Thomson completes TR-069 interoperability testing with SupportSoft

Thomson and SupportSoft announced this week that they have finished interoperability testing of the DSL Forum’s CPE WAN Management TR-069 protocol.

The protocol, which was approved by the forum earlier this year, is designed to let carriers configure, activate and manage customer premises equipment from a network console. In the initial test, Thomson and SupportSoft validated Thomson's DSL CPE devices and SupportSoft's netConfiguration software interoperate in accordance with the spec.

Initially, SupportSoft will focus its interoperability efforts on residential gateways that serve as central in-home distribution points for IP-based voice, data and video. However, as the market continues to develop it will look at a number of standalone devices including set-top boxes, an area familiar to Thomson.

Beyond simply providing interoperability assurances to carriers, SupportSoft is trying to capitalize on the trend of service providers acting as central points of contact for bundled services customers.

"This [interoperability] may drive the further packaging of the services. Carriers don’t just want a bundled bill; they want a bundled network," said Marc Itzkowitz, director of broadband product marketing for SupportSoft. "From the customers perspective, once that stuff is in there, people want one number to call."