The overarching digital transformation is permeating every aspect of digital services, including networking. The demands of the fourth industrial revolution are not confined to the exclusively commercial world of the newly named Digital Service Providers [CSPDT18]; the ways in which the digital transformation affects communications and data processing, and the changes it brings, are also very much in evidence in the research and education sphere. This transformational wave is a strong driver for National Research and Education Networks (NRENs) to investigate how they respond to demand, to rethink their communication with end users, optimise their productivity and operations, and transform the processes needed to provide their services. The envisioned goal includes automated operation centres and smooth scalability, an opportunity for further growth by establishing ecosystems wherein multiple partners can work together in an agile, seamless manner and at the same time provide increased value to their end users.
It is highly desirable that this greater degree of agile collaboration should be based on commonly agreed models and interfaces, which in turn are built upon a common terminology and platform reference architecture blueprint. While cloud-based technologies are seen as key enablers for this transformation, mainly due to their inherent scalability and flexibility, there is another set of technology enablers that need to be considered in the networking environment: network virtualisation for improved efficiency, flexibility and dynamic response; automation, including automated feedback and closed control loops; and orchestration as the next level of seamless integration of separate systems and processes. Of course, fully embracing orchestration, automation and virtualisation (OAV) cannot happen overnight; thus solutions are required in the form of hybrid platform architectures which will successfully manage new, virtual and traditional physical networks.