DANOS
DANOS is an open source, carrier-grade network operating system hosted by The Linux Foundation, built on AT&T's donated dNOS framework to enable disaggregated white box routing and switching for telecommunications service providers, with IP Infusion as its exclusive commercial integrator.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What DANOS does
DANOS (Disaggregated Network Operating System) is an open source project hosted by The Linux Foundation (legally operated through LF Projects, LLC) that provides a carrier-grade network operating system for white box routers and switches. The project was launched on March 27, 2018 at the Open Networking Summit in Los Angeles and is initially based on AT&T's in-house-developed "dNOS" software framework, which AT&T completed donating into the Linux Foundation on November 15, 2019. Its core technology integrates the FRRouting open routing stack, OpenSwitch OPX, Broadcom SDKLT, and the Switch Abstraction Interface (SAI) hardware abstraction layer to enable software disaggregation across diverse white box silicon and ASICs. The project is governed by the Linux Foundation's open governance model and is supported by contributions from AT&T, Cumulus Networks (FRRouting), Microsoft, Broadcom, Juniper Networks, Metaswitch, Orange, Silicom, Inocybe, and the Open Networking Foundation.
DANOS does not generate direct revenue. It is distributed under open source licensing via self-serve download channels (Atlassian wiki and GitHub), while commercial integration, support, and resale are handled exclusively by IP Infusion under the DANOS-Vyatta Edition arrangement announced in October 2019. The project's primary customer segment is service providers (telecommunications carriers and network operators) seeking cost-effective, flexible alternatives to proprietary networking stacks such as those from Cisco, Juniper, or Nokia. Marketing and ecosystem engagement run through The Linux Foundation, the Open Networking Summit, and the project's documentation/issue tracker channels.
The organization reports 11-50 employees via firmographic data and operates from San Francisco. There are no funding rounds, M&A activity, or disclosed financial metrics, consistent with its status as a Linux Foundation collaborative project rather than a venture-backed or publicly traded company.
DANOS firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- DANOS
- Legal name
- DANOS Project (LF Projects, LLC)
- Website
- https://danosproject.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- DANOS is an open source, carrier-grade network operating system hosted by The Linux Foundation, built on AT&T's donated dNOS framework to enable disaggregated white box routing and switching for telecommunications service providers, with IP Infusion as its exclusive commercial integrator.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
DANOS industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Network Operating System
- NAICS
- Wired and Wireless Telecommunications (except Satellite) (5171)
- SIC
- Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) (4813)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Network Operating Systems (NOS) for Data Centers (HDABAFAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Virtualized RAN & Open RAN (vRAN/O-RAN) (HDAFANAF)
Keywords
Where DANOS is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
DANOS business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Open Source Framework: DANOS operates as an open source project under The Linux Foundation with no direct revenue model. Commercial value is derived through ecosystem contributions, professional services, and support contracts offered by partners like IP Infusion.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels3 records
DANOS product offering
Product offeringCore offering
DANOS is an open-source, carrier-grade Disaggregated Network Operating System (NOS) for white box routers and switches. It enables community collaboration across network hardware, forwarding, and operating system layers to build a standardized distributed NOS that accelerates white box adoption in service provider infrastructure. A specific DANOS-Vyatta Edition variant leverages Vyatta routing technology and is integrated and supported exclusively by IP Infusion.
Product overview
DANOS is a unified Disaggregated Network Operating System (NOS) project that enables community collaboration across network hardware, forwarding, and operating system layers. Initially based on AT&T's "dNOS" software framework, DANOS provides an open, cost-effective and flexible alternative to traditional networking operating systems. The project is hosted by The Linux Foundation and incorporates contributions from complementary open source communities. The core offering is the DANOS Disaggregated Network Operating System itself, with a specific DANOS-Vyatta Edition variant that leverages Vyatta routing technology and is integrated exclusively by IP Infusion. Together, these products form a standardized distributed NOS ecosystem designed to accelerate the adoption and use of white boxes in service provider infrastructure.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- DANOS (Disaggregated Network Operating System) An open-source, carrier-grade network operating system for white box routers and switches that provides community collaboration across network hardware, forwarding, and operating system layers. It enables operators to use cost-effective, flexible alternatives to traditional proprietary networking equipment.
- DANOS-Vyatta Edition A specific edition of AT&T's disaggregated network operating system that builds on the Vyatta routing technology. IP Infusion serves as the exclusive integrator and customer support provider for this edition, providing commercial distribution and support services for enterprise deployments.
Quantifiable outcome
- Carrier-grade routing and control plane protocols operate as binary applications on top of the open network operating system enabling true software disaggregation
Companies that use DANOS
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
DANOS technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
DANOS partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- IP InfusioncoreIP Infusion was named as the exclusive integrator and customer support provider for AT&T's DANOS-Vyatta Edition. The company provides commercial integration services and customer support, reselling the DANOS-Vyatta Edition to the market.
- AT&TcoreAT&T is the original developer of the dNOS software framework that DANOS is initially based upon. The company donated its disaggregated network operating system code to The Linux Foundation, with the project being renamed from dNOS to DANOS. AT&T's contribution forms the foundational technology of the project.
