Open Networking SummitEdit
Open Networking Summit is the premier gathering for engineers, operators, and vendors who believe in open, interoperable networking. Rooted in the broader push toward software-defined and disaggregated networks, the conference brings together cloud providers, telecommunications carriers, enterprises, startups, and researchers to share practical implementations, open standards, and real-world lessons. Organized under the Linux Foundation’s networking initiatives, with historical ties to the Open Networking Foundation, it emphasizes practical collaboration over proprietary lock-in and aims to accelerate innovation through open ecosystems. The event serves as a focal point for demonstrations, technical debates, and roadmaps around programmable networks, open source control planes, and vendor-agnostic hardware and software stacks. Open Networking Summit Linux Foundation Open Networking Foundation
In recent years, the summit has grown into a global platform where disaggregated networking, open APIs, and open-source software converge with market-driven incentives. Attendees hear about how open standards can reduce capital expenditure, spur competition among hardware and software suppliers, and enable faster deployment of new services. The emphasis on interoperability is presented as a means to expand consumer choice, lower costs, and increase resilience by avoiding single-vendor dependence. The event also highlights how open models can align with a pragmatic, business-friendly approach to network modernization, rather than relying on heavy-handed government mandates. Open Networking Foundation LF Networking Disaggregated networking
History
Origins of the Open Networking Summit trace back to the early days of software-defined networking (SDN) and the Open Networking Foundation, which championed open protocols like OpenFlow and the idea that networks could be controlled by software rather than rigid hardware. As the ecosystem matured, the Linux Foundation incorporated OFN’s work into its LF Networking umbrella, emphasizing collaboration among vendors, cloud providers, and service operators. This transition helped broaden participation from a wider set of industry players while preserving a focus on open standards, open source, and vendor choice. The result has been a steady stream of technical sessions, demonstrations, and joint development efforts that advance open networking beyond lab prototypes into production deployments. Open Networking Foundation The Linux Foundation LF Networking
Governance and organization
The Open Networking Summit is produced under the auspices of the Linux Foundation’s networking initiatives, with a program committee drawn from carriers, hyperscalers, technology vendors, and the open-source community. The event balances business considerations with technical merit, and it often features keynote talks from senior executives alongside technical tracks on orchestration, programmable networks, and the economics of open ecosystems. Attendees participate in tutorials, hands-on labs, and architecture discussions aimed at accelerating real-world adoption of open networking practices. The Linux Foundation LF Networking ONOS OpenDaylight
Topics and themes
Open standards and interoperability: The conference consistently covers protocols, APIs, and reference architectures that enable multiple vendors to work together. Key terms include OpenFlow, P4 (programming language), and other open interfaces that decouple software from hardware. OpenFlow P4 (programming language)
Disaggregated hardware and white-box networking: A central theme is the separation of control planes from data planes and the use of commodity or white-box hardware with open-source or vendor-agnostic software. This approach is pitched as lowering costs and boosting competition. White box networking Disaggregated networking
Open source control planes and ecosystems: Sessions explore the governance, security, and performance considerations of open-source networking software such as ONOS and the broader ecosystem around open-source networking. ONOS OpenDaylight
Cloud, edge, and 5G: The summit addresses how open networking enables scalable, programmable infrastructure for cloud data centers, edge compute, and next-generation mobile networks. 5G Edge computing
Security, risk, and governance: With more moving parts comes a focus on securing open architectures, supply chain risk management, and best practices for certification and interoperability testing. Security Supply chain security
Economics and policy: The conversations include how open networking aligns with market-driven investment, private sector competition, and the governance of shared standards without undue regulatory burden. Economics Public policy
Industry impact
Advocates of open networking argue that disaggregated, standards-driven architectures unleash competition among hardware and software suppliers, which can drive down costs and spur rapid innovation. Carriers and large enterprises often cite faster service rollouts, easier upgrades, and more flexible deployment models as tangible benefits of open ecosystems. Vendors can compete on performance, reliability, and support rather than on exclusive hardware designs, which is seen as ultimately beneficial to customers and taxpayers alike. Critics sometimes warn that too much fragmentation or inadequate security could hinder reliability, but proponents contend that robust certification, testing, and governance mitigate these risks. Carriers Hyperscalers Vendor landscape Security Economics
Controversies and debates
Economic efficiency vs. fragmentation: Supporters argue that open standards and disaggregation promote competition, reduce vendor lock-in, and lower total cost of ownership. Critics worry that a proliferation of standards and multiple reference implementations could create compatibility gaps or interoperability costs. The middle-ground view emphasizes strong baselines, certification programs, and governance to keep the ecosystem coherent while preserving choice. Standards bodies Interoperability Certification
Security and risk management: A recurrent debate centers on whether open approaches lead to greater systemic risk or better resilience. Proponents contend that diverse implementations and transparent review processes improve security by enabling broader scrutiny, while skeptics caution that a larger surface area requires rigorous supply chain controls and rigorous patch management. The conversation often touches on secure-by-design principles embedded in open-source projects and the need for robust governance models. Security Supply chain security Open source governance
Corporate activism and culture wars: Critics from some viewpoints argue that tech conferences should focus narrowly on technical content and infrastructure, while others accuse organizations of letting social or political agendas drive funding and procurement. From a market-oriented perspective, the emphasis should remain on performance, reliability, and cost-effectiveness, with activism treated as a distraction unless it has direct implications for security, governance, or economic outcomes. Proponents of open ecosystems typically contend that stewardship and merit-based collaboration matter more than identity politics, and that product quality and economic value should guide participation. Open source governance Public policy Tech industry
Intellectual property and licensing: As open standards and open-source software proliferate, questions arise about licensing models, patent pools, and incentives for investment. A pragmatic stance maintains that clear, reasonable licensing accelerates adoption and reduces risk for operators and vendors, while protecting the incentives for ongoing innovation. Intellectual property Licensing Open source
woke criticisms of tech ecosystems: Critics sometimes argue that diversity or social agendas should shape technical decision-making in standards bodies. Proponents of the open networking model contend that technical merit, security, and economic efficiency should dominate, and that injecting social litmus tests into technical governance undermines momentum and investment. In this view, focusing on outcomes like lower costs, better security, and greater reliability is the best way to serve customers and maintain a healthy, competitive market. Diversity Technology policy Open standards