The Optical Internetworking Forum (OIF) promotes the development and deployment of interoperable networking solutions and services through the creation of Implementation Agreements (IAs) for optical networking products, network processing elements, and component technologies. Implementation agreements will be based on requirements developed cooperatively by end-users, service providers, equipment vendors and technology providers, and aligned with worldwide standards, augmented if necessary. This is accomplished through industry member participation working together to develop specifications (IAs) for:

• External network element interfaces
• Software interfaces internal to network elements
• Hardware component interfaces internal to network elements

The OIF will create benchmarks, perform worldwide interoperability testing, build market awareness and promote education for technologies, services and solutions. The OIF will provide feedback to worldwide standards organizations to help achieve a set of implementable, interoperable solutions.

Source: www.oiforum.com