Service Design and Orchestration

Overview

The research in this programme focuses on the evolution of traditional fulfilment systems and processes towards highly agile, automated, self-service-based and intent-driven service design and orchestration systems that use real-time dynamic inventory, service catalogues and topology. It also looks at planning/optimisation systems for virtual networks and model-based configuration systems that use highly abstracted network APIs to activate services.

Topics for 2026

• Digital-twin-enabled service orchestration
• Intent-driven orchestration
• Scaling service orchestration for new service models

Typical client enquiries

• What are the best strategies for bringing digital-twin technology into current inventory management systems? Where are vendors today and what are their plans?
• What is needed to support intent-based networking within service design and orchestration layers to enable services to be delivered? What systems are available today?
• How are services being managed today and what needs to change as service volumes increase? How are systems to be migrated and support new service types? What are the implications of managing complex partner ecosystems?
• How can operators maintain high-quality data in a next-generation inventory management system?
• What systems are the key enablers of new services such as network slicing, and where do operators primarily focus their efforts?