Progress Software’s Wilmes sounds off on issues plaguing CSPs

Connected Planet recently spoke with John Wilmes, chief technical architect for Progress Software and a recently named Distinguished Fellow for the TM Forum, before he immersed himself in Team Action Week, an intensive program for business process standardization the Forum is currently holding in Baltimore.

What makes you a “Distinguished Fellow” in the eyes of TM Forum and the communications industry?

Well, you’re not really aware it’s going to happen, but I suppose you get recognized for an accumulation of activities over time. For me, that accumulation has taken place over 16 years, namely for my work as member co-chair of TM Forum's Business Process Framework (eTOM) and Information Framework (SID) Technical Programs.

You also were the co-author of two of TM Forum’s most popular books: "Application Integration using the SID" and "Business Transformation with TM Forum Solution Frameworks and SOA." Any new projects underway?

Yes, a lot is underway. We continue to work toward “lowering the integration tax” for service providers by progressing low-level eTOM process elements to be incorporated into Business Services.

Explain the concept of “business services” and why that is important in streamlining integration projects.

Business Services link together reusable and implementable “building blocks” known as "business services" (formerly called NGOSS contracts). The goal is that a business service can be assembled from elements of the frameworks.

Why is this important to a service provider?

Data integration and data interoperability are, of course, important, and products like Progress’ DataXtends should tie to the SID and consider mappings between the TM Forum frameworks like eTOM if service providers are to move closer to “responsive process management, RPM” — a combination of aspects of event processing, process management and transaction assurance — combined with a level of visibility and ability to respond. The summation of all that is RPM: the ability to see deeply into all levels of transactions and processes in an enterprise and flexibly respond and continuously improve processes.

This is important to Progress because we’re making a move up in the [business process management] space, as evidenced by our acquisition of Savvion, which makes this work all the more important for our development of RPM.

What are service providers really grappling with and how can the TM Forum work you do help?

Service Providers need three key things:

One, they need to leverage legacy investments in certain levels of order processing, and they need to improve performance end to end to reduce or eliminate order fallout — something that has been plaguing service providers for a long time. The rip-and-replace strategy is too expensive, so they need some sort of overlay to get something new in for order stability.

Two, they need integrated trouble management to improve how they handle problems end to end. They need visibility into processes around how trouble management and order management happens so they understand jeopardy, fallout, [service level agreements] and the parallels among them. They need to see how the transaction happens while improving the process through feedback loops.

Third, order management is another key area where service providers adopt new order management based on RPM.

What’s on the horizon to demonstrate these three problem areas and their solutions?

As always, we actively participate in TM Forum Catalysts during Management World because we can work with multiple sponsors, service providers and vendors in an environment of collaboration, as opposed to working on a single-vendor solution where one company attempts everything.

What will you be doing at Team Action Week this week?

Progressing areas of standards not only in communications, but now with the Defense Interest Group within TM Forum, which is making proposals for enhancements to the SID and eTOM. For example, they proposed enhancements to SID Policy Manager for the exchange of policy information among defense companies.

This means standardization for communications will carry to other verticals?

Certainly, and vice versa, as cable, defense advertising and media make contributions. They all bring things relevant not only to them but to communications, too.