NFV MANO Software - Market Share Analysis, Industry Trends & Statistics, Growth Forecasts (2026-2031)

The NFV MANO software market size is projected to expand from USD 5.21 billion in 2025 and USD 5.92 billion in 2026 to USD 10.84 billion by 2031, registering a CAGR of 12.86% between 2026 and 2031. This report is segmented by Component (Solutions, and Services), MANO Function (NFV Orchestrator, Virtualized Network Function Manager, and More), Deployment Mode (On-Premises, and More), End User (Telecom Service Providers, Cloud Service Providers, Data Center Operators, and More), Organization Size (Large Enterprises, and More), and Geography. The Market Forecasts are Provided in Terms of Value (USD).

Global NFV MANO Software Market Trends and Insights

5G Standalone and Network Slicing Orchestration

5G Standalone deployment raises demand for orchestration because network slicing requires coordinated lifecycle management across radio, core, and transport domains. A slice is a logical end-to-end network on shared physical infrastructure, so operators need a platform that can manage its design, activation, scaling, assurance, and retirement across these domains. The NFV MANO software market benefits when operators need to create, modify, and retire slices without relying on manual workflows that can delay service delivery, consume specialist resources, and limit the practical use of differentiated service offers, particularly where enterprise customers expect reliable performance, rapid activation, and clear service-level commitments across a changing mix of applications. Orange selected Ericsson in June 2025 to deploy Service Orchestration and Assurance across its European affiliates after a 5G Standalone slicing trial in Belgium, supporting private networks, geofencing, and fixed wireless access. Faster slice activation can help operators offer enterprise services with specific performance commitments and respond to changes in user needs without rebuilding the underlying network, especially where private networks and fixed wireless access require distinct operating parameters, controlled coverage areas, and service-specific capacity rules, which broadens the role of the NFV MANO software market. O-RAN Alliance Specification Release 5, completed in November 2025, included AI-driven management specifications that extend orchestration requirements into disaggregated radio networks.

Telco CAPEX-to-OPEX Migration

Network virtualization is moving from VNF-based designs toward CNF-native horizontal cloud platforms. This change shifts attention from initial proprietary hardware purchases to shared infrastructure, automation, operating efficiency, and the ability to run workloads consistently across common cloud resources while reducing duplication among separate network domains. Deutsche Telekom documented a Horizontal TelCo Cloud architecture that supports 40 workloads on 200,000 vCPUs and targets 80 workloads by 2028. The company’s 2026 material projected a 16% CAGR for mobile core spending on horizontal cloud approaches between 2026 and 2030, compared with 8% for vertically integrated stacks. The NFV MANO software market therefore favors platforms that can automate lifecycle management across shared cloud resources while retaining the reliability, operational control, and service continuity required for telecom services, including complex workloads that span multiple domains and locations. ETSI expects VNF and CNF environments to coexist during the transition, which keeps unified management interfaces necessary and prevents a simple one-step migration.

Legacy OSS/BSS Integration Complexity

Legacy OSS/BSS environments remain a core limitation on adoption because many systems predate NFV architecture and were designed for static, hardware-based service processes. A modern MANO platform must connect with fault, configuration, accounting, performance, and security systems without interrupting established provisioning and charging workflows. This work often requires custom adapters across several vendor systems, which increases the time and coordination required for implementation, testing, maintenance, and ongoing change management. Parallel VNF and CNF operations add different data models, descriptor formats, and resource abstraction layers to the integration task. Integration teams must then support separate technical approaches while preserving service continuity and making sure that service events still reach downstream business systems, including provisioning, billing, charging, and customer-support processes. TM Forum Open API alignment can reduce this burden, but uneven adoption limits its role as a common solution across operator environments with different legacy estates, business processes, and supplier relationships.

Other drivers and restraints analyzed in the detailed report include:

• Edge Cloud and Distributed Network Function Deployment
• Closed-Loop Automation and AI-Assisted Service Assurance
• VNF and CNF Interoperability Gaps

Segment Analysis

Solutions accounted for 77.72% of the NFV MANO software market share in 2025. This leadership reflected spending on platform licenses, integration middleware, and proprietary descriptor toolchains during initial virtualization programs. Solutions remain central because operators need a common platform for service design, resource coordination, and lifecycle control. The NFV MANO software industry continues to rely on these platforms as networks become more distributed. Yet initial deployment work does not end the need for support. Operators are shifting attention toward daily operations, optimization, upgrades, and cloud-native migration.

