on of the service will allow the test team to focus on the next higher layer in the model. Once the service and service templates have been validated, testing efforts will focus on the highest layer in the model: end-to-end service (or product) testing. This is where multiple services are combined into a product to provide the desired end-user func- tions. With the lower layer VNFs, services and service templates fully tested, they can be used as building blocks to quickly assemble a new end-to-end service. With the deployment of a cloud infrastructure and the development needed to support real-time communication services, all testing (laboratory and field) can be achieved in 6-9 months. This represents approximately a 50% reduction from today's testing cycle time and is represented by the bottom bar in Figure 14.10. Once the catalogs of functions are available and certified, testing will focus on service creation and E2E Service testing, and services can be realized in approximately E2E Service Service Creation + E2E Service Library Functions + Service Creation + E2E Service Cycle Time (months) FIGURE 14.10 Testing cycle time reduction. Service Platforms 3-6 months as represented by the middle bar in Figure 14.10. Looking further ahead, once all the catalogs needed to realize a service have been certified and the service creation environment has been realized, testing will focus on end-to-end service flows and capabilities and services can be realized in a matter of days or weeks. This interval is represented by the top bar in Figure 14.10. Furthermore, customers will be able to build services themselves using exposed APIs, which could eliminate the need for further testing altogether. Of course, the testing intervals will vary based on the number of VNFs required, complexity of features/service, and quality of VNF software. Using a production cloud location to instantiate the VNFs is a key enabler that allows us to shift from an environment where field testing follows laboratory testing resulting in a long test