An exciting development in the telecommunications sector has emerged with the official naming of a new Application Programming Interface (API) joint venture. Initially launched in September by Ericsson, Google Cloud, and several notable global operators, the venture is now known as Aduna. Anthony Bartolo, former COO of Vonage and executive at Tata Communications, will take the helm as CEO on January 20.
The intention behind this collaboration is to leverage the power of network API technologies on a global scale, fostering innovation across digital services. By standardizing and selling these network APIs, the coalition seeks to unlock new opportunities in the burgeoning landscape of 5G monetization. This potentially opens avenues for communication with hyperscalers, CPaaS providers, system integrators, and independent software vendors.
The project aligns with existing industry initiatives like the GSMA’s Open Gateway and The Linux Foundation’s Camara Project, which aim to standardize network APIs further. These initiatives help to underscore the growing significance of APIs as they offer a route to global scalability and new monetization strategies in the telecommunications realm.
Anthony Bartolo, expressing his vision, remarked, “Aduna is at the forefront of the next technology wave. Providing developers with ubiquitous access to open, programmable network functionality through common APIs will empower them to innovate at global hyperscale and drive value creation for enterprises, their customers, and the telecom industry.”
Under the joint venture’s structure, Ericsson holds a 50% share, with the remaining stake shared among participating operators, including Vodafone, AT&T, Bharti Airtel, Deutsche Telekom, and others. This underscores a collaborative effort in pushing the boundaries of network API technologies. With its headquarters in the United States, Aduna represents a unified approach, as reflected in its name, derived from the Latin phrase for “many entities uniting as one.”
