Interoperable Standards for

Telecom e-Business

Jenny Huang
AT&T Labs
OSS Architecture and Strategic Planning
Jenny@att.com
 Topics
Interoperable Standards for Telecom e-Business

! The Telecom e-Business challenges

! TMF and it’s collaboration with other industry groups

! Summary
Interop Summit June 27, 2002

Slide 2
 The Telecom e-Business Challenges
Interoperable Standards for Telecom e-Business

! Delivering Services rather than Physical Products.

Most existing e-business approaches have focused on delivery physical goods.
Service providers deliver telecommunications services that place additional
requirements on e-commerce solutions such as assurance, SLA agreements,
and security.

! Service Lifecycle
The sale of telecommunications services is a process that starts with the
provisioning phase and continues in time for many aspects (e.g. billing,
assurance). These aspects are not usually addressed by standard B2B
Interop Summit June 27, 2002

solutions.

! Telecommunication Service complexity

Telecommunications services have many attributes amongst which are: the
location of the service end point, the technical specification of the service
interfaces, the SLA and service wrap around a technical product, pricing
packages and volume discount offers.

Based on Eurescom P1106 project feasibility studies

Slide 3
 The Telecom e-Business Challenges (cont’d)
Interoperable Standards for Telecom e-Business

! Service Platform Integration

The complexity of the above lifecycle aspects of Telecom products, makes it
more difficult to integrate B2B platforms with legacy systems and network
management systems.

! General e-Business technologies can be leveraged but not

enough
There is economic value in reusing the investment being made for many other
Interop Summit June 27, 2002

industries, but Telecom specific context need to be introduced and interoperate

with generic set of standards. Need knowledge base from both camps.

Slide 4
 The E-business Software Elements
Interoperable Standards for Telecom e-Business

Universal Business Vertical Technical Supply Chain Business Model

Dictionary Content Dictionary Content Business Process Specific Process

Business Dictionary Technical Dictionary

Trading Partner Agreement

Structure Structure

Universal
Business Document Definition Business Process

Process Description Language

Security
Directory Service
Core XML Format Standards
Interop Summit June 27, 2002

Process Coordination Framework

Messaging

Service Oriented Architecture

Backend Integration

Non e-business specific Standards, Protocols & Tools E-business Definitions, Format, Structure and Choreography

Adopted from Derek Coleman’s RosettaNet Conceptual Architecture Slide 5

 Vocabulary and structure defined for Dynamic creation and management
E-BUSINESS specific technology domain e.g. T1M1 tML of trading partner agreement
Elements and its artifacts for Telecom industry e.g. ebXML CPPA

Specific Requirements
Common business vocabulary Universal Business Vertical Technical Supply Chain Business Model

Telecom Service
e.g. ebXML core components Dictionary Content Dictionary Content Business Process Specific Process
RosettaNet bus. dictionary business process that business process that Security
are specific to a given may inherit from mechanism span
supply chain. universal or supply thru all layers. E.g

Trading Partner Agreement

Schema for business
Digital signature,
dictionary structure.
Structure
Telecom Domain Specific
Business Dictionary Technical Dictionary
Structure
e.g. DSL ordering,
provisioning
chain but for diff.
Business model e.g. MIME enveloping,
e.g. RosettaNet BDS
SSLv3, XML
Vocabularies & Content
Universal
retailer, wholesaler,
non-profit signature

Business Document Definition Business Process

e.g. RosettaNet PIP

Security
Business specific document structure built from business process that are
OAG BOD applicable to all business
above business vocabularies
e.g. invoice, order

