An architecture for virtualisation must be open, extensible and, above all, real

As the focus of CSP's turns increasingly to the deployment and operationalisation of network virtualisation, they are seeking truly open family of leading-edge solutions that will permit a wide array of virtual network functions. There are a growing number of them now out there in the marketplace but not all of them are by any means equal. The ideal solution involves a a strategy that encompasses everything from a complete NFV infrastructure stack and a full suite of professional services all the way through to end-to-end lifecycle service orchestration and management. Next-generation service management and orchestration systems must be top-down and able to cover and manage a complex, hybrid services world involving a combination of virtualised and non-virtualised network resources.​