TM Forum has launched its new Open Digital Architecture (ODA) program, designed to replace operators' traditional OSS/BSS architectures.
The ODA is designed to serve as an industry-agreed architectural vision for the future of automated, software-defined operations and as a de facto standard for open digital platforms.
TM Forum worked with the world's largest operators and their software, infrastructure and integrator partners to develop the ODA and a common operations and IT management blueprint.
It combines best practices from the cloud sector with TM Forum's work on zero-touch orchestration operations and management, digital ecosystem management, data analytics, AI and its suite of more than 50 Open APIs.
TM Forum CEO Nik Willetts said the ODA has been developed to address the fact that the telecoms industry has become a highly complex, constantly changing operational environment.
It also reflects the need to design a way to enable constant cycles of rapid creation of new services and business models that support open digital ecosystems in the upcoming 5G era.
“The telecoms industry is at a crossroads. There is a window of opportunity to move beyond connectivity and embrace new opportunities for growth. To succeed the industry must radically simplify and automate core business operations to deliver the agility and efficiency needed to compete in today’s market,” Willetts said.
“The ODA is a starting pistol being fired by many hands joined together. It embraces a bold vision for completely zero-touch business operations – with no human intervention end-to-end – using the latest technologies including AI.”
Mounir Ladki, president and CTO of assurance, automation and analytics provider MYCOM OSI – which helped develop the ODA principles – said the program will fulfill a critical need for the telecoms industry.
“The challenge facing CSPs is a stark one – they must transform into smart digital service providers or risk being left on the sidelines. Implementing a telco cloud is a fundamental enabler but CSPs must deliver dynamic, automated and efficient end-to-end assurance capabilities,” Ladki said.
“The TM Forum has played a pivotal role in bringing together CSPs and their technology partners to develop a set of principles which, if as an industry we can adhere to, have the potential to have a truly transformational impact on the telco landscape.”