MEF Announces PoC Showcase Award Winners

MEF has announced its MEF 3.0 Proof of Concept (PoC) Showcase Q1 2021 award winners, recognizing leadership and innovation in support of the MEF 3.0 Global Services Framework and the broader industry.

The MEF 3.0 Proof of Concept Program encourages collaborative work within MEF, where members partner to demonstrate use cases based on current and developing standards. The showcase featured 18 companies joining forces in seven demonstrations over seven days.

The PoCs demonstrated how MEF 3.0-based network slicing, 5G, LSO orchestration, SD-WAN, Active Service Assurance, and SASE can be leveraged to transform user experiences. Innovative use cases included:

The use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technology to transform sports video content into an immersive, personalized live experience.

Creation of a cashier-less automated retail checkout solution based on artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in the telco edge.

Multi-edge cloud orchestration with dynamic workload placement and optimization.

Support for extreme services like jitterless robotic communications, ultra-capacity storage data transfer, xHaul transport, and a specific real-world safety and security application using face and fish recognition.

Secure application access for remote workers based on SASE and SD-WAN.

Automation of the configuration interface between Kubernetes-based applications and managed SD-WAN services.

“The concepts presented in our PoC showcase present an exciting glimpse into the power of MEF-defined services and business/operational automation. They give the industry an opportunity to visualize real-world MEF 3.0 framework use cases that service providers, technology suppliers, and enterprises are currently implementing, as well as the leading-edge concepts that accelerate digital transformation,” said Daniel Bar-Lev, VP Strategic Programs, MEF. “This showcase demonstrated an outstanding level of collaboration and innovation. While the distinguished analyst judges have awarded several of the teams, every participant should be commended on what they’ve accomplished in their collaborations.”

The MEF 3.0 PoC Showcase award winners include:

Innovation Award, recognizing the most innovative use of MEF standards, LSO API releases and other artifacts—published or in development.

E2E Slicing for Extreme Services (PoC 138), featuring NTT, NTT Communications, and Okinawa Open Laboratory

Business Impact Award, recognizing the most significant potential impact on the service provider’s business.

Remote Employee Access to Cloud (PoC 106), featuring Amartus, Nefeli Networks, Sparkle, and Versa Networks

Market Game Changer Award, recognizing the largest potential impact on the service provider’s market, such as enabling a new market or use case.

Orchestrated Multi-Edge Clouds (PoC 131), featuring ADVA, Juniper Networks, Microsoft, Netcracker, and NTT Communications

Edge for Vertical Award, recognizing the clearest demonstration of the use of the edge for a specific vertical industry.

SD-WAN & 5G with Network Slicing (PoC 133), featuring AT&T Business, Ericsson, and VMware

Judge’s Choice Award, recognizing the best presented PoC, both in the showcase itself and its digital presence before and after.

Revolutionizing Live Events (PoC 132), featuring Spectrum Enterprise, ADVA, Equinix and Juniper Networks

The MEF 3.0 PoC Showcase Awards judging panel included analysts from Atlantic ACM, AvidThink, Dell’Oro Group, Omdia, TeleGeography, and Vertical Systems Group.

Companies that participated in the showcase include ADVA, Amartus, AT&T Business, Cisco, Ericsson, Equinix, Juniper Networks, Microsoft, Nefeli Networks, Netcracker, ngena, NTT, NTT Communications, Okinawa Open Laboratory, Sparkle, Spectrum Enterprise, Versa Networks, and VMware.

An industry association of 200 member companies, MEF is driving development of a global federation of network, cloud, and technology providers supporting dynamic, assured, and certified network services that power enterprise digital transformation.

MEF 3.0 services are designed to provide an on-demand, cloud-centric experience with user- and application-directed control over network resources and service capabilities.

MEF 3.0 services are delivered over automated, virtualized, and interconnected networks powered by LSO, SDN, and NFV. MEF produces service standards, LSO frameworks, LSO APIs, MEF 3.0 Proof of Concept Showcases, and certification programs for services, technologies, and professionals.

MEF 3.0 work will enable automated delivery of standardized Carrier Ethernet, Optical Transport, IP, SD-WAN, SASE, and other Layer 4-7 services across multiple provider networks.