- Cumulus NetworksminorFRRouting team (associated with Cumulus Networks) welcomed DANOS to the Linux Foundation. FRRouting is an open source routing protocol stack with significant community contributions (3,413 commits from 68 authors and 42 organizations in the prior year).
- OpenSwitch / DellminorOpenSwitch, with Alley Hasan from Dell as Board Chair, expressed support for DANOS and indicated willingness to collaborate on leveraging OpenSwitch OPX work to drive value for operators and accelerate adoption of composable networks.
- ONF (Open Networking Foundation)minorONF, a champion of disaggregation, white boxes and open source, expressed support for DANOS as a carrier-grade, open source network OS for white boxes. Looking forward to DANOS working with ONF's Stratum thin switch OS platform.
- Juniper NetworksminorJuniper Networks, with CTO Bikash Koley, expressed support for the open source ecosystem and disaggregation efforts. Juniper intends to continue delivering open and scalable networking options jointly through community work, and looks forward to innovations from the DANOS project.
- OrangeminorOrange expressed support for the definition of a single open Network Operating System, stating it will provide an opportunity to foster an ecosystem benefiting operators, vendors and customers, and help operators accelerate development of new services.
- InocybeminorInocybe welcomed the DANOS project to the open networking community. The company believes DANOS will help grow the network operating system community and drive innovation at the foundation of the network stack.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
DANOS competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Edgecore Networks: White box switching and networking hardware vendor whose products are designed to run open source NOS options including DANOS. Comparable as an ecosystem partner/enabler in the disaggregated networking stack rather than a direct NOS competitor.
- FRRouting: Open source IP routing protocol suite for Linux/Unix platforms that DANOS integrates as its routing stack. Functionally complementary component technology rather than a direct competitor, but with significant overlapping community and contributor base.
Direct peers
- ONF Stratum: Open source thin switch OS from the Open Networking Foundation designed for disaggregated white box networks. Directly competitive with DANOS as an alternative community-led NOS, with ONF explicitly expressing intent to collaborate with DANOS on broader network disaggregation.
- IP Infusion OcNOS: Commercial network operating system from IP Infusion that is the exclusive integrator and reseller for DANOS-Vyatta Edition. Directly comparable as a carrier-grade NOS targeting white box switches/routers, with both shared heritage and competitive overlap.
- SONiC (Software for Open Networking in the Cloud): Open source network operating system originally developed by Microsoft for data center switches, now hosted by the SONiC Foundation. Most direct competitor to DANOS in the open source NOS space, with overlapping Switch Abstraction Interface (SAI) hardware abstraction and broader contributor base.
- Cumulus Linux (NVIDIA Networking): Linux-based NOS for white box switches originally from Cumulus Networks (now part of NVIDIA). The FRRouting team associated with Cumulus welcomed DANOS to the Linux Foundation, providing signature protocol stack that DANOS integrates.
- OpenSwitch OPX: Open source switch OS (Open Platform for Ethernet Switches) that DANOS directly integrates with via OPX. Both target disaggregated white box networking with overlapping community contributors including Dell.
Broad incumbents
- Cisco IOS XR: Proprietary carrier-grade network operating system from Cisco targeting service provider routers and switches. The dominant incumbent NOS that DANOS directly seeks to displace via open source disaggregation.
- Juniper Junos OS: Proprietary network operating system from Juniper Networks targeting service provider and enterprise networks. Juniper publicly endorsed DANOS and is a contributor, while still competing via its own Junos platform.
Emerging players
- Pica8 PicOS: Linux-based network operating system for white box switches targeting enterprise and service provider customers. Overlaps with DANOS in white box disaggregation use cases, with a more commercial/single-vendor delivery model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
DANOS social profiles
Digital presenceDANOS financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
DANOS leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
DANOS funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
DANOS M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about DANOS
What does DANOS do?
DANOS is an open-source, carrier-grade Disaggregated Network Operating System (NOS) for white box routers and switches. It enables community collaboration across network hardware, forwarding, and operating system layers to build a standardized distributed NOS that accelerates white box adoption in service provider infrastructure. A specific DANOS-Vyatta Edition variant leverages Vyatta routing technology and is integrated and supported exclusively by IP Infusion.
Is DANOS a public or private company?
DANOS is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was DANOS founded?
DANOS was founded in 2018. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is DANOS based?
DANOS is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does DANOS make money?
One revenue line is on record: open Source Framework.
Who are DANOS's main competitors?
Others on record are Edgecore Networks and FRRouting. Direct peers are ONF Stratum, IP Infusion OcNOS, SONiC (Software for Open Networking in the Cloud), Cumulus Linux (NVIDIA Networking) and OpenSwitch OPX. Broad incumbents are Cisco IOS XR and Juniper Junos OS. Pica8 PicOS is listed as an emerging player.
Does DANOS have an API?
No public API is recorded for DANOS.
What industry is DANOS in?
DANOS's product category is Network Operating System. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDABAFAE, Network Operating Systems (NOS) for Data Centers, with a secondary code of HDAFANAF, Virtualized RAN & Open RAN (vRAN/O-RAN). Its NAICS code is 5171 and its SIC code is 4813.