Open Source NFV project expands its member base as global telecom, wireless, digital media, and research organizations commit to accelerating open source NFV
SAN FRANCISCO, November 2, 2016 — The OPNFV Project, an open source project that facilitates the development and evolution of Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) components across various open source ecosystems through integration, deployment, and testing today announced four new member organizations.
New Silver members include China Telecom, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a subsidiary of Qualcomm, Inc., and Samsung Electronics, while the Fraunhofer Institute for Open Communication Systems (FOKUS) joins as an Associate member. The addition of an end user organization, a research institution and two major global vendors signals a maturing of both the project and NFV as technology. Launched just over two years ago, the OPNFV project is supported by a vibrant group of 55 member companies committed to advancing a flexible, open source framework for NFV.
“Continued growth and diversity among our member roster is a testament to the growing power of open, collaborative development within the networking industry,” said Heather Kirksey, director, OPNFV. “I’m honored to welcome China Telecom, Fraunhofer FOKUS, Qualcomm, and Samsung Electronics to the project. Together with our existing member base and strong community, these key organizations will help accelerate the adoption of open source NFV.”
About the newest members
China Telecom Corporation Limited is one of the world’s largest and leading integrated information service operators, providing wireline and mobile telecommunications services, Internet access services, information services, and other value-added telecommunications services primarily in the People’s Republic of China. At the end of 2015, the company had wireline access lines in service of about 134 million customers, wireline broadband subscribers of about 113 million, and mobile subscribers of about 198 million.
“China Telecom has long supported NFV technologies and we strongly believe in the power of open source to both accelerate development and reduce complexity,” said Shen Shaoai, vice general manager of Technology Department, China Telecom. “Joining OPNFV and working more collaboratively across the industry is crucial as we strive to virtualize 80 percent of our network functions by 2025. We’re looking forward to contributing our expertise to help build a strong, open NFV platform.”
With more than 25 years of experience, Fraunhofer Institute for Open Communication Systems (FOKUS) has a long history in building Next Generation Network Infrastructures with tier one operators and key manufactures worldwide. Research concentrates on technical infrastructure as well as the development of practical concepts, prototypes, and applications in a pre-competitive environment. In this context open source toolkits developed by FOKUS, such as the SIP Express Router and the Open Source IMS Core, as well as the most recent Open Baton platform, have been landmarks for performing initial PoCs and paving the way for efficient and successful network and service transformation towards 5G. With around 430 employees, FOKUS is one of the largest Fraunhofer institutes.
“As networks transform and become more agile, it’s important that the industry come together to work collectively on open solutions,” said Dr. Thomas Magedanz, director of the Software-based Networks business unit at Fraunhofer FOKUS. “We’re excited to be joining the OPNFV community as a natural step for contributing our resources and expertise in areas such as MANO that will help to build a stronger open source NFV platform globally.”
Qualcomm Incorporated is a world leader in 3G, 4G and next-generation wireless technologies. For more than 30 years, Qualcomm ideas and inventions have driven the evolution of digital communications, linking people everywhere more closely to information, entertainment and each other.
“Rapid evolution in the way people consume data, especially as we move towards 5G, requires agile and scalable solutions to meet the increasing demands of the world’s networks,” Ram Peddibhotla, senior director, product management, Qualcomm Datacenter Technologies, Inc. “Through our collaboration in the OPNFV community, we’re eager to harness the power of open source to accelerate open network transformation.”
Samsung Electronics inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies. The Company is redefining the worlds of TVs, smartphones, wearable devices,tablets, cameras, digital appliances, printers, medical equipment, network systems, and semiconductor and LED solutions.
“Explosive demand for data requires the networking ecosystem to constantly reinvent itself with the introduction of new technologies and innovations,” said Woojune Kim, vice president and head of strategy group, Next Generation Communication Team at Samsung Electronics. “We believe in an open approach to addressing the growing reliance on virtualized technologies like NFV. Joining OPNFV will help enable faster and broader adoption of more interoperable network infrastructures, and we look forward to working collaboratively across the industry.”
For information on on how to participate in the OPNFV project or to learn more about OPNFV Colorado, the project’s third and most recent platform release, visit: https://www.opnfv.org.
About the Open Platform for NFV (OPNFV)
Open Platform for NFV (OPNFV) facilitates the development and evolution of NFV components across various open source ecosystems. Through system level integration, deployment and testing, OPNFV creates a reference NFV platform to accelerate the transformation of enterprise and service provider networks. For more information, please visit http://www.opnfv.org.
OPNFV is Collaborative Project at the Linux Foundation. Linux Foundation Collaborative Projects are independently funded software projects that harness the power of collaborative development to fuel innovation across industries and ecosystems. www.linuxfoundation.org.
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