Telco Systems unveiled its new Open Edge Alliance program, designed to help partners become infrastructure-as-a-service providers.

The Open Edge Alliance will focus on providing communication service providers operating in the network edge with off-the-shelf software-defined networking (SDN) and distributed network functions virtualization (NFV) solutions, according to Telco. The company expects its new ecosystem to help alliance partners increase the amount of revenue received from new services as well as improve stickiness among SDN and NFV applications.

Alliance members also will have the option to develop their own apps for certification through the ecosystem, according to the announcement. Telco, which specializes in carrier Ethernet and MPLS edge solutions, said it expects the alliance to develop into an ecosystem of applications compatible with the company’s distributed NFV-hosting CloudMetro platform.

The Open Edge Alliance will focus on fulfilling two main objectives, according to Gal Ofel, head of Software Solution Product Line Management at Telco Systems: providing partners with access to pre-built solutions that can easily be resold to end customers and interoperability with third-party partner solutions.

“We are looking into solutions that will allow service providers to upsell their existing customers things that will allow them to [put] money toward the services they provide,” said Ofel, in an interview with The VAR Guy.

Telco has secured several members for the Open Edge Alliance, including Intel (INTC), Check Point and AudioCodes, with more members expected, Ofel said.

“The main benefit of the alliance is that (communication service providers) can provide a complete infrastructure to their business customers … which translates into additional revenues,” said Ofel.

Telco is also working on developing its online store and plans to implement a platform to allow customers to access applications in a self-service mode, according to Ofel.

“Service providers need to see carrier-grade VNFs coming in real numbers,” said Moshe Shimon, vice president of Product Management and Marketing at Telco Systems, in a statement. “With our large customer base and extensive experience in delivering intelligent network solutions all the way to the network edge, our Open Edge Alliance is bridging the gap between Distributed NFV vendors and telco customers.”