MEF Selects ADVA Optical Networking, Time Warner Cable Business Class and Juniper Networks to Showcase NFV Service Innovation at GEN15

ADVA Optical Networking announced today that it has been chosen by the MEF to host a joint network functions virtualization (NFV) demonstration with Time Warner Cable Business Class and Juniper Networks at GEN15. The practical showcase goes much deeper than other demonstrations to actually reveal how NFV-centric services integrate with existing operations and business processes of communication service providers (CSPs). This aspect of the demonstration is key for CSPs as they seek to use NFV to rapidly expand the range of managed network services they offer. To succeed here requires a smooth migration from the existing hardware-centric model to one focused upon virtualizing customer premise equipment. The MEF specifically selected ADVA Optical Networking, Time Warner Cable Business Class and Juniper Networks because they collectively show how CSPs can effectively accomplish the transition to NFV-centric networks. The demo will be featured as part of the MEF’s Proof of Concept showcase and will be available to view from November 16 until November 19.

“This demonstration goes far beyond the traditional showcase. We’re effectively presenting a complete solution here that ties in with CSPs' operational processes,” said Christoph Glingener, CTO, ADVA Optical Networking. “The focus is all on agile service creation. NFV presents CSPs with a real opportunity to strip away complexities and develop new revenue streams. Installing and managing routers at customer premises is time consuming and labor intensive. By virtualizing these routers, CSPs can instantiate and operate them remotely and rapidly roll out additional services to their customers. These services include WAN optimization, firewalls and intrusion detection systems. Our ADVA FSP 150 ProVM is key to achieving this. It’s an open solution that easily integrates with CSPs' operations and business support systems – and this is key. Other demonstrations so often overlook this integration and for a CSP this is one of the most critical elements.”

The joint demonstration centers on the recently announced ADVA FSP 150 ProVM, the only edge NFV device on the market with hardware acceleration and hardware-assisted performance monitoring that can deliver optimal performance for hosted virtual network functions (VNFs). This combination enables the ADVA FSP 150 ProVM to deliver comprehensive and consistent service assurance for both its integrated server as well as the connecting network. Extending MEF-compliant connectivity technology to VNFs is key for CSPs, who need similar operations, administration and maintenance (OAM) capabilities for both the network and for VNFs. Such insight and assurance will help CSPs to migrate to an NFV model that will replace today’s complex customer premise solutions with a much more flexible and dynamic approach.

“Our GEN15 demonstration isn’t simply another technology show and tell. It goes way beyond this to reveal something much deeper – a practical showcase of how an NFV-centric network can be deployed from end to end,” said Stephan Rettenberger, vice president, marketing and investor relations, ADVA Optical Networking. “We’ve worked closely with Time Warner Cable Business Class to build a demonstration that ties in with their operations and business processes. This is something that other CSPs will be fascinated to see. With our ADVA FSP 150 ProVM, Time Warner Cable Business Class is able to bring the same OAM experience it has on the connectivity network and apply it to VNFs. Such capabilities are enormous for CSPs. Without this assurance and insight into VNFs, CSPs will never be able to truly exploit NFV’s potential. The ADVA FSP 150 ProVM provides Time Warner Cable Business Class with complete end-to-end performance management. There can be no question that this is a critical feature.”

“Service providers like Time Warner Cable Business Class are on the forefront of implementing production-scale NFV in their networks to drive agile service creation in order to transform their network economics,” commented Paul Obsitnik, vice president, service provider portfolio marketing, Juniper Networks. “Working with Time Warner Cable Business Class to showcase a practical solution that leverages the open capabilities of VNFs like Juniper’s vSRX security service demonstrates the availability of Juniper’s carrier-grade, scalable NFV solutions today."