AT&T has announced that, along with Juniper, Amdocs is to be added to its User-Defined Network Cloud supplier program.
First announced on February 24, the User-Defined Network Cloud will place customers at the centre of the network with a modern, cloud-based architecture. This initiative is expected to accelerate time-to-market with technologically advanced products and services.
“This is an ambitious program that allows us to tap into the latest technologies to enhance the network infrastructure,” said Tim Harden, president, AT&T Supply Chain. “We’re taking another step toward building the faster, simpler and more flexible network of the future that provides increased global connectivity with easily scalable and faster content delivery.”
But what is the User-Defined Network Cloud?
It’s the natural evolution of today’s large IP/optical networks to support more virtual resources and greater flexibility.
From AT&T’s own white paper on the topic, the changes that will take place over time include:
- The Packet and Optical core evolving from TCP/IP control/data plane routers to SDN.
- Moving network functions from being embedded in network appliances, in to the cloud. i.e. NFV.
- Introduction of supporting NFV infrastructure, including a distributed cloud environment.
- ‘Elastic network capabilities’ allowing customers and third-poarties to make use of this new network.
What role AT&T expects Amdocs to take in realising this vision has not been explained. But, you can reasonably expect that a new network and a new approach to services is going to require a significant transformation of AT&T’s OSS/BSS systems. Amdocs already has a long relationship with AT&T, and this announcement may simply be confirmation that the relationship will be maintained for the next evolution of their network.
Read the AT&T announcement here.