Amdocs joins Open Networking Foundation

Aiming to accelerate intelligent automation technologies for next-generation mobile and hybrid networks, leading provider of software and services to communications and media companies Amdocs has joined the Open Networking Foundation (ONF).

The ONF is a non-profit operator-led consortium aimed at driving transformation of network infrastructure and carrier business models utilising network disaggregation, white box economics, open source software and software-defined standards.

By joining ONF, Amdocs continues to build on its commitment to drive service innovation and operations agility through advanced service and network automation systems based on open interfaces, industry standards, data-driven artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and cloud-native technology.

Amdocs will engage with the ONF SD-RAN project, which is focused on enabling modular and customisable radio access network (RAN) solutions that help service providers innovate more easily and add new functionality faster. The project is creating open source components for the mobile RAN space that are compliant with the architecture defined by the O-RAN Alliance.

“We are pleased to welcome Amdocs to the SD-RAN community,” said Timon Sloane, vice-president of marketing and ecosystem at ONF. “A key goal of the SD-RAN project is to enable multi-supplier RAN solutions allowing for a mix of open source and supplier proprietary components, and to enable the emergence of a marketplace of vendor xApps that can bring exciting new capabilities to RAN.

“One such capability is intelligent automation leveraging AI/ML to enable more efficient operation of RAN infrastructure, and it is exciting to have Amdocs commit to help drive these capabilities in the context of the SD-RAN project.”

Amdocs has already been active in open technology communities such as systems integration for TIP labs and edge-deployed machine learning  for open RAN use-cases.

In July 2020, the company entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Openet, a provider of 5G charging, policy and cloud technologies. The deal brought Openet’s open and network-centric technologies to Amdocs’ portfolio of more than 350 service provider customers worldwide, helping them to take advantage of the wave of 5G advancements around cloud, edge compute, the internet of things (IoT) and new customer experiences.

Additionally, the firm has continued with developing next-generation operations support systems (OSS) and automation technologies for cross-domain hybrid networks. It has also has also been recognised for new product innovation and transformative OSS solutions.

“Amdocs helps service providers harness and monetise the power of new networks through open, smart, cloud-based automation software and solutions such as SmartRAN and Amdocs’ NEO next-generation OSS platform,” added Anthony Goonetilleke, group president of media, network and technology at Amdocs.

“Support for ONF SD-RAN is a key aspect of Amdocs’ approach for deploying AI and ML for near real-time analytics, responsive network capacity and coverage, proactive actions, as well as context-aware service experience optimisation.”