Mplify (formerly MEF) has expanded its Lifecycle Service Orchestration (LSO) certification program.

The revised offering now features additional releases and standardized APIs to enable network operators to further validate API-enabled business transactions that conform to Mplify standards.

The recently rebranded trade group said its certification program “provides the foundation for delivering the on-demand, cloud-like services that define the Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) model.”

According to Mplify, more than 165 service providers have “engaged” in the LSO API adoption lifecycle. Testing is conducted by Amartus in a cloud environment, with APIs that make the grade listed on Mplify’s public LSO API Registry to provide enterprises with a platform to quickly identify potential tools and services.

“Mplify’s LSO APIs are the operating system for multi-provider automation,” said Pascal Menezes, Mplify’s CTO. “This certification program removes integration friction, builds trust at scale, and provides a clear on-ramp to global NaaS. Console Connect’s leadership demonstrates what’s possible when innovation aligns with open standards.”

Console Connect, the NaaS platform from PCCW Global, was the first to achieve LSO API certification through the newly expanded Mplify program.

The vendor achieved four certifications, covering address validation, quote, product order, and product inventory APIs, with the addition of the group’s LSO Adaptor Tool, helping to simplify integration between Console Connect’s proprietary systems and standardized LSO APIs

Paul Gampe, PCCW Global’s CTO, said the certifications add to Console Connect’s commitment to standardized APIs, which he described as “fundamental to increasing scalability and establishing a more collaborative, API-driven connectivity model.”

While the trade group recently changed its name from Metro Ethernet Forum, its focus on standardizing NaaS and secure access service edge (SASE) remains the same. COO Kevin Vachon recently outlined that its prior name was “limiting” with the goal to shake off conceptions that the group solely focuses on its traditional work in the Ethernet space.

Mplify also offers a similar SASE-focused certification program, with Fortinet and Versa receiving accolades late last year.