AT&T and Orange have signed an agreement to collaborate on initiatives to accelerate the standardization of software-defined networking (SDN) and network function virtualization (NFV) , focusing on the use of open-source technology. AT&T and Orange will identify appropriate forums for industry standardization discussions to drive standardization efforts forward. By introducing common standards and interfaces, the industry can simplify technological integration, increase operational efficiency and reduce costs, resulting in shorter deployment cycles and a faster pace of innovation, the operators said.
The two companies will concentrate on creating common specifications for premise-based devices, allowing them to work in different NSP environments and with different network function software providers. They also want to streamline the onboarding process for virtual network functions (VNFs) by introducing common guidelines and templates that will mature the VNF provider ecosystem and make VNFs more plug and play. In addition, they aim to develop standardized APIs that will enable SDN architectures from different NSPs to interoperate with each other, making deployment of virtualized network services and functions faster and easier.
