It seems like zero-touch automation (ZTA) is everyone’s goal but also that it’s mired in the usual standards-group molasses. The recent announcement that the first use case would be 5G network slicing, and the bias of the process toward earlier work on NFV, seem to combine to set the wrong goal and the wrong approach. …
Why We Should Be Augmenting Augmented Reality
Everyone has heard of augmented reality, and it’s often mentioned as a driver for everything from 5G to new phone technology. There’s no question that it could create a whole new relationship between us (as workers and consumers) and our technology, but the space is a lot more complicated than just putting on some kind…
Do We Finally Have an Open and Realistic IoT Model?
Most of you know I think IoT is overhyped, with the popular vision being a whole bunch of new sensors put on the Internet for people to exploit, misuse, or hack, depending on their predisposition. The real IoT opportunity has to face two realities. First, most sensors will never be on the Internet directly; they’ll…
The MEF 3.0 Framework: Good at the Wrong Level?
The MEF has been doing a kind of reboot, transitioning to something other than pure carrier Ethernet. One effort, the “Third Network” apparently confused a lot of people (what, they wondered, were the first two), and so the current efforts are titled more conventionally, as MEF 3.0. It’s more explicit about its vision, and in…
The Two Pieces to a Transformed Operator
I offered operators’ criticisms of transformation views, and a few of you wanted to know what my own views of transformation were. Do I have something that operators wouldn’t criticize? Probably not, but I do have a view based on my absorbing of their views and the running of my market model. It’s actually not…
How Did NFV Get “Down But Not Out”?
I just had a chance to read the Light Reading story on NFV (“Down But Not Out”) and it’s a nice summary of the NFV situation. It also documents my own frustration with the issues, because while everything the article says is true, every issue that the article presents was well-known in 2013. I know…
Device Models for Future Open Network Infrastructure
What will our next-generation network devices really look like? I know we’ve heard a lot of stories about the future, but are they all true? Are any of them, in fact? I had some interesting operator discussions on this point, and they yielded some surprising information. The best way to review it is to list…
Is Tech News “Fake?”
GDPR has just gone into effect, and the national media is obsessed with issues of privacy and the impact of advertising. There’s also the matter of the spread of biased information on social media; what’s called “fake news”. Maybe it’s time to address a touchy topic, which is the impact of advertising and fake news…
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Some Truths About the Challenge of Operator Transformation
There is always a risk in using buzzwords or catch-phrases. They tend to propagate through the market, losing contact with reality along the way. We hear, for example, that operators are “bullish” on transformation but don’t follow through. Is that a fair comment or is there something deeper going on. Four global operators have recently…
