Open source software: Redefining the future of mobile connectivity

Mobile connectivity is at the heart of the digital economy. Its evolution has touched virtually every industry and technologies that lie over the horizon will be driven by it. Consumers have an insatiable appetite for data. They want blazing-fast data in remote areas and a host of functionality. Only more evolved mobile connectivity can meet their demands.

What’s over the Horizon?

Mobile connectivity is essential for millions of IoT devices to share data. To fulfil their function, IoT devices must constantly share data over mobile networks. They are at the heart of Industry 4.0s promise to dramatically change people’s lives. Within 7 years IoT devices used by enterprises will generate more data than people do. It’s estimated by 2025 enterprises will generate 60% of all data. Data will the driver of economic growth in the decades ahead and most of it will be transmitted over mobile networks.

Alongside the growth of industrial automation, autonomous vehicles, smart cities, and sensors used in healthcare, security, asset maintenance, and other areas, mobile networks will grow. Most technologies at the heart of Industry 4.0 will become a reality when 5G networks become widespread. To function, connected devices must enjoy fast connectivity with nearly zero latency. For instance, autonomous vehicles will work only when they constantly share vast amounts of data. Only 5G networks allow so much data to be shared.

Bringing Industry 4.0 to life globally demands cutting edge hardware, software, and increasingly open source software. Open source software is making it possible to realise the promise of Industry 4.0. Along with this staying on top of user needs they must support faster connections, greater density and dramatically reduced latency. They must add this functionality and flexibility while driving down the costs of deploying, sustaining and managing the network infrastructure. For this to be done adopting to open-source mobility software is the only way forward.

Advantages of open source mobility software

To bring Industry 4.0 to life, the telecom industry is rethinking its decade’s old proprietary business and operating model. Open source software is proving to be key in 5G and IoT development, powering the automation of the mission-critical functions required to support the high speeds and low latency of 5G and the huge number of endpoints in IoT. Stakeholders have recognized that commoditization and democratization of wireless network infrastructure are necessary to stay relevant.

This is necessitated by the need to innovate and by the realisation that open source models have numerous advantages over proprietary ones. A few such advantages are mentioned below.

Lower costs

Telecom operators must deliver better services at lower costs. This is easier when open source instead of proprietary software is used. Open-source software can deliver identical or superior performance to proprietary software at a significantly lower cost. Its adoption is necessary to meet customers' growing expectations.

Greater innovation

Just as open-source principles gave rise to the computer industry leading to the building of supercomputers and wearable devices, so too are they guiding the mobile industry. Open source software is often more innovative than proprietary software. Open-source principles are increasingly being adopted by mobile network developers.

The backing of a widespread and talented community

The open source community is arguably just as or more talented than the traditional developer community. Open source networking software enjoys a solid backing. Many open-source developers have their eyes on lines of code for decades. This gives them a solid grasp of its functionality and vulnerabilities. The community of developers backing open-source software can anticipate challenges and spring to action if threats emerge.

Open source networking software, by being under the care of a talented and collaborative community is innovative and adaptable. Its innovativeness and adaptability make it possible to design networks of unparalleled sophistication. Open Source Software Powering 5G and IoT. 5G will be a mission-critical technology. The exceptionally low latency made possible by it will allow autonomous vehicles to function. Hundreds of millions of IoT devices can only be connected using 5G. The vast number of endpoints that must be connected as IoT devices grow in numbers is possible only using 5G networks. Stakeholders in the mobile networking industry know to realise the potential of 5G its necessary to democratise and commoditize wireless networking infrastructure. Doing so will lead to faster development and innovation as new technologies will be quickly adapted and improved.

Open source software will continue playing an important role in the development of virtual software used by the mobile industry as a future mobile is software designed. Open source software doesn't suffer the rigidity that plagues proprietary software. Its talented community of developers is always open to new ideas and innovates enthusiastically. Just as an open source eco-system produced numerous innovations in the early days of the computer age; it is doing the same today as the world is experimenting with and implementing new mobile technologies.

By Gauthami Nair, Customer Success Manager, Liferay