The Telecom OSS Reference Guide and Encyclopedia

Transcription

1 Brochure More information from The Telecom OSS Reference Guide and Encyclopedia Description: The communications industry is enjoying a wild ride. Competition is growing at unprecedented rates, regulation is shackling some service providers and enabling others, new technologies are hitting the scene almost daily, and customer expectations are increasing. Operations support systems (OSS) are critical to operational efficiency and to the ultimate survival of every service provider. However, there are hundreds of commercially available OSS applications and systems on the market, making it virtually impossible to assess all the technologies and select what is right for your optimal operational infrastructure-particularly in a time frame conducive to the pace of both the communications industry and the delivery of new and advanced services. To help business leaders stay up to date on this fast-paced industry segment, the International Engineering Consortium is pleased to present The Telecom OSS Reference Guide and The Telecom OSS Encyclopedia. The Telecom OSS Reference Guide The Telecom OSS Reference Guide is designed to help executives reduce the time required to evaluate all the hundreds of commercially available OSS applications and systems. It also helps readers understand the "functionality/application mix" of commercially available OSS products. The guide provides detailed profiles of more than 30 leading suppliers that have systems or products in production today. Each profile includes a company overview and abstract a product/package overview concise technical data in an easy-to-read table partnership and alliance information a functionality grid designed to provide an "at-a-glance" view of the suppliers and their products' core capabilities and more than 70 pages of technical tutorials and industry trends. The Telecom OSS Encyclopedia The Telecom OSS Encyclopedia is the heavyweight champion of sources for OSS supplier/product information. It provides readers with everything in the Reference Guide plus additional research and data, including the following: pricing models detailed descriptions and technical data of product/package offerings technical validation supported by a set of metrics used to rate user-friendliness, architecture, and feature functionality financial data and business/marketing strategies and case studies supporting product claims in specific profiles. The Encyclopedia also includes a 48" x 36" matrix that ties application specificity to an amplified Tmn-like layered model and the associated functionality of the Fcaps. This chart also overlays a logical systems approach with the application/product capabilities from the profiled companies. Features Ordering/Provisioning Ordering/provisioning functionality includes the ability to store customer profiles, to store product profiles and pricing plans, and to communicate this information with other application components (e.g., inventory, work flow, activation, billing, etc.). It also includes the application specificity for service order processing, order tracking, and operations management. Inventory Management The process for inventory/networks records involves all aspects of the network, including OSS data, transmission, access, switching, and the DCN. It also includes tracking of the physical elements and facilities assignment (e.g., network elements,

2 computers, wire, fiber, relay racks, telephone poles, and amplifiers) rates (e.g., Sonet to DS-0), logical elements (the path through the network), and the OSS data elements (customer records, inventory records, etc.). Work-Flow Management The work-flow automation/management capability supports the simple definition of a sequence of actions to follow any event. Issues such as resource availability, skill set, and coordination with other work areas need to be coordinated with the OSS and specifically tied to the ordering, trouble, and engineering functions within a telecom service provider. Work flow brings all the pieces together, enabling work to flow electronically (where possible) across the organization, providing visibility to your processes and resource utilization. Workforce Management/Resource Assignment The ability to run the network depends on the staff of the service provider. Automating the management and maintenance of resource assignments, training, and resource availability is critical for network wholeness. Testing Tests need to be conducted on the local loop, switches, transmission network, and other devices to ensure high reliability of the network. Testing capability of the OSS must be able to support orders that confirm availability of the service, prevent outages, support receipt of trouble tickets, and confirm fulfillment of the SLAs. Trouble/Maintenance Trouble/maintenance includes the level of automation for trouble-ticket management and the level of service requests tracked (e.g., receipt of requests, automation of processing steps through physical work steps, etc.). It also includes support of full history of trouble through and/or beyond completion. Performance Management Performance management capability will provide service providers with valuable information/reports about measurements, such as throughput, bit-error rates (BER), and bandwidth usage. Performance management/monitoring systems will allow service providers to run their networks to anticipated levels of performance or be aware of deviations of these levels. Network Management Network (element) management must include network surveillance and activation. The ability to provision and activate service must correlate to the capabilities of the network element. Network Mediation Network mediation allows disparate OSSs to communicate electronically over the DCN. Network mediation includes the transport that is required to connect to the DCN, the management protocol, and the applications supported. Network mediation is critical for the OSS to interface to the DCN and for connectivity to other OSS functionality. OSS Interconnection Gateways Intercarrier communications via interconnection gateways must be able to provide access to all relevant information pertaining to the product and service offerings whether singular or jointly provisioned. Today's complex provider-to-provider communication mechanisms, specifically the ASR and LSR, include or require networkand circuit-design information components as part of the requested information. Access to technical design information is necessary during the earlier stages of the provisioning process. The need exists for the ability to do preliminary or logical circuit design prior to putting network elements into service. Depending upon the type of service and how it is to be provided, the service design function needs access to equipment, facility, and circuit inventory. Customer Care/Customer Relationship Management The customer resource management capability/functionality supports the automation of customer data retention and customer care. The CSR permission facility permits centralized control of the capabilities available to a given CSR, including customer

3 account maintenance. Product Catalog The product catalog capability supports the storage and display of product, service, and pricing information. Reporting and Data Analysis The report and data analysis facility supports the analysis and presentation of data found within the OSS databases (e.g., reporting, tracking, and monitoring capabilities). Featured Companies - Amdocs - Architel Systems Corporation - Arkipelago, Inc. - Call Technologies, Inc. - Ceon Corporation - Clarify, Inc. - Click Service Software, Inc. - CommTech Corporation - CrossKeys Systems Corporation - Cygent - Daleen Technologies - Eftia OSS Solutions, Inc. - Ehpt AB - Global esoft, Inc. (Formerly Global Telemanagement) - GTE Data Services - Imcs - Information Graphic Systems - Lightbridge, Inc. - Lucent Technologies - Lumos Technologies - Mantiss (An Extant, Inc. Company) - MetaSolv Software, Inc. - Micromuse, Inc. - Minacom - Objective Systems Integrators - Pegasystems, Inc. - Siebel Systems, Inc. - Sigma Systems Group - Syndesis Limited - Telcordia Technologies - Telution - TTC - Unisphere Solutions, Inc. WHO Should Read This Report - IXCs - Ilecs - Wireless providers - CSPs - Clecs - ISPs - System integrators - Consultants - Analysts - Financial and regulatory representatives Contents: How the Reports Are Organized - Telescope Profile - Package Background - Product Specifications - Evaluation Metrics - Evaluation Summary - Functionality Detail - Architecture and Technology - Pricing Model - Mergers and Acquisitions - Partnerships and Alliances - Company Financials - Company Officers - Case Study (when applicable) Ordering: Order Online - visit Order by Fax - using the order form below Order By Post - print the order form below and send to Research and Markets, Guinness Centre, Taylors Lane, Dublin 8,

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