About MEF

Join the leading global industry forum empowering enterprise digital transformation.

Who is MEF?

MEF is a global industry association of network, cloud, and technology providers. Together, we drive network transformation to power the digital economy. We provide a framework for digital service providers to develop, monetize, and scale services across an automated, inter-connected ecosystem.

Our mission is to develop a global federation of network, cloud, and technology providers to establish dynamic, assured, and certified services that empower enterprise digital transformation. The engine powering this mission is our MEF 3.0 Global Services Framework, based on the 4 pillars of: Services, LSO APIs, Community, and Certification.


MEF 10th Anniversary Celebration – 2011 – Nan Chen at the Podium

MEF’s History

In 2001, MEF was founded as a non-profit international industry consortium and was originally dedicated to Carrier Ethernet networks and services. Starting in 2015, MEF dramatically broadened its scope of work to include additional underlay connectivity services such as optical transport and IP, as well as overlay services such as SD-WAN. Then, MEF tackled orchestration and automation head-on with its Lifecycle Services Orchestration (LSO) framework and its related interface reference points and APIs.

 

How MEF Started

Shortly after Y2K, a group of smart, passionate, dedicated people—some partners; some suppliers; some competitors—came together to solve an industry problem: a rapidly expanding application of a LAN technology called ‘Ethernet,’ in the WAN. A technology that was being sold as a service with no ability for the subscriber to compare offerings and select what best fit their needs. Lack of common terminology, service attributes, and definitions made off-net connectivity a bespoke, case-by-case partnering exercise. These problems delayed implementation and business. 

But, together, this group of people transformed this great technology into a viable, business-class, implementation-agnostic connectivity service standard. Accelerated by the integrity of industry certification, it empowered service providers to deliver standards-based, assured, high-speed, lower cost connectivity services that easily spanned multiple provider domains. That service was Carrier Ethernet; these people formed MEF and created the globally-adopted Carrier Ethernet Standards.

Then, came the digital transformation…. MEF quickly and resolutely broadened our scope to address the modern enterprise’s need for more agile, dynamic and automated connectivity services, digital services and beyond. Be In the Industry. Engage with MEF.


MEF 10th Anniversary Celebration – 2011 – Contributor Awards


MEF LSO Introduced – 2015 – Nan Chen

MEF’s Success

MEF’s success and growth are rooted in two factors:

  1. A focus on revenue-generating services and business-driven project prioritization, in which both technologists and business management roles participate in its work and on its board.
  2. Adoption through certification by providing third-party validation that MEF standards have been met by technology suppliers and service providers, thus accelerating selection, partnering, and implementation of services. 

Led by an annually member-elected Board of Directors, MEF functions with a set of committees aligned across its major areas of focus, including but not limited to: services, LSO, and certification. Members pay an annual membership fee to participate, collaborate, and lead the various projects in support of MEF’s mission.


Explore More About MEF

MEF Member Listing

Industry stakeholders, working together to establish dynamic, assured, and certified digital services.

Meet MEF's Members

MEF Board of Directors

The industry-leading Board of Directors and Officers driving MEF’s success.

Meet MEF’s Leaders

MEF Technology Advisory Board

The MEF Technology Advisory Board (TAB) brings critical technology perspectives to the strategic work of MEF.

Meet the Technology Advisory Board

MEF Committees

The passionate subject-matter experts driving MEF’s committees and projects.

Explore MEF's Committees

MEF Edge VIEW Blog

MEF’s blog brings together passionate subject-matter experts from across the ecosystem to innovate and solve industry challenges and develop new opportunities.

Explore MEF's Edge VIEW Blog

MEF in the News

See industry coverage of MEF and its products, including key announcements, articles from MEF SMEs and leaders, as well as analyst and media coverage of MEF from around the world.

Read MEF’s News

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