By Lior Mishan
Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) have been caught in the middle of a revolutionary transition period in the telecom industry. While previously their operator customers would buy proprietary all-in-one solutions, the new paradigm is to avoid vendor lock-in and to “mix and match” open, off-the-shelf hardware and software products from a variety of sources to create an agile, scalable solution.
This trend has made life much more difficult for OEMs, which must work with customers to identify the ideal building blocks for their solutions, at much effort, time, and expense to the OEMs.
In a recent blog post, Chris Rice, Senior VP at AT&T Labs, indicated that mixing and matching standardized hardware configurations with different software protocols is becoming critical. This practice enables operators to use more open, flexible and cost-effective alternatives to traditional proprietary, integrated networking equipment.
Today’s OEMs must therefore be resourceful and search for opportunities to stay competitive in an increasingly volatile market. They can no longer offer exclusively proprietary solutions. Today’s operators are seeking solutions that are agile, scalable, and open.
Ethernity Networks has also adjusted itself to the changing environment. Ethernity recognized the difficult situation its OEM customers were facing and has therefore begun offering them a solution that addresses both the changing requirements of the industry and the pain points of the OEMs.
As part of Ethernity’s goal to move up the value chain and deliver end-to-end networking solutions, the company has started offering high-performance networking solutions incorporating both the company’s patented ENET Flow Processor firmware and Aricent’s Carrier Ethernet Switch Router software, providing solutions that are entirely programmable, open, and agile.
OEMs can benefit from Ethernity’s network core and edge applications, including broadband gateway (BNG), cell site router (CSR), wireless and broadband access, and other Carrier Ethernet appliances, without the need to piece together other hardware and software offerings to the solution.
This will remove the barriers to entry, save the OEM (as well as their operator customers) on software licensing expenses and integration costs, and accelerate the time-to-market for such solutions. Moreover, the platforms remain as open as ever, with the ability to add or change software applications as needed, and with standard interfaces to swap in any server or management system.
In essence, Ethernity now offers turnkey solutions for OEMs and system integrators that make use of all the technological building blocks that comprise a programmable networking solution, from systems-on-chip (SoCs) to ACE-NICs to application and acceleration software.
