The TM Forum and MEF are working together with service providers to standardise software to make SDN and NFV efficient

Read more: MEF TM Forum Lifecycle Services Orchestration

MEF and the TM Forum are collaborating with major service providers in a new initiative to standardise Lifecycle Services Orchestration (LSO) application programming interfaces (APIs).

Standardised LSO APIs are a vital step towards ensuring that networks can talk to each other in a post-software defined networking (SDN) and (NFV) networks functions virtualisation which will enable agile, orchestrated Third Network services over more automated, virtualised, and interconnected networks globally.

In work currently being conducted at MEF, AT&T, Orange, Colt Technology Services, Comcast, Level 3, PCCW Global, Sparkle, Verizon, and CableLabs and Kyrio are leading the effort to develop a complete suite of inter-provider LSO APIs that use the MEF LSO Framework and the TM Forum Open API framework.

The inter-provider LSO API standardisation work will initially apply to orchestrating widely deployed MEF-defined Carrier Ethernet services in a global market that IHS Markit estimates is worth over $50bn. This work can be used in the future for orchestrated optical and IP services presently being defined by MEF and to advance digital ecosystem orchestration and management work being led by TM Forum.

Project participants are planning for a software development “sprint” at the end of which the first inter-carrier LSO APIs will be implemented in late 2017.

Roman Pacewicz, Senior vice president, offer management and service integration, AT&T business solutions said: “Delivering dynamic on-demand services for our customers is a priority at AT&T. The work we’re doing with MEF, TM Forum, and their members on API standardisation will be critical to expanding the value of connected software-defined networking on a global basis.”

Nan Chen, President, MEF said “MEF is delighted to host pioneering inter-provider LSO API standardisation work that will help unleash the power of on-demand services orchestrated across a global ecosystem of connected networks. Our collaboration with TM Forum and major service providers is a key step toward automating the $50bn Carrier Ethernet services market with LSO and will be foundational for orchestrating IP and wavelength services across many provider networks as well.”

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