AWS and prpl Foundation are collaborating on a platform-independent service delivery framework to manage cloud-to-CPE app orchestration.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) has joined the board of prpl Foundation, the organization announced Wednesday. prpl Foundation is a non-profit focused on improving security and interoperability of embedded devices, with a particular focus on “Open Gateway” Customer-Premises Equipment (CPE). AWS IoT Greengrass is the template for a new cloud-to-CPE architecture aimed at service providers.
The organizations are hoping to harmonize cloud-to-CPE app lifecycle management, with AWS’s own IoT services platform as the framework for standardization. The objective of their effort is to build a platform-independent service delivery framework to manage cloud-to-CPE app orchestration – not something that’s specific to AWS.
Leonard Dauphinee, president of prpl Foundation, said that service providers are increasingly turning to carrier-grade open-source software to manage a burgeoning variety of CPE hardware platforms. That makes it imperative for them to adopt a more modular design approach, he added.
“With containerization, providers can further simplify the scaling of operations,” said Dauphinee.
“The announcement aims to help standardize cloud-based application orchestration to manage the life cycles of containerized software components for next-generation customer-premises equipment (CPE) software stacks. This will enable service providers to more easily scale operations through the containerization of apps and services, moving away from monolithic firmware updates to a modularized approach that allows for simplified CPE application deployments and updates,” said prpl in a statement.
Cloud-based CPE app lifecycle management
IoT Greengrass is AWS’ open-source edge runtime and cloud service for Internet of Things (IoT). IoT Core connects and manages IoT device fleets without requiring servers to be provisioned or managed.
“AWS IoT Core and AWS IoT Greengrass, along with other AWS cloud services, provide built-in capabilities for CPE devices, including security, updateability, easy configurability and reliability at scale. Many service providers and CPE vendors are looking for these capabilities as they build with prpl’s open reference architectures to implement a modular design approach for CPE software stacks that leverage the advantages of the cloud,” said Shyam Krishnamoorthy, General Manager, AWS IoT.
This past July, the Broadband Forum and prpl Foundation announced a collaboration to develop the User Services Platform (USP/TR-369) standard as the backbone of future modular smart gateways. Their goal is to create a secure, cross-platform service delivery framework.
Other prpl Foundation members include Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Dish, Vodafone, and Qualcomm.
