Open Network Featured Article

The demand for network capability is only on the rise thanks to a combination of more applications for the network to handle and a greater demand for bandwidth from some of these applications. That means a network that runs at its peak is in equally great demand, and anything that advances network capability and capacity should be more in demand as a result. NEC (News - Alert) / Netcracker recently embarked on a partnership effort that puts a lot more power in the network.

NEC / Netcracker got together with both Infinera (News - Alert) and Juniper Networks, a development that's brought forth one major new advance so far in the Transport SDN solution, a software-defined network (SDN) solution that adds new capability in network automation and overall control. The combination of Netcracker / NEC's service orchestration and multilayer control, as well as Infinera's intelligent transport network systems and Juniper Networks (News - Alert)' IP / MPLS capability was sufficient to create the impressive new whole of Transport SDN.

With Transport SDN, users get access to complete visibility in network components—ranging from IP and optical domains to more standard network components—as well as the ability to optimize network use and completely automate the provision of network services.

The group recently demonstrated its joint solution at an industry event, executing a complete multidomain path selection, along with recovery test, across several different networks at once including Telefonica and Verizon (News - Alert)'s networks. The tests went quite well, by all reports, so the partnership is looking to expand outward from there.

Netcracker's chief technology officer for SDN / NFV business Aloke Tusnial commented “We are excited to bring this new solution to market, showcasing how virtualization can enable a completely new set of automation and optimization opportunities to enhance networks with innovative visualization, operations, optimized capacity planning and utilization functionality. By partnering with industry leaders like Juniper and Infinera, NEC/Netcracker is bringing a pre-integrated best-of-breed solution that offers customers flexibility and choice in fundamentally rethinking their network design and level of automation."

Improving the network in general is a valuable development. There are likely very few firms out there wishing that their network would go more slowly or produce less, so a development like this adds value on every front. Improving the network improves its availability and in some cases its throughput, so it addresses several critical use cases at once. Considering how many more uses of the network there are now than ever, making a better network will draw a lot of interest, and give NEC / Netcracker and its partners plenty of extra punch in the market.