New Members Drive Forum’s IP Efforts

The global telecom and infrastructure vendor group created to help plan the commercial future of the public IP network has quietly added a series of members whose focus is largely on helping operators migrate, and add value to, advanced IP networks.

The latest to join the IPsphere Forum (IPSF) as full members include EoBuy (commerce), Hammerhead Systems Inc. (Ethernet and pseudowire), Meriton Networks (optical networking) and Mobidia Inc. (mobile services).

Other new additions include Move Digital (file distribution), NewGenPay (commerce), Nexagent (service management), Telarix (peering services) and TrueBaseline. Arbor Networks (security) has joined the forum as an associate member.

IPSF was originally created a few years ago as the Infranet Initiative Council (IIC), driven largely by Juniper Networks. The group revamped its structure in June 2005, a move which resulted in the addition of heavy hitters Alcatel and Cisco Systems Inc. to its fast-growing ranks. Consulting members include CIMI Corp. and FMC Telecom Consulting.

The group, and its mission to help deliver “the business of IP,” gained traction when BT announced the primary suppliers of its 21st Century Network (21cn) construction project last year. The massive undertaking is aimed at creating a next-generation IP network that enables streamlined and broadened business over a more flexible network.

“Over the next 18 months, you’re going to see a change in the way network interworks with services,” said Ken Davison, vice president of marketing and business development for Meriton. “Transport people have a hard time understanding what services are because they think of them as a port on a blade. The forum has been working on defining the set of attributes that make up a business service, which is why we’re excited about being part of this group.”

Several months ago, IPSF announced several key milestones in the forum’s formal work program – highlighted by the delivery of the IPsphere Forum Commercial Framework.

“Generating a profitable business model for all stakeholders in the IP services industry cannot be left to chance. The IPsphere Forum is dedicated to reducing the risk of preparing for the future, and to accelerating the innovation that will secure that future,” said Kevin Dillon, chairman of the IPSphere Forum. “The release of the IPsphere Forum commercial framework is a substantial step forward in advancing cooperation with today’s services and future innovation.”

“The IPsphere commercial framework provides a business-based mechanism to enable every producer in the chain of IP services fulfillment to mitigate the risks and share the rewards of overall market development,” said Brian Levy, group CTO ofservices at BT 21C, in prepared comments. “It outlines a pan-industry commercial environment where those with service elements to offer can join to create profitable end-to-end services that meet the financial objectives of everyone who contributes.” Also of importance, IPSF completed the first showcase of its service oriented architecture platform based on this commercial framework.

The global group’s telco members already include AT&T Inc., BT, France Telecom, Korea Telecom, T-Com, Telefonica, Telenor, Telstra and Verizon. The group’s infrastructure vendor members include Avici Systems, ECI Telecom, HP, Huawei, Lucent, Siemens and Tellabs. Associate members include Agilent Technologies, Ericsson and Nortel Networks Ltd., among others.

IPsphere Forum www.ipsphereforum.org

Share this article: Email, Slashdot, Digg, Del.icio.us, Yahoo!MyWeb, Windows Live Favorites, Furl
Add this article feed to: RSS, My Yahoo, Newsgator, Bloglines