An old-style OSS (operations support system) will no longer be adequate in the era of 5G and virtualized networks. Orchestration of large numbers of virtualized elements (as well as physical ones) will be essential to deliver the promises of programmable, sliceable networks, such as high service agility. That, in turn, will require a hefty dose of automation. Both Ericsson and Ciena have announced acquisitions to boost their OSS strategies in these respects, the former buying CENX for its cloud-native service assurance and automation; the latter acquiring inventory management specialist DonRiver to improve its automation capabilities. New Jersey-based CENX’s 185 staff will join Ericsson, bringing expertise in vendor-neutral service assurance and closed-loop automation. Ericsson has held a minority stake in CENX,…