What is this Project about?

It is quite clear that current software methodology for Operation Support Systems (OSS) is based on a wholly proprietary software model with in some case open standards based interfaces. There is no evidence that this approach is going to be able to develop the scope of Next Generation OSS applications in a timely and flexible manner.

In other parts of the software industry Open Source has dramatically changed the dynamics of developing code and product iteration lifecycles.

Open Source software availability and uptake in the OSS arena is a more complex matter to answer, but there is a great potential to offer a business model that makes standards compliant component implementations, rather standalone COTS applications (that the market offers now) available to the industry.

This is the starting point of this study. The study will investigate where Open Source can help, both from a development and integration point of view, and will develop a proof-of-concept of Next Generation OSS using Open Source components and technologies.

What are the main objectives of this Project?

Business oriented objectives:

Define potential adoption strategy for OS solutions, in the short/medium term

• adoption road map, (COBWEBS scenario)

• capabilities in the organization, cost of ownership

• lifecycle of the capability

• appropriate/suitable adoption strategy

Identify the business drivers behind OS adoption strategy for NGN OSS

• why should the telecom operators and service providers be interested?

• quality/cost

• future/momentum behind the activity

• survivability

Identify areas/components where OS software would be appropriate (degree of fit to carrier-grade criteria)

• What does carrier grade OS software mean?

• What dimensions go with carrier grade software (manufacture model)?

  • 1st dimension – execution level

  • 2nd dimension – production model

Validate conclusions of P1044

Technical oriented objectives:

Identify business scenarios and prototype them using OS software

• Expand the COBWEBS scenario, which components could be replaced to show the feasibility of using OS software

• Interoperability layer

• Orchestration layer

• Integration layer

• Software/Application Feature

• Development/production tooling (eclipse, …)

Industry oriented objectives:

Identify issues with standards bodies (TMForum, OSS/J, etc) and make recommendations on how to use the OS model to overcome some of the issues.

• OSS/J -> issues on licence models, tck, RI

• TMF -> issues

What are the key results for this Project?

• TBC

What relationship exists to other organisations or bodies?

TeleManagement Forum