Grant: Applied Research and Development Grants - Level 1

Though cloud computing is over a decade old and its many extraordinary advantages are well documented, it is still very much in a transitional stage. The many related technologies that constitute ""the cloud"" and the protocol standards around cloud-based telecommunication services are very quickly evolving. Consequently, moving services that demand high reliability (aka ""immutable""), like Unified Communications (UC) services, into the cloud forces entrants to take a very conservative approach. In turn, this leaves the operator unable to fully utilize the huge leaps forward in automation, scalability and cost effectiveness offered by the cloud. It also leaves them without a basic map to leave the technological island they are outgrowing. We are proposing a combined effort to look beyond the basic virtualization infrastructure typically in use today towards a public-private (aka hybrid) cloud computing solution using both open and closed (proprietary) artifacts. We will do this by identifying UC needs, researching and testing best cloud options and then finding the best Continuous Integration (CI)/automation frameworks to leverage the selected approach. The Sheridan team, in collaboration with Zip Telecom (ZT), proposes to explore a standards-based open hybrid cloud solution to time-sensitive UC services. Specifically, the research team aims to:1. Inventory the critical components of Zip Telecom UC services (current and proposed), analyze their relationship to cloud and CI capabilities, and then recommend an architecture of hybrid cloud and standards-based framework for that service;2. Select one or two key candidates from the inventory in Part 1 for deeper exploration and testing into a UC as a service (UCaaS) model with attendant Continuous Integration tools.