NTT joins OSDL, Carrier Grade Linux effort

The Open Source Development Lab last week named Nippon Telegraph and Telephone as its latest member – a sign of growing Linux interest among telecom carriers, especially in Asia.

NTT, which is the holding company for the largest carrier in Japan, NTT DoCoMo, joined OSDL to participate in its Carrier Grade Linux and Data Center Linux projects. Carrier Grade Linux is an effort to craft a set of specifications, requirements and standards for Linux servers to operate as platforms for ISPs, carriers and other telecom companies. Such servers could include computer-based central office phone switches, or “softswitches,” signaling gateway servers and other telecom-related platforms. The Carrier Grade Linux project looks at ways to make Linux run better in real-time environments, and to make it more resilient for the “always-on” nature of carrier applications.

NTT brings vast resources to the OSDL’s Carrier Grade Linux, and other projects. The Japanese carrier oversees 430 companies with a total of 200,000 employees. NTT Research Laboratories (the carrier’s R&D arm) will lead the company’s contributions to Carrier Grade Linux.

The OSDL is a vendor-neutral group that develops specifications for Linux system configurations in enterprise and carrier deployments. Vendors that sell Linux servers that build Linux operating systems to ODSL standards can put “Carrier Grade Linux” and “Data Center Linux” stamps on their products. Members of the Carrier Grade Linux effort include IBM, HP, Cisco, Alcatel and Red Hat.