Cisco Service Management System Delivers Solutions, Products and Partners
ATLANTA, Ga. -- June 8, 1999 -- Cisco Systems, Inc., the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet, today announced New World operations solutions through the Cisco Service Management System (CSM) and an Ecosystem of partners.
CSM is an integrated suite of network and service management applications that addresses the four functional areas of service provider operations management: planning, provisioning, monitoring and billing. CSM was first announced at SuperComm 1998, and delivery of the WAN Multiservice Solution was completed in early January 1999. CSM applications are specifically designed to meet the reliability, scalability and performance requirements demanded by service providers to meet growing customer expectations. Through its open architecture, CSM enables service providers, systems integrators and best-of-class application partners to integrate CSM components into complete Operational Support System (OSS) solutions.
Continuing its leadership in delivering New World operations solutions, Cisco introduced today three new products and solutions that round out the CSM offering: Virtual Private Network (VPN) Solutions Center, Cisco Subscriber Registration Center (CSRC) and the Cisco Element Management Framework (EMF). As part of the ongoing growth of Cisco's Ecosystem of partners, Cisco also announced alliances with Hewlett-Packard Company and KPMG Consulting to deliver New World OSS and Business Support Systems (BSS) solutions based on CSM.
"At the heart of Cisco's CSM strategy is the ability to enable service providers to speed time-to-market for new service offerings," said Herb Madan, vice president and general manager of Cisco's Network and Services Management Business Unit. "The Cisco VPN Solution Center and Subscriber Registration Center are great examples of our ability to be early to market with service management solutions."
Cisco's VPN Solutions Center consists of an integrated, open, programmable set of core management functionality for Internet Protocol (IP) VPN services. The VPN Solutions Center complements Cisco's Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS)-based VPN solutions by enabling the provisioning, service assurance and billing processes, and thereby reducing the costs associated with deploying and operating VPN services. With Cisco's VPN Solutions Center, service providers can quickly enable and bill for secure Intranet and Extranet VPNs that are specific to customer usage and service-level agreements (SLAs).
"There are three critical issues faced by service providers in offering MPLS-based VPN services: complexity of initial deployment, scaling the service and offering differentiated services to customers," said David Ferguson, product delivery manager at BT's Concert Communications. "Cisco's VPN Solutions Center addresses these issues. We have had it in field trials, and will soon be deploying it as an integral part of BT's Concert IP VPN services."
Cisco Subscriber Registration Center is a tightly integrated, end-to-end subscriber self-provisioning solution for high-speed Data-over-Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS)-compliant modems and set-top boxes. To meet the growing demand and target revenues for data-over-cable services, Voice-over-IP (VoIP) and converged digital video services, service providers and Multiple System Operators (MSOs) must automate the subscriber activation process. CSRC provides an automated end-to-end solution that allows service providers and MSOs to scale their services, and enable subscribers to quickly and easily activate and maintain their account through a self-service Web site. CSRC also offers open interfaces for billing and OSS integration.
Cisco Element Management Framework is a highly scalable, fully integrated element management solution for service providers designed to support multiple network technologies including core routing and switching, cable modems, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), VoIP and wireless. As a key foundation component of CSM, Cisco EMF aggregates necessary fault, configuration, performance and accounting information to simplify information flow. Cisco EMF provides a common set of interface and element management services to other CSM applications like Cisco Provisioning Center and Cisco Info Center as well as to legacy OSS applications. By providing a common look and feel and consistent interfaces, Cisco EMF helps service providers minimize training costs and reduce total cost of ownership.
Key to Cisco's New World Operations solutions are a number of partners that ensure that service providers can readily obtain the solutions they require to thrive in a rapidly evolving marketplace. In related announcements, Cisco, HP and KPMG announced today alliances to provide OSS/BSS solutions based on best-in-class third party applications using CSM components as the foundation. Cisco, HP and KPMG's shared commitment to deliver solutions and services encompassing products, applications, systems integration and best practices, translates into successful services providers in the New World of operations (see "Cisco, Hewlett-Packard and KPMG Combine Forces to Develop Integrated New World Solutions for Service Providers," and "Cisco and HP Demonstrate New ATM WAN Service Management Solution," June 8, 1999).
Availability
CSM for IP VPNs will be available in August 1999, Cisco Subscriber Registration Center will be available in July 1999, and the Cisco Element Management Framework is available today for the Cisco 6400.Cisco Systems
Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) is theworldwide leader in networking for the Internet.Cisco, Cisco Systems and the Cisco Systems logo are registered trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc. in the U.S. and certain other countries. All other trademarks mentioned in this document are the property of their respective owners.
