Specifically targeting the systems 'integration tax' pressure on operators and service providers, five major mobile suppliers have teamed up with the TeleManagement Forum to drive open management standards. Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson, Huawei, Nokia Siemens Networks, Samsung and Wipro have joined forces to drive implementation of a common architecture for mobile network management.
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The CO-OP members will work together on architecture specification, testing and verification of mobile network management systems (NMS). The goal of the CO-OP is to reduce the complexity of integrating network equipment and management systems from multiple vendors in mobile operator networks.
The collaboration will start as a TeleManagement Forum project. Some of the key focus areas of collaboration are:
- common OSS system specification
- standardized interfaces for peer-to-peer element management
- out-of-the-box functionality
- agreeing on common testing and verification practices.
Service providers are expected to benefit through cost savings as OSS systems develop more ready-to-integrate functionality, a clearer set of interfaces and become pre-tested for interoperability. As the TM Forum CO-OP Project is defined, it will become easier to integrate OSS elements that offer greater flexibility and stability in a multi-vendor environment.
The initial goal is to build on the TM Forum's NGOSS foundation and drive the implementation of common system architecture for interoperable network management systems. Later, the project will present testing and verification procedures and reference implementations based on the agreed standards.
Network equipment providers who can contribute to this work are invited to join the TM Forum CO-OP Project, which will engage operators to ensure that the work is aligned with their requirements. The Project will work closely with other key standardization initiatives such as OSS/J, 3GPP, 3GPP2 along with the TeleManagement Forum's Service Provider Leadership Council (SPLC).