Affirmed Networks Alternative: Why Operators Are Moving to Stacuity Edge

If you’re on Affirmed Networks, you’ll already be thinking about what comes next. Microsoft has stepped back; active development wound down in 2024, and what’s left is a support team keeping things ticking over until contracts run their course. For the operators still relying on Affirmed’s vEPC and UnityCloud solutions — and there are more than 90 globally, from Tier-1 carriers to regional MVNOs — that’s not an abstract concern anymore. It’s a planning problem with a deadline attached.

Here we outline what’s happening, what it means for your operations, and why Stacuity Edge-as-a-Service is the most practical path forward.

Microsoft acquired Affirmed Networks in 2020 as part of a broader push into telco infrastructure, and the platform served many operators well — particularly at scale, where deployments delivered real performance gains and meaningful TCO reductions.

Since then, Microsoft’s focus has shifted. The priority is now telco cloud and AI, and the Affirmed product line has moved into maintenance mode as a result.

The core questions for operators are straightforward:

The time to plan this is now, while it’s still a choice rather than a crisis.

There’s a practical difference between a migration you plan and one you’re forced into. With time on your side, you can run parallel environments, sequence the cutover properly, and avoid the cost and disruption that comes with doing it in a hurry.

Operators who’ve been through similar EOL situations before will know this already. The ones who got ahead of it had a smoother ride. The ones who waited found themselves dealing with unplanned downtime, SLA pressure, and integrations that ran well over time and budget.

Stacuity Edge-as-a-Service is a globally distributed network of managed packet gateways (P-GWs), designed to integrate directly into your existing core network. It was built cloud-native from the ground up and is designed for rapid deployment, ensuring minimal disruption and maximum efficiency.

Here’s what makes it the right fit for operators migrating from Affirmed Networks

Opex Model — No Capex Requirement: There’s no hardware to procure, no infrastructure to provision, and no large upfront investment. Stacuity runs on a software-as-a-service Opex licensing model, which means costs scale with your business, not against it. For operators managing tight budget cycles, this is a significant operational advantage.

Globally Distributed P-GW Network: Stacuity operates a growing network of managed edge locations, positioned around the world with local IP transit and IPX connectivity. You get optimised performance and low latency without building or maintaining the underlying infrastructure. In addition, If you have existing connectivity providers you want to keep, Stacuity integrates seamlessly with them.

Rapid Deployment: Time is a real constraint here. Stacuity is designed for fast onboarding, measured in weeks, not quarters. Minimal disruption to live services, with a clear integration path into your existing network elements, including OCS and AAA systems.

Self-Service, Granular Traffic Control: Through Stacuity’s VSlice feature, operators gain direct control over traffic routing without raising a support ticket. This level of self-service capability matters operationally: it means your team can respond to routing requirements in real time rather than waiting on a vendor.

Full Network Visibility: Stacuity provides access to more than 50 event notifications and detailed signalling data through the Stacuity portal and a full-featured API. If you’re used to managing Affirmed deployments with limited observability, this is a meaningful upgrade.

Unified Integration: A single, clean integration point into the rest of your network stack. No patchwork of connectors, no fragmented vendor relationships, one interface that covers your P-GW requirements end to end.

One of the risks of staying on a platform in maintenance mode is the roadmap you’re no longer on, creating a growing gap between where your platform is and where the industry is heading.

Built cloud-native from the ground up, Stacuity is designed for continuous evolution. New capabilities and protocol support are introduced progressively, keeping your network current without the overhead of major upgrade programmes.

This matters beyond the immediate migration. The standards roadmap is moving fast. Operators are already planning for next-generation network architectures such as 5GSA and 6G, and the platform you migrate to now needs to be capable of supporting that journey.

Stacuity’s architecture is built to accommodate evolving network standards as they mature, so when your network is ready to move forward, the platform moves with you.

MNOs and MVNOs currently running Affirmed Networks vEPC or P-GW infrastructure who need a like-for-like replacement with a credible long-term roadmap.

Operators building or expanding IoT connectivity who need a programmatic, API-driven packet gateway with fine-grained control.