Process Description Language e.g. UML

Methods to record repeatable business process ebXML BPSS

Requirements & Services

Telecom Domain Specific
e.g. XML DTD Core XML Format Standards Directory Service
Building blocks of XML content for structure and access protocol for e.g. UDDI
XML schema Si2 Registry
XSLT business document representation registries and repositories for partner discovery
Process Coordination Framework e.g. WSDL
complements messaging layer for loosely XLANG
coupled environment

e.g. ebXML TRP Messaging

SOAP-RPC Session management and transaction coordination including reliable and secured messaging

e.g. J2EE Service Oriented Architecture

.NET Development platform for web-based services

e.g. CORBA,
MQseries adapters
Backend Integration
Technology specific adapters, APIs, shared message bus

Non e-business specific Standards, Protocols & Tools E-business Definitions, Format, Structure and Choreography
 Topics
Interoperable Standards for Telecom e-Business

! The Telecom e-Business challenges

! TMF and it’s collaboration with other industry groups

! Summary
Interop Summit June 27, 2002

Slide 7
 What is TM Forum
! Non-profit global consortium providing leadership on Operations
Support Systems (OSS) and management issues for the entire
communications industry
– 350 members in 38 countries
– Service providers, software and hardware suppliers, systems
integrators
! Provides a collaborative environment where companies can
address critical business and technical issues
! Provides on-line access to industry information, market
conditions and technical solutions
! Provides in person education,information and networking
opportunities
– TeleManagement World Conference & Expo

The voice of the OSS industry

 We Serve the Entire OSS Value Chain

Middleware Application/ Solutions Service and

suppliers: system suppliers: network
•Platform suppliers: •Systems operators:
suppliers •Point systems integrators • Fixed
Mediation •Computer
•Small solution •Mobile
suppliers
•Database suites companies •ISP
•Ex telco groups •ASP
suppliers
•Equipment •MVNO
•Software
suppliers •Etc.
components
suppliers
 Value Chains are Fluid and Complex

Suppliers
Service
Customers
! In the past, systems were deployed in a precise
Provider and known environment

Value
Today
Added
Network ! Partnerships get created, dissolved & re-created
Software
Transport in real time to meet market opportunities
Suppliers
Operators ! New suppliers brought in to offer new
capabilities but must “fit in”
Equipment ! Mergers & acquisitions keep the situation in a
Wholesale
Suppliers/ constant state of flux
Backbone
Systems Suppliers
Integrators

Content Customers
Access
Providers
Providers
 What areas does TM Forum address?
! Provides strategic leadership and guidance on:
– New Generation Operations Systems and Software (NGOSS)
– Business Process Modeling and Automation
– Shared Information and Data Modeling and Usage
– Service Creation, Provisioning & Delivery
– Web-Based Customer Care (E-Care) and Customer Relationship Management
(CRM)
– Service Level Management & Quality of Service
– Managing Next Generation Network Technologies (Broadband, Mobile, etc.)
– Systems Integration and Implementation

! Enables collaborative, business-driven solutions based on commercially

available software and industry standards
TM Forum - Industry Group Advisory Board
IGAB Objectives
– To provide a focal point within TM Forum for knowledge on the work of other Industry
Groups who are particularly relevant to the work programme of TM Forum

– To build a picture of the working of TM Forum in relation to a selection of other Industry

Groups. This picture to include both technical content and method of working

– To provide advice to TM Forum working teams on the developments available from other
Industry Groups in order that TM Forum may take full account and build upon this work
where appropriate

– To advise TM Forum Management (including Board of Directors) on benefits of working

relationships with selected Industry Groups

– To provide a focus for the dissemination of TM Forum’s work into other Industry Groups in
order that they may take full account and build upon this work where appropriate.

– To assist TM Forum in the operation of its work-programme evaluation in relation to the

placement of work from other Industry Groups. For example, evaluation of new work
proposals – as specified within TM Forum Project Charters.

