Focusing heavily on the challenge of orchestrating virtualized networks and cloud platforms (see lead item), five vendors are working on an end-to-end multivendor trial in Malaysia. NEC and its Netcracker subsidiary have announced the project with Red Hat, Juniper Networks and Dell EMC. Netcracker aims to enable a set of virtualized network node functions which can be mixed and matched, Lego-style, to support SDN-controlled communication services for operators or enterprises. Along with its new partners, it claims such a platform will slash time to market to introduce new services by up to 70%, compared to the current timescale of 6-12 months. The platform combines Netcracker’s hybrid operations management offering and business enablement applications with NEC/Netcracker’s virtualization deployment operations center and multilayer SDN…