Services are projected to expand at a 13.86% CAGR from 2026 to 2031. Managed services, professional services, training, and support are becoming more important as implementation requirements increase. Vendors can turn one-time software transactions into multi-year contracts by providing managed MANO services and automated upgrades. This arrangement can help operators sustain AI-driven assurance, multi-vendor service management, and GitOps workflows. ETSI Release 5 includes management data analytics functions and intent management interfaces that add operating requirements. The NFV MANO software market therefore gives greater weight to delivery capabilities alongside platform functionality.

NFV Orchestrator held 27.18% of NFV MANO software demand in 2025. It manages service packaging, instantiation, scaling, and termination across infrastructure and network-function management layers. The function also supports service-level commitments, slice management, and end-to-end resource allocation. These responsibilities make it central to operators that are creating differentiated enterprise services. Virtualized Infrastructure Manager and Virtualized Network Function Manager functions continue to cover much of the lifecycle automation in installed operator networks.

Container Infrastructure Service Manager is projected to expand at a 13.39% CAGR through 2031. The pace reflects the move from virtual network functions to cloud-native network functions. Deutsche Telekom reported that CNFs are expected to represent 76% of total mobile core network function expenditure by 2030, compared with 36% in 2025. Wide Area Network Infrastructure Manager is also becoming more relevant as edge deployments increase connectivity requirements among distributed infrastructure points. 3GPP’s Coordinated Closed Control Loop supports zero-touch automation across management functions. This framework is shaping MANO roadmaps for container and infrastructure management, particularly where operators need coordinated automation across cloud resources, network functions, and service-assurance processes.

Complete Report Scope:

• By Component
  • Solutions
  • Services
• By MANO Function
  • NFV Orchestrator
  • Virtualized Network Function Manager
  • Virtualized Infrastructure Manager
  • Wide Area Network Infrastructure Manager
  • Container Infrastructure Service Manager
• By Deployment Mode
  • On-Premises
  • Cloud
• By End-user
  • Telecom Service Providers
  • Cloud Service Providers
  • Enterprises
  • Government and Defense Organizations
  • Data Center Operators
  • Managed Network Service Providers
• By Organization Size
  • Large Enterprises
  • Small and Medium Enterprises
• By Geography
  • North America
    • United States
    • Canada
    • Mexico
  • Europe
    • United Kingdom
    • Germany
    • France
    • Italy
    • Spain
    • Russia
    • Rest of Europe
  • Asia-Pacific
    • China
    • India
    • Japan
    • South Korea
    • Australia and New Zealand
    • Rest of Asia-Pacific
  • South America
    • Brazil
    • Argentina
    • Rest of South America
  • Middle East
    • Saudi Arabia
    • United Arab Emirates
    • Turkey
    • Rest of Middle East
  • Africa
    • South Africa
    • Nigeria
    • Rest of Africa

Geography Analysis

Asia-Pacific held 32.07% of the NFV MANO software market share in 2025. China, South Korea, Japan, and India supported this position through 5G Standalone rollout activity. India’s momentum in cloud-native core architecture supports continuing demand for orchestration tools. South Korean operators are focusing on network slicing monetization after initial Standalone deployments. This requires advanced NFV Orchestrator capabilities and enterprise service-level management.

North America and Europe, the Middle East, and Africa form another major demand concentration. Europe is modernizing core networks through horizontal cloud architectures and greater attention to standards compliance. Deutsche Telekom’s Horizontal TelCo Cloud supports 40 workloads on 200,000 vCPUs and targets 80 workloads by 2028. North American operators continue to extend 5G Standalone infrastructure after their initial investments. ETSI requirements and European cybersecurity frameworks influence procurement criteria for MANO platforms.

The Middle East and Africa presents different conditions across its markets. Gulf Cooperation Council operators in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are investing in 5G Standalone and wider network modernization. Africa is projected to expand at a 13.79% CAGR through 2031, the highest regional rate. Greenfield 5G networks can avoid part of the OSS/BSS integration burden faced by operators with older 4G VNF estates. South America is smaller but has increasing demand as Brazil and Argentina advance their Standalone programs. Brazil’s 5G licensing commitments include coverage and quality obligations that support investment in automated assurance and orchestration.

List of Companies Covered in this Report:

• Ericsson AB
• Nokia Corporation
• Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
• Netcracker Technology Corporation
• Cisco Systems, Inc.
• Amdocs Limited
• Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company
• VMware, Inc.
• Red Hat, Inc.
• Juniper Networks, Inc.
• Oracle Corporation
• ZTE Corporation
• NEC Corporation
• Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
• Wind River Systems, Inc.
• SUSE S.A.
• Dell Technologies Inc.
• IBM Corporation
• Mavenir Systems, Inc.
• Ribbon Communications Inc.

Additional Benefits:

• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
• 3 months of analyst support