FAQ/Union with IP/MPLS Forum

What brought about this union?

The IP/MPLS Forum Board did an analysis in 2008 of the industry and determined that convergence was key to the future success of standards. With this in mind they began looking at how their work aligned with other organizations, as well as where they saw gaps. When DSL Forum announced the change to Broadband Forum and began discussing their new focus on convergence and technology agnostic solutions, the IP/MPLS Forum Board took special notice. It became clear that the two organizations shared a vision for the future, and that their work complemented each other, filling the gaps to empower a stronger end-to-end multi-service architecture. Uniting would clearly serve the industry well, and since the majority of IP/MPLS Forum members were also in the BBF, there were member work efficiency benefits as well.

Why not another organization?

IP/MPLS Forum did extensive due diligence and determined that the BBF was the best fit from the perspective of shared mission, vision and future direction.

How will the BBF organization change after the union?

The BBF organization will change in three ways.

• In the Technical Committee, a new IP/MPLS & Core working group will be established to continue the valuable MPLS work and to address all new Core related work that is brought into the Forum.
• In the Marketing Committee, a new IP/MPLS focused Vice Chair will be added and many new IP/MPLS Ambassadors are anticipated to be added to our speakers' bureau.
• A combined Board of Directors will initially be established to ensure a smooth transition.

When will all this happen?

If approved, the union will be complete in April.

What happens to current technical work of the IP/MPLS Forum?

This work will be brought over to the new IP/MPLS & Core working group to continue.

What are the differences between IP/MPLS Forum and BBF processes, and how will it be in the combined forum?

The policies and procedures of the IP/MPLS F and the BBF are very similar, as is the general ethos of both fora. The combined forum will be run under the bylaws, policies and procedures of the BBF.

IP/MPLS and DSL are both widely available- is there really that much more to do?

There is so much more to do. Initially, the work was about just getting broadband out there, but today's work is focused on optimizing the end-to-end network to be responsive to all the changing needs of online applications, from homes to businesses to cell towers- each with different requirements, yet riding the same network. There are exciting technology changes ahead, and we are committed to empower service providers with all the tools they need to success in this evolving landscape.

How will FMC be addressed?

The BBF Board has an FMC oversight committee that has undertaken a gap analysis on the various aspects of FMC work, and how it affects the fixed line providers. We have identified a list of potential work where the new BBF could add value. Much of the potential new work was underway in the BroadbandHome and new work was slated to go to the existing A&T WG. However, since the IPMPLS & Core folks have already undertaken work on mobile backhaul it is hoped that they may be able to pick-up and progress some of these work items. We will continue to work with Femto Forum, WiMAX, 3GPP and other mobile related to ensure our work is in alignment with theirs.

What is the future of Policy Control work in the BBF?

The A&T WG has committed to complete the work around a Policy Management Architecture (WT-134). The IP/MPLS Forum has been working on Generic Connection Admission Control so there are some joint working group efforts to be done to examine how these work items fit to ensure a complimentary solution approach.

How will IPv6 efforts be affected?

The Broadband Home and A&T WGs have been working on IPv6. The IP/MPLS Forum has also been examining IPv6 functional requirements and deployment issues that will contribute to the Broadband Forum IPv6 initiatives, which will extend specifications to cover true IPv6 end-to-end.

How might the Interop efforts change moving forward?

The IP/MPLS Forum has initiated a certification program which will be continued, and the expansion of this may be of interest and relevance to future work in the Testing & Interop WG and the Broadband Home WG but this depends on the future strategy and direction of the work within these WGs.

Is the BBF exclusively endorsing MPLS?

No, the focus on technology agnostic solutions will continue. Though MPLS is clearly of great importance to the industry, the Broadband Forum will continue to welcome contributions and work involving other technologies as the industry continues to evolve.

What will happen to previously released IP/MPLS Forum documents?

They will be brought over in their entirety, with no changes. Anyone looking for previously approved documents from the ATM Forum, Frame Relay Forum and the IP/MPLS Forum can find them at the broadband-forum.org site.

How does the IP/MPLS work map into the BBF release program?

When the BroadbandSuite release program was developed, we were aware of missing components such as non-Broadband back-haul and IP core. We refrained from claiming "end-to-end" network solutions, but with the union, the end-to-end work will now be mapped into our release plan to form more complete solutions, and we will review the previously released BroadbandSuite solution sets to determine if any of the existing IP/MPLS Forum work should be added and the earlier release(s) amended. This is just one of the examples of how we will continue to evolve and strengthen our collective communication program.

IP/MPLS Forum has a more business service solution focus; will that be an energized area of work in the combined Forum?

Yes, this is an exciting area that BBF has been looking for more leadership in, and the IP/MPLS team brings that subject matter expertise. We will continue work around mobile backhaul, and corporate applications, and will map that work into a future business related BroadbandSuite release. The IP/MPLS Forum has undertaken work in the areas of business services (such as VPNs) and security of networks. Their additional skills and increased emphasis on these areas will help the new expanded Broadband Forum deliver solutions that address both residential and business/enterprise markets more thoroughly using a single infrastructure.

What will happen to the IP/MPLS Forum members and officers?

There will be a new Board post union including the leadership of both organizations, and members in the IP/MPLS Forum will automatically become BBF members for 2009.

How will IPR be handled?

The new Broadband Forum will continue to use it's existing IPR policy.

---

Media Contacts: For information or comment please contact our media relations team:
Worldwide:
Chrissie Walker
BCS Public Relations
88-90 North Sherwood Street
Nottingham NG1 4EE United Kingdom
Phone: +44 (0) 115.948.6907
Fax: +44 (0) 115.948.4250
E-Mail:chrissie@bcspr.co.uk