Open Union partners with L2X Networks for advanced networking

Open Union, a Sydney-based open networking specialist, has entered into a strategic partnership with L2X Networks. This collaboration aims to provide advanced network system integration and open networking solutions across Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, and Asia.

The partnership seeks to improve network performance, increase flexibility, and reduce costs by utilising open networking models. Both companies aim to offer enterprise and government clients access to the latest hardware, software, and services.

Punyalok Das, Director and Chief Experience Officer at L2X Networks, stated, "L2X offers network design, build, management, and consulting expertise, collaborating closely with internal network teams, or as an outsourcing business partner on new or existing networks." Das also emphasised that L2X has been a long-time advocate of open networking, promoting its benefits and championing cutting-edge cloud and AI native technologies.

Open Union will provide L2X with access to top-tier open networking software, hardware, and services from leading vendors like Edgecore. This includes the latest hardware designs for customer premise equipment routers, data centre switches, and open software such as SONiC and Optics.

Elizabeth Aris, Director of Open Union, said, "Open Union recognises that while most technology hardware is manufactured in Asia Pacific, much of the value is captured by branded equipment providers outside the region, who lock clients into proprietary networks at premium prices." Aris added that Open Union offers a marketplace of industry-proven technology, matching the quality of branded equipment sourced directly from suppliers. This approach promotes affordability and flexibility, allowing enterprises to manage the exponential growth in data effectively.

Open networking is increasingly gaining traction in Asia Pacific and the Americas, driven by hyperscalers capitalising on new hardware and software innovations. Traditional telecommunications providers, in contrast, continue to rely on legacy equipment, which locks customers into costly hardware refresh cycles. This limits their ability to upgrade or change functionalities until the hardware needs to be replaced.

The benefits of open networking include allowing organisations to disaggregate network hardware from software and manage them independently at scale. Low-cost white box hardware can be added to a network with open-source software to update and upgrade individual network components without relying on a single name-brand vendor for parts. This reduces costs while increasing network capacity and security capabilities. For instance, clients can add AI or 5G capabilities on their own timeline rather than waiting for traditional vendors to release these features.