Mosaic Alliance brings vendors together to improve NFV and SDN solutions
In an effort to speed up the implementation of its software-defined access (SD-access) networks, Adtran Inc., a global provider of networking and communications equipment, recently debuted its Adtran Mosaic Open Network Alliance. The Mosaic Alliance will bring stakeholders together to foster the development and embracement of software-defined networking (SDN) and network functions virtualization (NFV) solutions.
The move follows the unveiling of Adtran’s SD-Access Accelerator released in August, which lets operators personalize SDN in various operating environments. Adtran did not disclose which businesses are involved in the alliance; however, the company did say current members have started enrolling in the Mosaic Alliance, and that they are considering a slew of potential members. Adtran will disclose partners of the alliance within the next few months.
“By establishing the Mosaic Open Network Alliance, ADTRAN is promoting the acceleration of the industry’s transition to open, programmable, scalable networks, and alliance members play a key role in that transition,” said Chris Thompson, director of Mosaic software and solutions portfolio for Adtran, in a statement.
“The caliber of interoperability testing, integration and validation available to vendors in the Mosaic environment presents unique value and creates a single touch point for network operators to validate solution interoperability as they look to rollout SD-Access networks around the world.”
Vendors are competing for market share in the rapidly expanding SDN space. According to a report by market research firm IDC, the SDN market is expected to be valued at $12.5 billion annually by 2020. Under the Mosaic SD-access platform, vendors will be able to access each other works, allowing them to collaborate on new open SD-Access projects. Adtran has been a long advocate of open networks projects, including NIA, ODL, ONF, ONOS, CORD and ON.LAB.
The Mosaic Alliance has two membership levels: integration members and collaboration members. The former group consists of technology partners and service partners, who operate within the Mosaic framework. The latter group serves a baseline for vendors to share insights on industry trends with each other.
The Mosaic Alliance isn’t the only alliance dedicated to NFV and SDN solutions. In 2015, for instance, Telco Systems launched the Open Edge Alliance program to bring SDN and NFV solutions to the network edge. Members of the program include Intel, Check Point, AudioCodes and Netrounds.
