RIFT.io, the provider of the industry's first, open-source network service virtualization platform that simplifies and automates the development and deployment of cloud network functions and applications, today introduced the RIFT.ready partner program as a strategic initiative to accelerate software defined networking (SDN) and network functions virtualization (NFV) adoption and further develop the multi-billion dollar public, private, and hybrid cloud services markets.

The goal of the RIFT.ready program is to organize and support a rich, open ecosystem of business and technology partners, enabling RIFT.io and its partner companies to:

• Facilitate interoperability between network and application vendors, systems integrators, communication and software-as-a-service providers to simplify and accelerate virtual network function (VNF) and application deployments
• Simplify the management and orchestration (MANO) of virtual network services
• Create new revenue opportunities for network suppliers and application builders with cloud-based services
• Enhance network application builders' existing VNF product architecture and roadmaps with OSM-compliant MANO and optional hyperscale capabilities
• Accelerate the time-to-market of massively scalable, differentiated cloud network applications and Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Communication as a Service (CaaS)-based service offerings.

At Mobile World Congress this week, RIFT.io will highlight three commercially viable SDN and NFV use cases with joint solutions it has developed with partners, including:

First, RIFT.io will demonstrate how enterprises can easily deploy Software Defined WAN (SDWAN) and how Service Providers can offer their customers a VPN as a Service (VPNaaS) for enterprise, SMB, Residential, and Multi-tenant use cases. Both solutions employ a variety of VNFs from 6Wind, Riverbed, Brocade, and Benu Networks. The demo will show RIFT.ware platform on-boarding these VNFs and instantiating the service in a multi-vendor environment. RIFT.ware will orchestrate a service chaining and intelligent workload placement as part of the service,

Second, RIFT.io will demonstrate Service Provider Wi-Fi access employing Benu Network's Virtual Service Edge VNF suite consisting of VNFs such as WAG/TWAG and vCPE. RIFT.ware will on-board and instantiate the Wi-Fi service for Service Provider, cloud-based, service delivery to residential and SMB customers,

Third, RIFT.io will showcase a content-delivery solution demonstrating how Service Providers can deliver multi-screen video with virtual video-processing across multiple screens. RIFT.ware orchestration will demonstrate significant performance enhancements by instantiating the workload of Vantrix Media Platform transcoding VNF running on an Artesyn SharpStreamer 2U Platform leveraging Enhanced Platform Awareness (EPA) capabilities.

Additionally, Brocade and RIFT.io are partnering to help mobile operators simplify their integration and transition to NFV and SDN. This is made possible with RIFT.io automation and proximity-aware orchestration of Brocade's vEPC, sGiLAN, and mobile edge computing (MEC) platform, enabling intelligent workload placement.  

"Brocade is pleased to work with RIFT.io. RIFT.io's collaborative efforts with Brocade ultimately enable mobile operators with an infrastructure to deliver applications, network services, and content from the edge of the mobile network," said Kevin Shatzkamer, CTO, Mobility and Mobile Networks, Brocade. "Partnering with RIFT.io has enabled Brocade to provide network-intelligent and proximity-aware orchestration to help mobile operators deploy VNF capabilities in data centers and in the right virtual location within the mobile network."

These partner successes are one of three categories of the RIFT.ready program available now to network suppliers, independent software vendors (or application builders), service providers, and enterprises. Here is an overview of each category:

Cloud Service Provider: designed for service providers and enterprises delivering differentiated SaaS, PaaS, and CaaS services. By collaborating with RIFT.io, CSP partners are able to validate, market and sell their cloud-based applications on RIFT.ware, onboard third-party, multi-vendor VNFs, and gain a competitive edge by building new revenue streams, accelerating time-to-service, and reducing cost-to-serve. 

Cloud Functions Builder: provides network suppliers, VNF builders, application/ISV developers, and system integrators with a programmatic way to deliver cloud-ready solutions to their customers. CFB partners can take advantage of the modularity of the RIFT.ware platform to onboard their applications and network functions in a MANO environment. They can take advantage of multiple levels of integration with RIFT.io services portfolio and participate in joint go-to-market activities designed to validate, market, and sell network functions and applications to drive revenue growth. 

Technology Alliance Partner: designed for VNF builders and technology/solution providers with adjacent technologies to the RIFT.ware NSV Platform to validate their solutions with interoperability of APIs and interfaces and certify with RIFT.ware MANO. VNF Builders can certify RIFT.io's MANO functionality, and deliver comprehensive solutions to cloud service providers. 

RIFT.ready enables these partner companies to take a phased approach through three ascending levels beginning with technology validation, progressing to cloud enablement, and ending with achieving cloud readiness. Validation involves basic interoperability and management integration between partner apps, infrastructure and hardware solutions with RIFT.ware. Enablement involves the ability to develop joint proof-of-concept solutions to address existing and emerging market requirements. Readiness will involve complete, detailed integration and testing to create validated solutions that are ready to sell.

"The community of cloud function builders and services providers are at various stages of application and VNF product development and delivery," said Vincent Spinelli, Senior Vice President of Global Sales & Marketing, RIFT.io. "The RIFT.ready partner program tracks are designed to align with development phases of the overall market that will enable our partners to create a roadmap for virtualizing, automating, and scaling their network functions and applications."

The RIFT.ready program is available today. For more information on program details, please visit https://www.riftio.com/partners/. RIFT.io will be demonstrating its RIFT.ware and cloud-ready partner solutions this week at Mobile World Congress in Hall 7, Stand 7N73.