AT&T's Marian Croak reveals the inner workings of Domain 2.0 and AT&T's plan for an all-IP future

Tammy Parker, FierceWirelessTech

AT&T (NYSE: T) is leading the way into the worlds of software-defined networking (SDN) and network functions virtualization (NFV) via its Domain 2.0 architecture and "User-Defined Network Cloud" initiatives. At AT&T's recent Innovation Showcase event in New York, my colleague, FierceWireless Editor Phil Goldstein, spoke with Marian Croak, senior vice president of Domain 2.0 architecture and advanced services development, about these initiatives.

In this exclusive interview, Croak provides a lot in insight into AT&T's views on virtualization and how change has to extend beyond the network and into an operator's culture. AT&T intends to do a lot of internal training on its way to an all-IP network, but Croak said there will also be an "intense hiring program for external people to come in, and new compensation packages to attract them and to retain them."

She also addressed a common trait shared by the first Domain 2.0 vendors that have been named, which is adherence to open-source software. Croak added that AT&T aims to ensure its vendors are not building proprietary systems.

Check out the rest of Phil's interview with Marian Croak in this On the Hot Seat feature.--Tammy

P.S. The annual Memorial Day holiday period has once again rolled around, signaling the unofficial start of summer. FierceWirelessTech will not publish Monday, May 26, but we'll be back in your inbox on Tuesday, May 27. Have a safe and enjoyable holiday weekend!