Through all of the above help to build closer working relationships between selected Industry
Groups in order to reduce duplication and confusion within the Information Communications
Industry.
Contact: Tony Richardson, TMForum Director Strategic Liaison, tonyr@tmforum.org
A Rough Mapping of TMF/IGAB Industry Partners
Universal Business Vertical Technical Supply Chain Business Model
Dictionary Content Dictionary Content
T1M1
Business Process Specific Process
ebXML tML Dictionary
Business Dictionary Technical
GTDD

Trading Partner Agreement

Structure Structure
T1M1/ T1M1/
DSL
IPDRDocument Definition OBF
Universal
Business Business Process

Process Description Language

Security
DirectoryebXML
Service
Core XML Format Standards
W3C
Process Coordination Framework

Messaging

OMG DMTF OSS/J FORM

Service Oriented Architecture
OpenGroup

Backend Integration

IETF ANSI ITU-T ETSI 3GPP 3GPP2 TTC

Official liaison established

Overview TMF Next Generation Operations
Systems and Software (NGOSS)

! What is NGOSS ?
• A TMF initiative which provides a standardized integration framework
based on commercial off-the-shelf information technologies, instead of
technologies unique to the telecommunications industry for OSS.

• NGOSS Program - Key Elements

– Definition of business processes and process models
– Definition of the systems framework upon which these business solutions will
be built
– Definition of a shared information model that enables different NGOSS
components to interoperate
– Practical implementations and multi vendor demonstrations via a series of
collaborative projects
– Creation of a resource base of documentation, models and code to
support developers, integrators and users.
NGOSS Design Principles - Business Context
• OSS Operations and Interactions Driven by agreed Business
Processes and Information Flows (Top-down Business Driven)
• Need Framework of Agreed Business Processes (TM Forum Business
Process Model)
• Framework to support various Industry ‘Actors’ (TM Forum Business
Reference Model)
• Need to support linkage (Flow - Through) of business processes to
provide efficient business operation (TM Forum “Flow-Through / FAB”
Model)
• Need detail of the Information Flows / Model associated with each
Business Process (TM Forum “Spider Diagrams”)
NGOSS Design Principles - System Context

! Apply Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) products

! Technology neutral architecture
! The separation of Business Process from the system functions.
! Will be built from distributed components with well-defined contracts.
! Integrated using a shared information model.
! Service discovery via component trading on the basis of published
contracts.
 Topics
Interoperable Standards for Telecom e-Business

! The Telecom e-Business challenges

! TMF and it’s collaboration with other industry groups

! Summary
Interop Summit June 27, 2002

Slide 17
 What Do We Need from Standards?
Interoperable Standards for Telecom e-Business

! Standards which support real business solutions

! Standards which can be placed within a bigger systems

picture and understanding of the positioning of any
standards in relation to other appropriate Industry Group
efforts

! Standards which are ensured to have practical realization

Interop Summit June 27, 2002

potential – e.g. linkage to the TMF Catalyst program

! Standards with the widest possible industry endorsement

Standards that are interoperable !!!

Slide 18
 Interoperable Standards for Telecom e-Business
Interop Summit June 27, 2002

Slide 19
Backup Slides
Driven by eTOM Business Process Model
Customer
Infrastructure Product Supply Chain Fulfillment Assurance Billing
Lifecycle Lifecycle Lifecycle
Management Management Management
Customer Relationship Management

Service Management and Operations

Resource Management and Operations

Supplier/Partner Relationship Management

Marketing, Sales and Offer Management

Enterprise Management
 eTOM
Customer Customer
Assurance
Infrastructure Product Billing

and Capability Management Fulfillment Assurance Billing

Planning and Customer Relationship Management Customer Interface Management
and
Delivery Development CRM Planning Marketing Selling
Customer Billing and
and Fulfillment Problem
Development Order QoS Receivables
I&C Planning Handling Handling Management Management
Product and
Offer Planning Retention and Loyalty
New I&C
Development New Product
Development
Service Development and Operations
I&C Plan Service Planning Service Service Problem Service Quality Rating and
Execution Product Plan and Development Configuration Management Management Discounting
Execution
I&C Deployment
Product Plan & Resource and Systems Management
I&C Performance
Performance Network, Computing and Application Resource Infrastructures
Measurement &
Measurement & Reporting Resource Planning Resource Resource Resource Resource Data
Reporting and Development Provisioning Inventory Maintenance and Management
Management Restoration
I&C Program Offer and/or
Program Resource Element Management
Management
Management

