OSS Advancements Bow At SUPERCOMM
By Evan Blackwell
from the June 4, 2001 issue of Broadband Week
The network software gurus working behind the scenes to smooth out broadband deployments have become pretty popular folks in 2001. Service providers coming to Atlanta for SUPERCOMM 2001 to look for back office help will find a new slate of end-to-end solutions, all designed to streamline their vendor lineup and to make management of their networks less of a headache.
Customer care and service provisioning are critical areas, particularly to the telcos still grappling with various DSL technology issues that by most accounts have slowed deployments.
At SUPERCOMM, OSS stalwart Telcordia Technologies is releasing its newest back office creation--the Integrated Operations Infrastructure. The new software platform will work across wireline, wireless, multimedia and broadband networks, with the concept of a unified network database to improve flow-through.
"This infrastructure provides to our customers one single user interface, one single database and one common security mechanism for customers to get access to all functions in network management," says Mark Effinger, Telcordia's managing director and chief OSS director. "Previously, each individual module or component, whether developed internally or externally, each tended to have their own database and GUI."
In addition to the shared database, the new Telcordia Infrastructure includes a shared software installation process with integrated software version management, and a common interface for configuration, fault isolation, performance and security management with the Element Management System.
Effinger says OSS in the past often has been a "legacy of hodgepodge." Instead of gluing together different "best of breed" solutions from several different vendors, Telcordia believes it can appeal by offering service providers a more unified solution.
"What many carriers have found is that the systems don't work well together. Best of breed is an expensive way to do OSS," Effinger says. "We expect most carriers are going to migrate to this new kind of solution."
Efficient Networks also plans on unveiling its Advanced Provisioning Manager (APM) solution at SUPERCOMM. The Efficient APM is a service activation and management platform that includes Web-enabled provisioning in real time. As a nod to more established telco customers, the APM also integrates and communicates with legacy OSS equipment. WorldCom already is an APM customer, Efficient notes.
"We go in with the attitude that we're a team with the customer, and we'll work with their IT staff," said Paul Arceneaux, Efficient's director of operations for the service management business. "Some just want one solution, and they want us to replace everything. Others have just spent money on an IT system and they still want to utilize parts of it."
Along the same lines as the new Telcordia and Efficient offerings, Alcatel recently announced creation of its Broadband OSS Solution Pack, designed to support service providers' mass market deployment of broadband over DSL, cable or LMDS. Already a leader in the space, Alcatel says the new product is a mix of templates that will enable applications such as customer care and billing, service fulfillment, service assurance and loop qualification for DSL.
Customer care and billing software provider Telution plans a significant presence at this week's show in the booth of its new partner CoManage, a network monitoring and fault management company. The two groups forged a partnership to combine their products in February and create an integrated solution. At the CoManage booth, the two companies planned demonstrations of flow-through provisioning for both DSL and voice over DSL.
"Communications providers are in a state of flux. They've been trying to figure out how to stretch the dollar further," says John Konczal, Telution's vice president of business development. "DSL has failed to meet customer expectations. (Service providers) need the ability to do end-to-end provisioning with one product."
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