual
machines, rather than traditional, physical
network architectures.
AT&T is leading the way here and plans to
virtualise 75 per cent of its network by 2020.
In 2015, it sought to virtualise just 5 per cent
of its network, and that was considered the
most difficult change because they were
laying a foundation. Over 14 million of
AT&T's wireless customers are already using
this virtualised network and the company
plans to migrate millions more.
As part of its initiative to lead the
virtualised network charge, AT&T has
created and developed its Enhanced
Control Orchestration Management and
Policy (ECOMP) platform. This offers service
providers the ability to design and operate
a network running on virtual machines.
AT&T recently committed to release this
code into open source for other service
providers to use.
Such virtual networks provide improved
scalability and extensive automation and they
can adapt faster to customer needs with the
quick addition and removal of features. By
deploying technology like this, service
providers can quickly gain more control of
their network services, drive down operational
costs and allow developers to more easily
innovate their new network services.
Providers currently trialling this open source
code include Orange and Bell. Orange has
deployed the platform to underpin its
software-centric network in Poland and they
are working with Amdocs to build it before
proceeding to global roll-out. This will soon
reach 236 million customers across 28
countries, enabling consumers to benefit
from a network built to adapt and scale and
meet their needs. Bell Canada, Canada's
largest communications company, is now
testing the ECOMP platform to create and
manage software-defined networks. The
company joins Orange as the first telecom
company to officially collaborate on the
AT&T ECOMP effort.
In addition, the Linux Foundation is merging
open source ECOMP and Open Orchestrator
Project (OPEN-O) to create the new Open
Network Automation Platform (ONAP)
Project. ONAP is now well positioned to
become the de-facto industry standard open
source platform for NFV/SDN automation.
Open source virtualised networks are
changing business models, simplifying
network design and revealing new business
opportunities for service providers, content
developers and end-users. In today's
globalised society and new rivals available at
the click of a button, second best is simply not
an option for consumers, businesses and the
wider community. By harnessing digital
technology to enable the network to bend,
mould and adapt in ways previously
unachievable, network operators can
concentrate on securing new customers and
be sure to retain existing ones. NC
28 NETWORKcomputing JULY/AUGUST 2017 @NCMagAndAwards
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