SSMN Solution to Offer Advanced Technology and Highly Flexible Manageability in a Single Package
CHICAGO, TeleManagement World, Catalyst Booth #1-- Nov. 6, 2000 - Ten industry-leading technology players led by Hewlett-Packard Company (NYSE: HWP) today announced they plan to work together to design and develop a solution that allows service providers to target high-margin customers for Web-enabled customer self-care and always-on provisioning. Participating organizations include Alcatel, Astracon, Cambio, Cisco Systems, Cygent, Hewlett-Packard, IGS, Portal Software, Syndesis and webMethods, Inc.
As part of TeleManagement Forum's (TMF) market-leading Catalyst Projects, the Self-Service over Multiple Networks (SSMN) project plans to create a solution whereby service providers can increase revenue quickly, add a premium service to an existing service package and market the service to an existing customer base.
Service providers face numerous challenges in offering services over next-generation networks: a highly competitive business environment; advancing technologies and operations support system (OSS) applications; and diverse hardware and software on which to deliver these services. The SSMN solution combines strength in offering next-generation network services, as well as flexible and extensible operations solutions that respond to these market conditions. However, the significance of the SSMN solution is that it allows service providers to promote new services rapidly, easily and at minimal cost, while generating incremental revenue and reducing operations costs through service that is provisioned by the customer.
"The name of the game today is customer service, which means having a flexible management environment that can quickly adapt to changing market requirements," said James Warner, Chief Operating Officer of the TeleManagement Forum. "We are delighted that companies in the Self-Service over Multiple Networks Catalyst Project are addressing these challenges. As we move forward on our new generation OSS initiative, it is important that we show how vendors can leverage these principles to integrate diverse hardware and software technologies in a flexible and extensible way."
Based on the plug-and-play architectural guidelines being developed by the TMF, the program gives service providers the means to respond quickly to market trends and easily accommodate sudden changes due to mergers, acquisitions and new industry initiatives. The SSMN project employs a common information model, based on the work of a previous Catalyst team, the Integrated Multi-Service Management (IMSM) project.
"With its Catalyst projects, the TeleManagement Forum has created a real opportunity for industry-leading providers to collaborate in creating leading-edge open operations solutions," said Michele Campriani, Integrated Service Management Marketing Manager, HP Network and Service Providers Group. "HP and other Catalyst companies demonstrate their strong commitment to the competitive service provider market and the future OSS model through its integrated multi-service management solution and extended architecture platform."
TMF plans to showcase the SSMN capabilities at TeleManagement World, Nov. 14-16 in Chicago. The demonstration intends to show a service creation cycle including service definition, pricing and rollout. It also intends to show a complete order fulfillment cycle for the service, offering Web-based customer self-care. The demonstration also plans to show that the increased bandwidth in the transport network and the resulting higher bandwidth service occurs via an automated flow-through process crossing Alcatel and Cisco network domains. To see the demonstration, visit Catalyst Booth #1 at the show.
For more information on the organizations involved in the SSMN project, please reference:
Alcatel, (NYSE: ALA), http://www.alcatel.com/
Astracon, http://www.astracon.com/
Cambio, Inc., (OTC: CAMB), http://www.cambio.com/
Cisco Systems, Inc., (NASDAQ: CSCO),
http://www.cisco.com/
Cygent, http://www.cygent.com/
Hewlett-Packard Company, (NYSE: HWP),
http://www.hp.com/
IGS, http://www.igs.com/
Portal Software, Inc., (NASDAQ: PRSF),
http://www.portal.com
Syndesis, http://www.syndesis.com
webMethods, Inc., (NASDAQ: WEBM),
http://www.webmethods.com
TeleManagement Forum is an international non-profit group of information and communications service providers, software developers, equipment suppliers and systems integrators focused exclusively on management and operations issues.
By bringing together the entire 'value chain' of the information and communications services industry, TM Forum provides a collaborative environment in which buyers and suppliers of business operations support systems can develop pragmatic solutions to pressing problems. Its latest initiative, to define New Generation Operational Systems and Software (called NGOSS), is aimed at achieving market-available off-the-shelf systems that can plug and play far more easily than today. The end result is a series of strategic frameworks and tools that enable the end-to-end integration of operations and management systems is support of key business processes.
As an industry association, the TM Forum also sponsors a broad range of education and information services to its members and the industry at large. Currently, the TM Forum has more than 335 members from 36 countries including all types of service providers, equipment manufacturers, software suppliers, and systems integrators. For more information visit http://www.tmforum.org
About HPHewlett-Packard Company -- a leading global provider of computing and imaging solutions and services -- is focused on making technology and its benefits accessible to individuals and businesses through simple appliances, useful e-services and an Internet infrastructure that's always on.
HP has 86,000 employees worldwide and had total revenue from continuing operations of $42.4 billion in its 1999 fiscal year. Information about HP and its products can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.hp.com.
