A major challenge in today`s telecoms industry is to build Operational and Business Systems to handle the increasing pace of teleco IP convergence and New Generation Networks.
The TeleManagement Forum (TM Forum) Plug-and-Play Catalyst project, led by Dimension Data, is addressing this challenge. The project will deliver an IP VPN Management solution which combines the strengths of industry leaders in Next Generation Network operational systems, including Astracon, Cisco Systems, CrossKeys Systems Corporation, Daleen Technologies, IGS, Portal Software, Sodalia, Telcordia Technologies and Vitria Technology. The project is sponsored by Verizon Communications.
The project involves more than 20 people from all corners of the globe. Activities related to the project are taking place in the UK, South Africa, Australia, the US, Canada, Germany and Italy.
Craig Levieux, marketing director of Dimension Data Service Provider Solutions, is leading the Plug-and-Play IP VPN Management Catalyst project. "This project will enable service providers to bring predictability to the management of complex IP VPN services," he says. "Due to the explosive growth in IP infrastructure, the ability to do so is crucial to their success and their ability to be market leaders."
The objective of the project is to achieve critical mass for de facto standardisation of a TM Forum-based Common Implementation Architecture. The goal for this architecture is to lower the integration barriers of Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) components. The architecture also aims to prove that the resultant system can be used to improve the time to market, customer service and profitability.
Catalyst demonstrations show existing and prototype products linked together to automate key processes and deliver integrated solutions. This enables suppliers to test new approaches and ideas in a live environment, while service providers are able to assess possibilities and provide feedback to suppliers.
In November, the Plug-and-Play IP VPN Management Catalyst project will demonstrate a complete end-to-end solution on a plug-and-play platform. Both symmetric fully meshed and asymmetric hub-and-spoke VPN services will be shown over multiple protocols. The demonstration will take place in Chicago.
The solution will be demonstrated using an ASP service as a pertinent application for a hub-and-spoke VPN. A further goal of the project is to measure the time and effort required to produce a plug-and-play solution.
The project will deliver substantial benefits to service providers. In addition to simplifying the management of quality of service in a shared infrastructure, it will increase service providers` flexibility for adapting to market demands and enable them to predict service delivery.
According to Levieux, a key tactic is to merge the talents of systems integrators (SIs) and independent software vendors (ISVs) so that the COTS components will produce marketable products. "We will leverage the strengths of the project participants -- network equipment providers, service providers, ISVs and SIs -- to build and demonstrate TM Forum reference implementations," he says.
These implementations will demonstrate that service providers will be able to create commercially viable new generation plug-and-play Business Process Support solutions that can be used by project participants to rapidly increase revenues and grow market share.
This Catalyst project contributes to the TM Forum charter of driving standards based, interoperable systems that will automate and improve business processes and promote the development of new applications by ISVs that can be easily integrated and adapted.
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Dimension Data Telecoms Solution Unit
The Service Provider solutions team of Dimension Data is a leading vendor-independent software systems integrator in the telecommunications operator market. Dimension Data`s Service Provider solutions has maintained an impeccable track record of completing large complex projects in the areas of fulfilment, assurance and billing by partnering with global leaders to deliver tangible business benefits to its customers.
As part of Dimension Data i-Commerce, Service Provider solutions delivers world-class solutions and services to telecommunication operators and service providers, both in South Africa and internationally. A member of Dimension Data Holdings, Dimension Data i-Commerce has seamlessly integrated the service offerings of its various business units. These include:
Services, which provides technical and consulting expertise, our Internet services team which offers fully integrated Internet-based e-commerce solutions; SilverLine, which supplies tailor-made IT resourcing solutions, and Service Provider solutions.