HP demystifies service management

Hewlett-Packard, at last week's National Communications Forum/InfoVision '97 conference in Chicago, announced a new software suite that will help carriers unravel the complicated and cumbersome process behind service creation, ordering and delivery.

HP OpenView Telecom SmartService, a CORBA-based software product built off the vendor's widely deployed HP OpenView Telecom management platform, will be available in December. It automates and controls aspects of service management by separating business processes and resources into manageable run-time components.

This lets carrier operational staffs monitor resources and data, while business units can focus on the service delivery process, said Judith Ridgeway, product manager for HP OpenView Telecom Australia. "If you use your resources more flexibly, you can gradually move out older systems. We're looking to take the inefficiencies out of the service delivery chain," she said.

These inefficiencies have been well documented. Some companies say the service delivery process has as many as 120 steps, which are likely supported by a mix of new automation, legacy databases and even arduous manual tasks. The process gets even more difficult when competitive local exchange carriers try to access an incumbent LEC's operations support systems (OSSs) for service needs. Some CLECs send thousands of such faxes each day to incumbents.

HP will target both types of carriers with SmartService, said John McLellan, principal at HP's telecommunication industry consulting practice.

HP also announced that it will use the Windows NT platform to develop and operate SS7 applications based on its OpenCall SS7 family.