Interconnection maladies

OSS-to-OSS integration plagues carriers much like some viruses perplex medical pathologists. As soon as the problems of one intercarrier agreement are solved, it takes on another form with the unique characteristics of the next carrier, requiring yet another, different antidote. Unfortunately, a panacea for operations support systems interconnection afflictions is unavailable, and it's unlikely that one will be at the corner store any time soon.

Carriers with deep information technology resources usually write custom applications for each OSS-to-OSS integration. Others, such as Sprint and BellSouth, have been using Exchange Link service from Telcordia Technologies (formerly Bellcore), in which Telcordia acts as a clearinghouse or service bureau for interconnecting carriers.

A third interconnection option uses off-the-shelf interfaces created and customized by Bellevue, Wash.-based Quintessent Communications.

"We're doing it differently in that we're providing product solutions rather than customer solutions. We don't have to recreate the wheel each time," said Dale Quick, executive vice president of marketing and business development at Quintessent.

Quintessent uses a common platform, QConnect, to create the application interfaces. QConnect is an object-oriented, modular architecture that allows services for each interconnection to move across a CORBA backbone. Services include object management, workflow management, security, logging and system management.

Because many of the carriers have the same trading partners, the underlying applications can be reused with minimal customization. Once the application module is chosen, Quintessent picks the best electronic format for sending the data and creates customized message adapters.

Quintessent's newest application, QC-OrderAccess-which is being used by Level 3 Communications- supports interfaces to several carriers, including Ameritech, Bell Atlantic, BellSouth, GTE, ICG Communications, MCI WorldCom, Pacific Bell, Southwestern Bell, Teleport Communications Group, Time Warner and U S West. It also interfaces to more than 70 U.S. service centers.

Another carrier using QConnect is GST Telecommunications, a Vancouver, Wash.-based regional competitive LEC serving the western United States and Hawaii. GST uses QConnect to automate billing, customer long-distance account administration (PIC/CARE), local number portability, ordering and pre-ordering services. GST expects to implement them in the second quarter after Quintessent finishes the customization process.

GST plans to interconnect with between 15 to 25 carriers. "Interconnection is difficult to predict, and it's always a moving target," said Julie Blouse, senior vice president and chief information officer at GST. "Our ability to provision is in direct relation to our ability to grow. A robust interconnecting platform will allow us to continue to meet our planned revenue growth quarter after quarter."

Until standards bodies and carriers can isolate interconnection formats, Quintessent's common platform approach and Telcordia's clearinghouse system are the closest equivalent to an over-the-counter solution for OSS-to-OSS interconnection headaches.

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