The current platform offering is actually the 5th evolution of some of the concepts and ideas that started back in 2001. While it is a complete rewrite with state of the art technology and business models, it now finally was able to achieve a "Network a Lego(TM) blocks vision". We have been working so hard to acheive in the past years
UCLP was aimed at providing an API for empowering dynamic control of network links across the Research and Education networks. Now in 2011, there is still relevant work and standards, especially the Network Service Interface at OGF.
UCLPv2, tried to give a network block flavor to previous UCLP initiatives but introducing orchestration capabilities in defining network components. This recursive model allowed providers to consume resources and provide them as new resources.
A commercial successor to UCLPv2, removed some orchestration capabilities and added grid security technhologies , allowing the creation of the Virtual Organization model for Virtual Network Operators.
While deprecated and obesolete these systems allowed the creation of a good know-how on what models worked and which ones didn't and gave way to the business model presented in the current Ecosystem. The new platform included current IaaS experience from the Cloud industry mixed in with the lessons learned from all the previous iterations and took 2 years to develop.