Open Networking Vendors and NOS Options: Where IP Infusion Fits
Open networking lets you run a network operating system on open hardware from multiple manufacturers. Here is the vendor landscape, the network operating system options, and where IP Infusion OcNOS fits, from one engineer to another.
What is open networking?
Open networking separates the network operating system from the switch or router hardware. Instead of buying software and hardware locked together from one vendor, you run a network operating system on validated open hardware from multiple manufacturers. That restores competitive hardware sourcing, decouples the hardware refresh cycle from the software, and removes single-vendor lock-in, while keeping a familiar CLI and standard protocols.
The open networking stack
An open network is built in three independently sourceable layers. IP Infusion provides the network operating system layer and validates it across the hardware layer.
1. Merchant silicon
The switching and routing ASICs, for example Broadcom Qumran, Jericho, Trident, and Tomahawk.
2. Open hardware
Switches and routers from open hardware manufacturers such as Edgecore, UfiSpace, and EPS Global.
3. Network operating system
The routing and switching software, for example IP Infusion OcNOS, that turns open hardware into a production router or switch.
Network operating system options compared
Open networking offers several network operating system models. They differ mainly in who carries the support and integration burden.
| NOS category | Examples | Support model | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial carrier-grade NOS | IP Infusion OcNOS | Single-vendor commercial support and SLA; ASIC validation, CVE tracking, and feature updates included. | Operators who want open-hardware economics with the support and accountability of a traditional vendor: SP routing, DC and AI fabric, edge. |
| Community / DIY NOS | SONiC, FRRouting, DANOS | Self-supported or community-supported; the operator owns integration, hardware validation, and patching. | Hyperscalers and teams with large in-house network software engineering who can carry the integration and support burden. |
| Hyperscaler-origin NOS | Cumulus Linux (NVIDIA) | Vendor-supported, with the roadmap and ecosystem tied to the owning vendor. | Data-center fabric teams already standardized on that vendor ecosystem. |
| Proprietary vendor NOS | Incumbent router and switch operating systems | Fully supported, but the software is bound to that vendor's own hardware. | Single-vendor environments that do not need hardware sourcing flexibility. |
Where IP Infusion fits
IP Infusion is the network operating system layer of open networking. OcNOS is a commercial, carrier-grade NOS that runs on open hardware and is supported like a traditional vendor product, so you get open-hardware economics without taking on the integration and support burden of a DIY stack.
- Carrier-grade and proven: deployed in 600+ production networks over 27 years, certified to MEF 3.0, TIP DCSG, and EANTC.
- Hardware sourcing freedom: the same OcNOS runs across 40+ validated platforms from Edgecore, UfiSpace, and EPS Global, so your boxes go out to competitive bid.
- Fully supported: single-vendor support and SLA, with ASIC validation, CVE tracking, and feature updates included, unlike a self-supported community NOS.
- One software, every role: service-provider routing, data-center and AI fabric, IPoDWDM, and edge, on OcNOS-SP and OcNOS-DC.
Product and company names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective owners and are used for identification and comparison only. IP Infusion is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of the third parties named. Category descriptions reflect general market structure as of 2026 and may not capture every product or change over time; evaluate current offerings for your specific requirements.