Linux presents cost savings to cash-strapped carriers

Telecom service providers looking to wring costs out of their business cycles should consider using the Linux operating system as one of the building blocks in their communication servers, according to an open-source software advocate. Speaking at the 2006 Wireless & Mobile Expo and Conference in Toronto on June 8, Ibrahim Haddad, initiative manager at the Open Source Development Lab (OSDL), laid out the business case for Linux in carrier environments. Haddad pointed out that carriers face certain challenges - the need to reduce costs, integrate applications, support growing IP traffic, improve product time-to-market and increase profits. Carriers also seek stability, he said, noting "They need to reduce their costs, and maintain their carrier-grade characteristics," including the ability to provide reliable, secure service to as many customers as possible. Linux might be one way to help as the open-source operating system has certain characteristics that give it an advantage over other operating systems. For example, Linux is easy to modify because of its distribution licence. "The quality of the source code is much better, too," Haddad said, noting the thorough examination Linux receives at the hands of the open-source community. And since so many people contribute to the operating system, Linux’s capabilities grow daily. "Every time someone says, 'Linux doesn't support this functionality,' that's a challenge," Haddad noted, adding that this sort of contest caused the open-source community to make Linux one of the first operating systems to support IPv6, the emerging Internet Protocol iteration designed to accommodate more IP addresses than the current version, IPv4. The OSDL counts some carriers as members - NTT Corp. in Japan and British Telecom Global Services. The group also has as members some network equipment providers aboard, such as Alcatel SA, Nokia Corp., Fujitsu Ltd., Siemens AG, Motorola Inc., and NEC Corp. According to technology market research firm Venture Development Corp. (VDC), Linux is popular in the telecom market. VDC said 35% of Linux shipments go to the electronics market, but 30% go to the datacom-telecom industry. The rest ship to the industrial sector and the aerospace-military industry, for the most part. But integrating new features into the mainline Linux kernel can take some time. "In some cases, based on our experience with some of the projects, it takes on average between 12 to 18 months of hard work and of following the open source community work process to drive a certain capability implementation to be…included in the Linux kernel tree," Haddad said. As well, the OSDL must mind the interests many varied parties – carriers, network equipment and chip makers among them – and coming to consensus isn't always easy. There are indications that equipment suppliers are embracing the open platform model. Nortel Networks Corp.'s representatives have said that down the road, companies will be able to purchase telecom equipment as software-only offerings; customers would source the hardware themselves. If Nortel is willing to part with the hardware, who knows? Maybe the vendor would consider decoupling its communications apps from the operating system as well, leaving users to decide if Linux or some other OS is the right choice. Another indication: although many communications gear makers build their equipment on proprietary operating systems, some are starting to use Linux for certain products. Mitel Networks Corp., for example, uses Linux in its NuPoint Messenger IP, a message-system platform. But end-user organizations, be they carriers or corporations, harbour concerns about Linux, too. According to VDC, the technical aspects of Linux are not the main problem: companies are worried about the legal aspects of using GPL-based software. They‘re also concerned about support: is the Linux industry itself robust enough to provide the level of attention that carriers expect from suppliers? "OSDL is quite active in these areas," Haddad said, explaining that the group supports a legal defence fund and also contributes to performance and regression testing of the Linux kernel and patches Seven IT companies, including IBM Corp., Intel Corp. and NEC, formed the OSDL as a not-for-profit organization in 2000. In 2002 the OSDL instigated the Carrier Grade Linux (CGL) working group, which meets with carriers twice a year. "These events provide a vendor-neutral forum for carriers, service providers...and telecommunication equipment manufacturers, as well as representatives from the OSDL Carrier Grade Linux and Mobile Linux initiatives, to meet to discuss common challenges, exchange best practices and deployment experiences, and preview new technologies that relate to Linux based platforms," Haddad said in a follow-up email to Network Letter. At the end of his presentation, Haddad urged carriers to keep an open mind. "You don't have to love Linux, but you can't ignore it," he concluded. "Smart companies should have an open-source strategy."

Linux presents cost savings to cash-strapped carriers

News | 06/22/2006 4:00 am EDT

Unlock all the Canadian telecom, broadcasting and digital media news you need.

FREE TRIAL

SUBSCRIBE

Reuse & Permissions

Inside The Wire Report

Information

Hill Times Publishing

Get in Touch With Us