TM Forum Launches 'Prosspero' Initiative

May 17 2006

The TeleManagement Forum unveiled today a major market initiative entitled "Prosspero." Prosspero solves the problem of slow uptake of paper-based standards by delivering the development community with open-source code-based standards complete with a full support ecosystem to enable rapid implementations. It provides developers with the "peace of mind" of knowing that Prosspero solutions are fully working; have full development backup and have already been successfully deployed.

Through Prosspero, TM Forum and OSS/J standards with a proven track record of successful implementation are "packaged" with a range of supporting components. These include everything an implementer needs to deliver interoperability on their target OSS or BSS system, including: open source code, testing frameworks, guidebooks, online developer support; access to reference implementations plus educational, marketing, and developers' tools.

Keith Willetts, Chairman of the TeleManagement Forum, said, "The pressure to automate the back offices of fixed and mobile operators means that we have to have a much faster approach to get standards-based systems into the marketplace. Prosspero slashes the time and cost of implementation because it delivers everything a developer needs. No more interpreting paper standards and building from scratch; Prosspero is a complete implementer's toolkit. Put simply, Prosspero gives the industry the means to move to mass-market standards - the OSS/BSS equivalent of the 'USB port.'"

OSS/J joining the TMF provides the key ingredient in the launch of Prosspero

OSS/J's suite of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) plus their developer focus complements TMF's widely adopted frameworks and interface standards. The combination of the two approaches is the staring point for Prosspero.

"By combining TM Forum's operational best practices for telecommunications and the OSS/J implementation best practices for software infrastructure, Prosspero can provide immediate business benefits to all adopters of NGOSS and OSS/J," said Philippe Lalande of Sun Microsystems and one of the original founders of the OSS/J Initiative. "The focus of Prosspero is to provide the standards-based but implementation-centric solutions and community that the industry needs."

To become part of the Prosspero program, implementation standards must go through a rigorous approvals process, and have demonstrated successful implementation in the marketplace.

About the TeleManagement Forum

For more than 16 years, the TeleManagement Forum (TM Forum) has provided leadership, strategic guidance and practical solutions to improve the management and operation of information and communications services. Through its "Lean Operator" initiative and flagship New Generation Operations Systems and Software (NGOSS) program for developing, procuring and deploying operational and business support systems, the TM Forum creates collaboratively developed, industry standard solutions. These solutions, delivered through a set of guidelines and specifications, define the direction and specific roadmap to achieve business efficiency and operational flexibility - the hallmarks of the Lean Operator.

The TM Forum has 500 members in 60 countries, including incumbent and new- entrant service providers, equipment suppliers, software solution suppliers and systems integrators. For further information regarding the TM Forum, related programs and TeleManagement World, please visit http://www.tmforum.org.