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Open API standards solidifying with MEF’s multi-operator service

TM Forum and MEF extend four open APIs with LSO Sonato software development kit

TM Forum, a nonprofit industry association for service providers and their suppliers in the telecom industry, announced it extended four of its of open APIs by Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF), a nonprofit international industry consortium, with the release of the first Lifecycle Service Orchestration (LSO) Sonato software development kit (SDK) multi-operator service orchestration. The announcement occurred alongside the release of the LSO Presto SDK, which also includes standardized open APIs for orchestrating connectivity services over multiple network technology domains.

MEF and TF Forum announced they were collaborating back in February to standardize open APIs for orchestration services across multiple networks. LSO is a way of streamlining and automating the service lifecycle for managing network domains that provide end-to-end connectivity services, such as carrier ethernet. More recently, MEF launched its Third Network Foundation certification program to help foster expertise in LSO/orchestration, software-defined networking (SDN), network functions virtualization (NFV), open source software and network security

As part of the partnership, the companies used MEF’s LOC and TM Forum’s Open API framework as a foundation for developing a set of standardized APIs. MEF said it utilized TM Forum’s technologies and open APIs to boost the delivery of its LSO Sonata SDK, which provides orchestrating connectivity services across various service providers globally.

“TM Forum Open APIs were designed for extensibility, and MEF has leveraged this capability to enable the specific LSO Sonata applications,” said Nik Willetts, CEO of TM Forum, in a statement. “This is a great example of industry partnership and application of the common core capabilities of TM Forum’s Open APIs, which enable interoperability and connectivity across all technologies and services in open digital ecosystems.”

According to the company, the APIs that serve as the core of the LSO Sonata SDK include the LSO Sonata Address Validation API, which extends the TM Forum Address API and Site APIs; LSO Sonata Serviceability API, which extends the TM Forum Product Ordering Qualification API; and the LSO Ordering API, extends the TM Forum Product Offering API.

“MEF is pleased to collaborate with TM Forum to accelerate the industry transition to agile, assured, and orchestrated services over automated and interconnected networks,” said Nan Chen, president of MEF. “More than 25 companies and industry organizations have been involved in advancing the ground-breaking LSO API initiatives. We congratulate these teams on their progress in moving the industry forward.”

ABOUT AUTHOR

Nathan Cranford
Nathan Cranford
Nathan Cranford joined RCR Wireless News as a Technology Writer in 2017. Prior to his current position, he served as a content producer for GateHouse Media, and as a freelance science and tech reporter. His work has been published by a myriad of news outlets, including COEUS Magazine, dailyRx News, The Oklahoma Daily, Texas Writers Journal and VETTA Magazine. Nathan earned a bachelor’s from the University of Oklahoma in 2013. He lives in Austin, Texas.