PARTNER CONTENT: With service provider customers in more than 30 countries, serving a subscriber base of over 100 million, jtendo provides solutions in network signaling and security, application development, integration, deployment and solution support. We catch up with Piotr Szymański, the company’s CEO & Co-Founder, to learn more about jtendo, the jNEF platform and what it means for MNOs.
Before we talk about jNEF, can you share a bit about your journey as the co-founder of jtendo?
Piotr: Absolutely. I co-founded jtendo in 2010 in Warsaw, along with other technical and sales leaders who shared a vision: to create a company that blends security, integration, and advanced network solutions.
From the very beginning, we focused on thinking outside the box to solve complex telecom challenges. Over the years, we’ve expanded our presence to over 30 countries, with 50+ engineers helping MNOs deliver services to more than 100 million subscribers. Some of our platforms, like SigWall, handle over 90,000 TPS on a single site, which is a testament to our performance capabilities.
Our motto has always been “Stay Flexible, Stay Creative, Dream Big.” That mindset is what led us to develop jNEF—a future-proof, high-performance solution that reflects our commitment to innovation and customer success.
What is jNEF, and why is it important for Mobile Network Operators (MNOs)?
Piotr: jNEF (jtendo Network Exposure Function) is a platform we designed to help MNOs modernize their infrastructure without the need for costly system overhauls. The telecom industry is at a turning point – legacy Intelligent Network (IN) systems still play a role, but operators need to adopt 5G Network Exposure Functions (NEF) to stay competitive.
With jNEF, we bridge that gap. It allows operators to gradually integrate new technologies while still maintaining revenue from existing services. This approach minimizes risk, saves costs, and future-proofs operations, which is critical in such a fast-moving industry.
How does jNEF ensure seamless integration between legacy and modern network systems?
Piotr: One of the biggest challenges operators face is integrating legacy SS7, IMS, and IN platforms with modern 5G architectures. Many solutions out there require a full rip-and-replace approach, which is disruptive and expensive.
With jNEF, we took a different path. Our platform acts as a protocol and API gateway, enabling smooth communication between legacy and modern network functions. We designed it to support standardized APIs, making it easy for MNOs to introduce new services without breaking existing ones. It’s about evolution, not revolution—modernization at the operator’s own pace.
What makes jNEF’s API exposure unique?
Piotr: At jtendo, we believe that open, standardized, and secure network exposure is essential for modern telecom operations. That’s why jNEF is built on 3GPP 5G NEF specifications and follows GSMA Open API recommendations. This ensures that operators can securely expose network functions to external applications while maintaining strict security measures like end-to-end encryption and authentication.
Third-party applications, whether IoT, enterprise, or OTT services, can be seamlessly integrated, enabling a frictionless and secure digital ecosystem. By providing a unified API framework, jNEF not only accelerates service innovation but also upholds the highest security standards.
How does jNEF accelerate service deployment?
Piotr: The telecom industry moves fast, and operators can’t afford lengthy development cycles when launching new services. That’s why we designed jNEF to be API-driven, allowing for rapid service onboarding and deployment through automation. With pre-built service templates for common telecom applications, operators can significantly reduce development time. Additionally, jNEF simplifies integration with third-party platforms like IoT and enterprise applications, ensuring a smoother, faster rollout of new services. This agility enables operators to respond quickly to evolving market demands.
Security is a major concern in network exposure. How does jNEF address this?
Piotr: Security is at the heart of jNEF. We’ve built in strong authentication and authorization mechanisms to ensure that only trusted entities gain access to the network. Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) further minimizes exposure risks by restricting permissions based on user roles. On top of that, our advanced monitoring and analytics capabilities help detect and prevent potential security threats in real-time. Operators need to integrate third-party applications, but they can’t afford to compromise network integrity, jNEF ensures they don’t have to, providing a secure framework that fosters innovation without risk.
What deployment models does jNEF support?
Piotr: We understand that every operator has unique infrastructure needs, so flexibility was a key priority when designing jNEF. It supports a range of deployment models, including on-premise installations for those who need full control, virtualized environments like VMware and OpenStack, and containerized deployments using Kubernetes and Docker—perfect for cloud-native telecom architectures. Whether an operator needs a single-site setup or a multi-site configuration, jNEF adapts to their strategy, supporting private, hybrid, and public cloud environments.
How does jNEF optimize cost efficiency?
Piotr: Traditional telecom solutions often come with hefty third-party software license fees, but jNEF takes a different approach. Our feature-based licensing model ensures operators only pay for the capabilities they actually use, eliminating unnecessary costs. By reducing dependencies on external vendors, we help operators lower their operational expenses. Additionally, jNEF’s architecture delivers high performance without requiring excessive hardware investments, making it a cost-effective and scalable solution for operators looking to maximize their ROI while keeping OPEX under control.
What monetization opportunities does jNEF offer?
Piotr: The real value of jNEF lies in its ability to transform network functions into revenue-generating assets. Operators can offer APIs for call control, adding an extra layer of anti-fraud security and enabling new call-handling innovations. Location-based services (LBS) can be provided to third-party applications, opening new business opportunities. Businesses can leverage SMS and messaging APIs to engage customers more effectively, while IoT device management enables operators to monetize connectivity solutions. By exposing core network functions through APIs, operators can tap into new revenue streams beyond traditional voice and data services.
How is jNEF a future-proof solution?
Piotr: The telecom industry is rapidly shifting towards cloud-native architectures and microservices, and jNEF is designed to support this evolution. Its containerized deployment model offers agility and scalability, while its RESTful API interfaces ensure easy application integration. Most importantly, jNEF is 5G-ready, ensuring long-term compatibility with emerging standards. We built it as a modern alternative to JSLEE-based platforms, allowing operators to embrace new technologies without the need for costly and complex re-architecting efforts.
Finally, why should MNOs choose jNEF over other solutions?
Piotr: jNEF isn’t just another technology, it’s a modernization strategy. What makes it stand out? It seamlessly integrates legacy and modern systems, providing standardized and secure API exposure for future-proof connectivity. Its API-driven framework accelerates service deployment, while advanced security features ensure safe and compliant network operations. With flexible deployment models tailored to any infrastructure and a cost-effective licensing structure that eliminates third-party dependencies, jNEF offers a unique blend of innovation, efficiency, and revenue-generating capabilities. At jtendo, we understand the challenges operators face, and we designed jNEF to help them modernize, scale, and monetize their networks with confidence.