NFV/SDN Reality Check: ONF Updates Atrium SDN Platform – Episode 50

On today’s show we have an interview with Dan Pitt, executive director of the Open Networking Foundation on the telecom benefits of its recently updated Atrium SDN platform.

But first, let’s take a look at some of the top headlines from across the telecom-related NFV, SDN, cloud and software space from the past week.

Cisco this week announced a partnership with Verizon Enterprise Solutions to offer its Cisco Spark cloud-based collaboration service to Verizon customers as part of the telecom giant’s expansion of “next-generation collaboration solutions.” The agreement is said to provide Spark Message and Spark Meet features integrated with Verizon’s business collaboration services, tapping unified communications and collaboration-as-a-service models and Verizon’s contact center services.

The service, which is set to be available later this year, is said to run over Verizon’s wireless and global wireline networks. Cisco added the platform will be hosted in its Cloud infrastructure and built using an “open” system designed to allow developers to build applications on top of the service.

The move comes as Verizon is reportedly shutting down its public cloud operations in favor of its private cloud services. According to a report earlier last month from Fortune, customers using Verizon Public Cloud Reserved Performance and Marketplace will see those services shuttered on April 12. Those set to be impacted have reportedly been asked to migrate their content to Verizon’s Virtual Private Cloud platform.

Reports earlier this year claimed Verizon was looking to raise more than $2.5 billion through the sale of 48 data centers as it continued to monetize non-core assets. The assets included those acquired as part of its $1.4 billion purchase of Terremark Worldwide in 2011, which it said at the time would bolster its cloud service operations.

Verizon CFO Fran Shammo at an investor conference this week said the carrier did indeed have some “very prime properties” in its data center portfolio, but that it was still in the early stages of exploring its options.


Also this week, telecom operators showed increasing support for the Open Computer Project, speaking on behalf of the organization at the Open Compute Project Summit. Representatives from Deutsche Telekom, SK Telecom, AT&T and Verizon spoke on a panel at the event about the role collaborative research and development plays in the fiercely competitive service provider landscape.

Ken Duell, AVP of new technology product development and engineering at AT&T, said collaborative research was a matter of survival and that its customers are demanding services that can only be achieved through collaboration.

Verizon SVP and CIO Mahmoud El Assir touched on the ability of open source to create true network personalization for customers, and the historic focus was on speed and supporting various protocols on the same network. El Assir added it was important to extend the reach of telecom computing and software as far out to the edge of the network as possible.

For this week’s featured interview, we spoke with Dan Pitt, executive director of the Open Networking Foundation, to get some insight into the organization’s recently launched Atrium SDN platform and benefits for the telecom space.

Pitt also touched on how he views the continue evolution and adoption of SDN and software-based solutions by mobile carriers and potential challenges still facing the space.

Thanks for joining us on this week’s NFV/SDN Reality Check. Make sure to check us out again next week when we are scheduled to speak with Accedian on challenges facing QoS for operators moving towards 5G, NFV and SDN platforms.

Show more