From Complexity to Control: Valid8 on Mission Critical Testing
Ian, can you explain in simple terms what Valid8 is and what problem you solve?
Ian Carpenter: "Valid8 has been specializing in the test and measurement of telecom protocols for almost 25 years. We started in the early 2000s as a consultancy company, primarily working with large telecom operators. During those projects, we developed dedicated test solutions for new and emerging protocols, all built on our own core testing platform.
Over time, this evolved into a comprehensive portfolio of test systems supporting a wide range of telecom protocols. Our solutions are positioned right between in-house developed test environments, which often lack consistency, reference-ability, and reproducibility and expensive, hardware-intensive universal test instruments.
As telecom protocols become increasingly complex, the need for reliable and repeatable testing grows. Valid8 provides organizations with a scalable and structured platform that enables efficient and trustworthy testing, both on the client device side and within the network.”
Where does Valid8 place its main focus, and why?
Ian Carpenter: "Although we support a broad range of telecom protocols, over the past six to seven years we have increasingly focused on mission-critical communication systems. This includes technologies such as P25, TETRA, 911/112, eCall, and especially MCX and FRMCS.
Today, we are market leaders in MCX testing. This is partly because it’s a relatively niche market with a limited number of active players, but more importantly because of the complexity involved. MCX requires testing across multiple generations of mobile networks, from 2G through 5G, while also simulating legacy systems like TETRA.
That combination makes it highly challenging, and that’s exactly where our strength lies."
How does Valid8 help organizations address these challenges in practice?
Ian Carpenter: "What makes our proposition unique is that all our test systems are built on a single, unified platform: our protocol engine. This makes our solutions highly scalable.
Customers can start small and gradually expand their testing capabilities, both in terms of functionality and supported protocols. This means they don’t need to make large upfront investments, while still having the ability to perform full end-to-end network testing as their needs grow.
That flexibility and scalability are key reasons why organizations choose Valid8."
What types of test instruments do you offer?
Ian Carpenter: "Our portfolio can be broadly divided into four categories: device testers, load testers, device simulators, and security testers.
These solutions are available for nearly all relevant wireless telecom protocols, including MCX, FRMCS, IoT, NGeCall, V2X, IMS, and NG911/112. This allows us to cover both the client side and the network side comprehensively.
For many of these protocols, we also offer conformance testing capabilities, typically as an extension of our device testers. These enable customers to verify whether their products comply with applicable standards."
What sets Valid8 apart from other solutions in the market?
Ian Carpenter: "I would summarize our differentiation in three key points.
First, many of our customers previously relied on self-built test environments. These often lack reproducibility, interoperability, and a consistent testing methodology. We provide a professional and structured approach where all of these aspects are properly addressed.
Second, our instruments are ‘software-first’. While hardware is still part of the equation, our primary focus is on software. This allows us to respond quickly to customer needs and adapt to evolving standards. It also keeps costs significantly lower compared to traditional hardware-heavy solutions, and we don’t have to deal with issues like hardware failures, calibration, wear and tear etc.
Third, our entire range of test systems can be managed from a single, centralized user interface. This greatly improves usability, saves time, and reduces overall cost, as typically only one central test server is required.
With the strong growth we are currently experiencing, especially in MCX, we expect the coming years to be both busy and very promising."
