Trade association TM Forum is working with network operators to create best practice case studies for NFV (network functions virtualization).

Virtualization is to be a key focus of the TM Forum’s Live event in Nice, Italy in June, when it will be demonstrating six NFV-related Catalyst programs – the TM Forum’s term for its short-term member-led projects to address system and operational challenges – and also running an NFV workshop.

Ken Dilbeck, head of the collaboration program at TM Forum, said that NFV is permeating most conversations about how operators should design their networks but there is confusion about how this should be done.

“We’re finding that this is more about all the infrastructure – compute storage and network – and the need to it treat as virtualized environment, as this allows new services business models to be deployed rapidly," Dilbeck said.

"We’re also finding that it’s about service providers making the cultural change that allows them to be agile. People are very aware of this issue and are asking can we get the organization’s culture to change around its technical capabilities”.

Dilbeck said TM Forum members are asking the trade body to focus on management capability and also to provide best practice guidelines.

“What’s emerging is the need for an adaptable meta model, and the need for standards is critical,” he added.

He also thinks that network operators will move quickly towards NFV, and in 12 months’ time there will be many network operators in some phase of roll-out of a virtualized environment.

“This isn’t greenfield, the industry is riding on the virtualization efforts which have already taken place in the data center, the capability and understanding are already, they need to be applied to the network,” Dilbeck said.

TM Forum has already established Zoom – its zero touch orchestration, operations and management project – to define a vision of the new virtualized operations environment.

It’s being supported in this by many of the Tier 1 operators, AT&T and Orange among them, as well as suppliers like IBM and Oracle, and aims to identify a management architecture based on the interaction between physical and virtual components that can easily and dynamically assemble personalized services.

TM Forum has over 900 member companies, but employs fewer than 100 staff.

“It’s the thought leaders from industry who direct the solution, our backbone is collaboration,” Dilbeck said.