Episode 80 – Global ecosystem of automated networks – MEF is defining, delivering, and certifying agile, assured, and orchestrated services

In this episode Chris Cubbage interviews Dan Pitt, Senior Vice President of MEF, formerly the Metro Ethernet Forum, an industry association of 200 plus member companies. MEF has recently introduced the MEF 3.0 transformational global services framework for defining, delivering, and certifying agile, assured, and orchestrated services over a global ecosystem of automated networks.

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, virtualised, and interconnected networks powered by LSO (Lifecycle service orchestration), SDN (software defined networking), and NFV (Network functions virtualisation). MEF produces service specifications, LSO frameworks, open LSO APIs, software-driven reference implementations, and certification programs. MEF 3.0 work will enable automated delivery of standardized Layer 1, Carrier Ethernet, IP, SD-WAN, and Layer 4-7 services across multiple provider networks.

MEF offers three certifications as part of its comprehensive Professional Certification Framework. These include the MEF-SDN/NFV Certified Professional, MEF Carrier Ethernet Certified Professional (MEF-CECP), and MEF Network Foundations (MEF-NF) certifications. Individuals who obtain all three of these certifications qualify for the coveted MEF Network Expert certification.

Industry professionals may register here for the MEF SDN/NFV, MEF-CECP, and MEF-NF certification exams. The MEF-SDN/NFV exam is available for an introductory price of US$320 for a very limited time this summer (expires 15 September 2019). Any exam purchased during this introductory period is valid for use for one year from the purchase date.

The MEF-SDN/NFV certification exam is built around the key themes of “Design,” Deploy, and Manage, and details and references are contained in the newly released examination blueprint. Professionals seeking to validate their competencies must be able to demonstrate their abilities in various design, installation, and security scenarios involving SDN, NFV, and instances when virtualized objects such as VNFs (virtualized network functions) are deployed into SDN architectures.

The value of skills certifications continues to grow, especially in networking. A recent study[1] revealed that 91 percent of employers use IT certification as a reliable indicator of a good candidate in the hiring process and that certified IT staff routinely earn higher salaries than their noncertified counterparts.

A lot of Asia is being driven by new infrastructure and mobile services are dominant. China is a very good example how to cloudify your infrastructure. Dan also provides regional insight into the infrastructure advancements being made in China, South Korea, Vietnam and Australia,

For more information: https://www.mef.net

Recorded at the NetEvents Global Press & Analyst Summit – Innovators in Cloud, IoT AI & Security, Dolce Hayes Mansion, San Jose, California, USA, 26 May 2018. #NetEvents18

NetEvents Blog: http://www.netevents.org/news/blog