Supplier/Partner Relationship Management

Supplier/Partner Contract Value/Contract Settlements and
Development and Deployment Brokering Development and Change and
Development Negotiation Management Management Automation Support Problem Mgmt Measurement / Billing
Management Management

Marketing, Sales and Offer Management

Market Channel Market Sales Manage Product and Offer Marketing Marketing
Research and Management Management Development and Promotion Communications
Analysis ment and Brand
and Strategy Management Management

Enterprise Support
Business Financial HR Manag Knowledg Legal PR and Process Procurem R&D/Tech Real Regulator Stockhold Security
Strategy... Manage ... ement e Manag ... Manage ... Communit Architectu ent Man ... nology ... Estate M ... y Manag ... er Relati ... and Fraud
y Relatio ... re Mana ... Manage ...
 The Business Reference Model

Service Provider
Other Providers
Customer Internal Processes
E.g. Service and /Operators
Network Mgmt

Customer / Service Provider

Service Provider / Service Provider

Service Provider / Network Provider

Network
Suppliers
E.g. Element Mgmt
Systems or Network
Equipment
 Typical Fulfillment Activities
Customer
Pre-order
Service Provider
Order B

Configure

Assign ‘Fulfillment’ ‘Assurance’ ‘Billing’

Install

Test
Account build
Activate

Supplier-provided equipment and systems

 Service Fulfilment
Other SP
Order Status and
Selling
Completion
1
Sales 3A
C 2
20A
U 20 Inquiry Order 19 Service
S Order Status and Completion Handling Complete Service
T 3 Order Pre-order Configuration
O Order 4 Service Assurance
M
Request Configure & Billing
(Customer enabled 5 Assignment Request
E reconfiguration) Network 18 Assignment Complete Processes
R 6.
Provisioning
Network Config Request
Assign/Activate Network
17 Update Inventory Mgmt
Network Config. Complete
Network Config
& Routing
13 Test Request Test Mgmt
Network Configure 8 16 Test Complete
Access 7
Install
Test
Check &
11 12 Network
Request &
Complete Complete Inventory Mgt.
Security Install 14 15 Perform Test &
9 10 Test Data
Access Element Config & Complete

Network Element Mgmt KEY

& Network Elements Activity
Process/ Sub-process
Cross-FAB
Note: Security is shown in only one interaction, Domain Interface
but applies on every interface. Inter/Intra Process/
Sub-process Interface
 Ordering Process Example
Customer INPUTS OUTPUTS Customer

Estimated Due Date

Customer
Interface
Estimated Price
Confirmed Due date
Customer
Interface
“Spider Diagram”
Orders/Cancels Order Status
Management Change requests Management
Completion Notification
Status inquiries
Problem
Desired Due Date Register QoS & SLA Handling
Sales
terms, profiles
Required reports
Credit Check QoS & SLA terms Customer QoS
Credit Order Handling
Bureau Response - Accept orders Completion Management
- Determine pre-order feasibility Notification
Service - Prepare price estimate Other
Other order & - Develop order plan Service order
Provider(s) - Perform credit check & status Provider(s)
status
- Request customer deposit New/changed
Service Options - Initiate service installation Invoicing/
- Establish SLA terms service notification
Planning/ Prices and activation Collection
Development - Track order status
- Complete order, notify customer
- Initiate billing process Pre-service Service
Service Feasibility feasibility request Configuration
Configuration Due date,Completion Activate service
Pre-order engineering/assignments
Special discounts Rating/
Network Network Customer record details Discounting
Planning/
Development Provisioning
Credit Check Credit
Request Bureau
Service orders to other providers can either be generated by the ordering process or by
the service configuration process, depending on the nature of the service ordered by the customer.