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Redefining the industry with network APIs

Learn how Ericsson and top telecom leaders are redefining the industry through network APIs

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Discover the potential of network APIs

With network APIs, developers can easily access advanced 5G capabilities provided by service providers. This unlocks the opportunity to develop new enhanced applications and services, driving new revenue opportunities for the entire ecosystem, benefitting developers, service providers and enterprises.

The network as a platform for innovation

Join us to explore the future of digitalization through the untapped potential of network APIs and developer innovation.

Read about API innovation

Network APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) allow developers to easily access advanced 5G network capabilities such as differentiated connectivity, location, security/authentication and network insights to enhance existing applications and develop new ones. These standardized programming interfaces enable applications and mobile networks to communicate with each other, offering service providers new ways to monetize the network through performance-based business models.

Developers expect the experience of accessing and creating applications through network APIs to be similar to using communications APIs via Communications Platform-as-a-Service (CPaaS), which provides tools for easily integrating communication capabilities, such as SMS, chat, voice or video calls, into various software. By evolving CPaaS to a network platform that also offers network APIs, service providers can unlock opportunities to monetize their network investments and empower millions of developers and enterprises to easily create enhanced applications and services.

Commercializing network APIs normally requires individual contracts between developers and service providers around the world, presenting a challenge for all parties. Scalability is another crucial aspect - API adoption cannot be isolated to a single country and a single service provider, but needs to be available in many countries through multiple service providers.

Exposing APIs in an open, intuitive way via global open APIs will enable developer communities to innovate new applications and features for any device and service that benefits from network connectivity.

Providing a combination of communications and network APIs including open standard (CAMARA) APIs to developers, will simplify and guide the service provider’s customers to rapidly implement and achieve revenue growth through new and differentiated experiences.

Acting as a developer platform and aggregator offering international access, Vonage, a leading cloud communications provider and part of Ericsson, offers an easy and secure way to expose advanced network capabilities, complemented by a developer community, capable of driving the next wave of innovation and application development on global scale.

Network APIs for developers

Explore the pivotal role that developers play when it comes to network APIs shaping the digital ecosystem.

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Unlocking the power of the network

Hear from Savinay Berry, EVP, Product and Engineering from Vonage during the 5G Futures Summit at MWC24 Barcelona who shared how Vonage is unlocking the power of the network for exponential innovation across the industry with GSMA Open Gateway.

Unlocking the next frontier in app development with harmonized global network APIs

Developers have long struggled to access the full value of mobile networks. By making advanced network capabilities easily accessible through network APIs, a new wave of innovation can unfold across sectors. Harmonizing these APIs across global CSPs will simplify integration, allowing developers to create apps that work anywhere, on any network, without needing separate agreements. A unified global network API platform will streamline this process, offering consistent APIs to developer platforms, enabling seamless global services and innovation at scale.

Read the whitepaper

Global telecom leaders join forces to redefine the industry

Ericsson and leading telecom operators have announced a new venture to combine and sell network APIs on a global scale. This initiative includes the launch of a new company that will provide network APIs to a broad ecosystem of developer platforms.

Vonage joins forces with SAP to accelerate digital transformation with network APIs

In September 2024, Vonage, a part of Ericsson, announced a new collaboration with SAP SE focused on exploring generative AI and NextGen use cases using Vonage’s API platform and SAP Business AI.

As part of the collaboration, Vonage will provide SAP with access to Vonage network APIs from Vonage’s Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS), including Quality-on-Demand (QoD), Device Location and Number Verification.

Network APIs: reducing friction and spurring innovation in the telecoms industry

Dive into the 5G network exposure and the pivotal role network APIs have in reducing friction and creating new revenue streams for CSPs. This blog post covers key insights from the 5G Talks featuring technology experts from Deutsche Telekom, Telefonica Vivo Brazil, and Ericsson.

Vonage and AT&T collaborate to provide network APIs to developers

Vonage, a part of Ericsson, and AT&T announced a collaboration to expand the power of the network for developers and enterprises through APIs. AT&T will preview network APIs through the Vonage platform to help developers drive scalability and business case development together with enhanced security. By combining AT&T’s API-enabled network capabilities with Vonage's communications and network APIs, the companies are collaborating to drive the creation of an innovative ecosystem that unlocks programmable network capabilities for developers.

