About MEF
Metro Ethernet Forum
About MEF
MEF is an industry association of 210+ member companies, enabling service providers to create a global ecosystem of networks that deliver on-demand services for the digital economy and hyper-connected world. These agile, assured, and orchestrated services provide a cloud-centric experience with user and application-directed control over network resources and service capabilities. These services are delivered over automated, virtualized, and interconnected networks powered by Lifecycle Service Orchestration (LSO), SDN, and NFV. MEF produces LSO frameworks, open LSO APIs, software-driven reference implementations, service specifications, certification programs, and market education. MEF’s work will enable automated delivery of standardized wavelength, Carrier Ethernet, IP, SD-WAN, and Layer 4-7 services across multiple provider networks.
MEF's Service to the Industry
MEF defined the Third Network concept, which combines the agility and ubiquity of the Internet with the performance and security of CE 2.0 networks. Third Network services provide an on-demand experience with user-directed control over service capabilities and cloud connectivity. These new services are delivered over automated, virtualized, and interconnected networks powered by LSO (Lifecycle Services Orchestration), SDN, NFV, and CE 2.0 (Carrier Ethernet 2.0).
MEF is uniting industry efforts to enable service providers to orchestrate on-demand services across multiple providers and multiple technology domains (e.g., Packet WAN, NFV, SD WAN, etc.) within a single network provider. Orchestrated inter-provider services, in particular, have true game-changing potential for service innovation, competition, and revenue generation.
MEF leverages more than 200 leading member companies, including 130 service providers, network operator and its technology vendor community, builds upon the robust $80 billion Carrier Ethernet services and technology market, and provides a practical evolution to the Third Network with LSO, SDN, and NFV implementations that build upon a CE 2.0 foundation.
Value of Membership
MEF members include Tier 1, 2 and 3 service providers, hardware and OSS/orchestration software providers, as well as test labs, test equipment and test software providers. Their membership is global with approximately 50% from North America, 23% from APAC, 21% from EMEA and 6% from CALA.
Membership benefits include:
- Advance visibility into relevant industry technical standards developments
- Ability to influence standards to align with corporate objectives
- Achieve align of standards to your corporate objectives
- Achieve thought leadership among MEF’s 130+ SP members through collaboration
- Gain corporate and individual visibility through participation
- Gain recognition through by collaboration efforts in MEF’s marketing activities
- Services & equipment certification