NGMN Alliance tackles cloud-native architecture

The Next Generation Mobile Networks (NGMN) Alliance is launching new activities to support telcos in the adoption of cloud-native infrastructure.

The initiative will address hybrid cloud architecture challenges. The project has been highlighted by the groupโ€™s members as a crucial development area towards the successful deployment of 5G beyond 2020.

The NGMN Alliance says it aims to lead a โ€œparadigm change in the network vision of the industryโ€.

โ€œNGMN is proud to be leading the efforts to address and define the target architecture for the most relevant use cases for end-to-end automation and orchestration, made possible by this initiative,โ€ said Dr Peter Meissner, CEO of the NGMN Alliance. โ€œThe qualitative effects of cloud-native will support telco service providers with value creation and sustainability.โ€

Alignment

The work will address requirements from operators relating to areas such as cloud-native infrastructure, hardware disaggregation, open interfaces, open platforms, edge computing and automation.โ€จโ€จ

Andrea Calvi, TIM senior manager, project sponsor and member of the NGMN Alliance Board, said, โ€œWeโ€™re delighted to be leading the way with 5G projects that will address and define the high-level target architecture for telco networks based on cloud-native infrastructure, open interfaces and open source adoption. This will open vendor ecosystems, reduce TCO [total cost of ownership] and gain flexibility.โ€

โ€จโ€จA statement noted that the NGMN Alliance recognises that several industry organisations are already working on various aspects relating to the cloud-native shift.

โ€œThis initiative aims to facilitate a close alignment, leading to the integration of results to form a common architectural view,โ€ it said.