Twenty-five years ago, Ethernet was still a technology used mostly inside of enterprises as well as data centers, but it wasn’t quite where it needed to be for carrier and metro deployments.
Among the many reasons why and how Ethernet evolved to become carrier grade for metro deployments was the multi-vendor standards, specifications and implementation efforts from the Metro Ethernet Forum, which was founded in 2001. In recent years, the organization has referred to itself just as MEF and has not spelled out the whole name as it has expanded beyond just metro Ethernet concerns. The group now has multiple efforts underway for carrier Ethernet, SASE, lifecycle services orchestration (LSO) and NaaS, as well as an emerging set of initiatives for AI.
In an effort to better represent what it does now, MEF is rebranding itself as the Mplify Alliance.
“We were formed in 2001, and the initial mission was to take Ethernet from the LAN across the metro, instead of converting it to TDM and frame relay,” Kevin Vachon, chief operating officer at Mplify, told Network World.
Vachon noted that MEF now has a large scope of work and a robust roadmap going forward, which influenced the decision to change the organization’s name. The basic idea behind the new name is that the group will amplify the efforts of its community and the interoperability standards it helps to develop. The name Mplify is intended to respect the organization’s history by keeping the ‘M’ as well as noting in the logo that organization was formerly known as MEF.
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Mplify
From metro Ethernet to cross-provider automation
This rebranding reflects a technical journey that spans over two decades, beginning with a focused mission that rapidly expanded as networking requirements evolved.
While MEF is only now rebranding, Vachon said that the scope of the organization had already changed by 2005. Instead of just looking at metro Ethernet, the organization at the time had expanded into carrier Ethernet requirements.
The organization has also had a growing focus on solving the challenge of cross-provider automation, which is where the LSO framework fits in. LSO provides the foundation for an automation framework that allows providers to more efficiently deliver complex services across partner networks, essentially creating a standardized language for service integration.
NaaS leadership and industry blueprint
Building on the LSO automation framework, the organization has been working on efforts to help providers with network-as-a-service (NaaS) related guidance and specifications.
The organization’s evolution toward NaaS reflects member-driven demands for modern service delivery models. Vachon noted that MEF member organizations were asking for help with NaaS, looking for direction on establishing common definitions and some standard work. The organization responded by developing comprehensive industry guidance.
“In 2023 we launched the first blueprint, which is like an industry North Star document. It includes what we think about NaaS and the work we’re doing around it,” Vachon said.
The NaaS blueprint encompasses the complete service delivery ecosystem, with APIs including last mile, cloud, data center and security services. (Read more about its vision for NaaS, including easy provisioning and integrated security across a federated network of providers)
Next up for Mplify? More AI
Building on top of the organization’s existing standards, Mplify is also working on AI service standardization.
The organization has already begun demonstrating practical AI service delivery frameworks, with a notable example being the “GPU-as-a-Service” prototype showcased at Mobile World Congress 2025.
Mplify’s work focuses on creating standardized APIs that enable enterprises to specify and purchase complex AI infrastructure services. The current AI work centers on helping service providers create scalable, interoperable AI offerings. This includes developing APIs that allow enterprises to specify detailed GPU requirements and automate service procurement across multiple providers. These APIs allow providers to present AI offerings based on industry standards, eliminating the need to reinvent it from scratch for each transaction.
Beyond direct AI service delivery, the organization is also working on enabling AI-related infrastructure connectivity. This includes automating data center interconnects to facilitate efficient AI workload movement and creating standardized methods for specifying AI infrastructure requirements.
The work is still evolving, with the organization planning to publish both immediate, practical implementations and longer-term standards through its semi-annual release process. “We’re seeing operators trying to figure out how to leverage and monetize AI,” Vachon said.
Source:: Network World