Driving industry collaboration towards open standard APIs

The Camara and GSMA Open Gateway initiatives are instrumental to bring all CSP and other players such as aggregators and developer platforms to the same table and a call for action to the telecom industry. Ericsson and Vonage are committed to be a main driver of the future evolution of network APIs.

Vonage announces first-to-market developer registration service to simplify network API access and adoption

Vonage will provide an industry-first registry service designed to accelerate developer adoption and access to network APIs to deliver business solutions to market faster. The service will also facilitate communications service providers (CSPs) in effectively scaling the consumption of network APIs by simplifying and standardizing the approval process and granting access to network providers’ APIs for Application Service Providers (ASPs).

Vonage and AWS leverage Communications and Network APIs to deliver new solutions

A collaboration between Ericsson-owned Vonage and Amazon Web Services (AWS) will bring together Vonage’s platform - based on communications Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) and network APIs - Ericsson’s 5G network capabilities and AWS services. The collaboration announced in February 2024 aims to accelerate the availability of new solutions to millions of AWS developers through AWS Marketplace.

Vonage and Verizon to collaborate on Advanced Network APIs

Vonage part of Ericsson and Verizon signed a MoU in February 2024 outlining the intention to introduce Verizon network APIs to the Vonage platform enabling the developer community to access network services and capabilities. They will also collaborate on developing new network APIs for developers globally.

Ericsson executes on strategy to build platform business with strategic partnership to provide access to network APIs

In September 2023, Ericsson and Deutsche Telekom (DT) launched a commercial partnership to offer communications and network APIs to developers and enterprises. The API platform creates new ways for service providers to monetize their network investments .

Operators opening 5G networks to application developers to drive innovation

At MWC 2023, Orange, Telefonica, and Vodafone, in collaboration with Ericsson and Vonage demonstrated how advanced mobile network functionality can be exposed and made easily consumable by the global developer community.

Be part of the next cloud and 5G communications wave with Vonage CPaaS and network API

Monetize your network investment, create next level experiences for your customers, and explore new growth opportunities with communications APIs and the new network APIs. It’s all possible when you partner with Vonage and Ericsson.

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In 5G, service providers and enterprises can easily activate new capabilities and expose them through APIs, boosting the programmability and adaptability of connectivity services to fit different needs.

Through well-defined and harmonized APIs, developers can interact with various aspects of the 5G ecosystem, such as network functions, data services, devices, and network slicing eventually with global reach.

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Today, the services facilitated by CPaaS are well known - everything from appointment reminders from dentists, updates from airlines and courier services and one-time-passwords (OTP) are built on CPaaS. CPaaS has been successful in pre-packaging communication services like messaging, voice and video with tools and documentation that are easy for developers to integrate into their own applications.

Now, imagine building on the success of CPaaS by leveraging advanced 5G capabilities for developers and enterprises. With higher bandwidth, improved availability, low latency, robustness, and managed security, 5G offers a wealth of opportunities for embedding these existing capabilities into more advanced use cases, through open network APIs.

This advancement can significantly enhance use cases related to enterprise digital transformation, connected vehicles, live media broadcasting production, HD video conferencing & collaboration, cloud gaming, remote patient care and more. These innovations drive new revenue opportunities for the entire wireless ecosystem, benefitting developers, service providers and enterprises.

A new age of innovation: 5G and APIs

In this session Ericsson’s CTO Erik Ekudden and Vinod Lala Chief Strategy Officer at Vonage discusses the expanding Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) market.

The future of gaming anywhere is 5G

Listen to Erik Ekudden and Olivier Avaro, CEO of Blacknut discuss the future of mobile cloud gaming and the role of network APIs.

Enterprise digital transformation 5G and AI

Erik Ekudden and Juergen Mueller CTO and Member of the Executive Board of SAP discuss how enterprises across all sectors are undergoing a digital transformation and the role that 5G, network APIs and Artificial Intelligence (AI) play as key enablers in the digitalization.

Service providers can monetize network APIs through diverse business models, engaging CPaaS, aggregators, application service providers and customers. Business models where service providers can commercialize APIs include wholesale or retail applying revenue share, subscription, or usage-based commercial models. This is also dependent on a service provider’s go-to-market strategy, including other CPaaS, aggregators, or direct from service provider's platform.