Broadband equipment developer Calix has announced AXOS Sandbox, a virtual environment that makes it easier for service providers to introduce new services by eliminating the need for them to set up and test physical systems in their labs.
The sandbox allows operators to replicate their access network – or at least the AXOS-enabled components of it – in a virtual environment, by running real software instances of all Calix AXOS systems. The AXOS operating system is supported on Calix E-Series platforms, including the E9-2 Intelligent Edge System being evaluated by Verizon for its NG-PON2 roll-out.
With AXOS Sandbox, service providers can speed up service delivery by reducing the time needed for lab testing, and back office integration with billing and operations support software, and software certification. AXOS Sandbox runs the actual production software release of each Calix AXOS system making it the world’s first true instance of software-defined access (SDA), the company claims.
“The speed at which cloud companies and new entrants introduce services is a fundamental threat for service providers,” said Greg Whelan, Greywale Insights. “Rapid time to market for new services has been a promise of virtualisation from its onset. What has been missing is a solution that addresses the hard stuff – simplifying the complex, time consuming, and costly service creation process.”
Service providers face a multitude of operational challenges and additional expenses when introducing new technologies into their networks. These challenges are magnified when service providers have multiple labs in different locations, forcing them to manage hundreds of technicians installing, testing, and managing thousands of systems. In addition, due to the substantial amount of hardware required, testing and validating the scalability of management, orchestration, and control functions within a lab environment would be prohibitive. These challenges and costs are eliminated with AXOS Sandbox, which decouples IT/OSS integration from hardware availability and gives technicians access to countless virtual instances of AXOS systems allowing them to test scalability faster without the need for travel, scheduling, or physical maintenance.
“It’s a matter of survival,” said Shane Eleniak, Calix vice president of product line leadership. “Service providers must find disruptive ways to bring new services to market faster and at much lower costs than ever before or they will be run over by their competition. AXOS Sandbox is a breakthrough tool built to meet that challenge, with the first-ever virtual instances of access systems enabling a DevOps environment to work in parallel across multiple locations. AXOS Sandbox makes SDA tangible and validates AXOS as the world’s first and only true SDA.”