Tool time for testers

One of the last frontiers for interoperability and open standards is among test manufacturers. Rather than mix and match tool sets, carriers must purchase an array of non-scalable, proprietary equipment designed for individual tests. This problem is especially apparent with portable devices field technicians use.

"We can't continue to train technicians on the various boxes. The tools need to be small, lightweight, battery-operated and easy-to-use," said Brian Main, senior manager of technical support at MCI WorldCom. "The more testing functionality I can provide within the same unit, the more we benefit from it."

Main's group provides technical support for the network operations and management of MCI's data network. Last year, Main conducted a study within his division that found that MCI was spending a lot of money to diagnose the network, but it didn't have a "test toolkit." He wanted an ultimate box to conduct various test requirements. With input from field technicians, he created a list of requirements for a toolkit that had an integrated systems automation approach to testing.

"We can't grow our business if we have to continually throw human resources at our growing network," said Main. "When we test isolated problems in a field l ocation, we need to equip the technician with what he needs to diagnose and fix the problem."

"MCI WorldCom's problem was typical of other carriers," said Bill Mortimer, general manager of Hewlett-Packard's network systems test division. "There are more and more technologies and fewer technicians; carriers must get more mileage from the equipment they provide their field personnel."

After studying requests for proposal from several manufacturers, Main began working with HP to combine two of HP's products, the Internet Advisor and the Service Advisor. "We needed more sophisticated tools that could test for internetworking, and we needed an analyzer to get down into customer application problems," said Main.

Two HP divisions, computer and test and measurement, worked together on the toolkit. Since then, HP has split those divisions into separate companies to help meet the company's financial goals and react quickly to industry demands. The measurement division will be part of a new company, yet unnamed.

Now, field technicians can use two test modules to do physical and transmission tests using one device rather than six or seven. The tool has various physical interfaces and network test applications in one set of products.

HP created an undercradle that allows Service Advisor modules to be shared between the two platforms and ports the Service Advisor Windows CE software test applications to the Internet Advisor Windows 95/98 environment. Within the last three months, MCI has equipped 40% of its field force with the toolkit. By the end of 1999, it plans to equip 80%.

MCI was adamant that the architecture be open. Because the carrier is vendor-neutral, Main would like to be able to choose the latest device from Wandel and Goltermann or TTC and have it work on an HP box, for example. "There seems to be some willingness to go in that direction, but you have to start pushing to drive it that way. It could occur within the next two or three years," he said.

Shekar Gopalan, a consultant analyst for Frost and Sullivan, agrees that interoperable test devices could appear on the market around 2001. Although open architectures benefit customers, they aren't always in the provider's best interest. Because HP has the largest market share in the test and measurement field, it would appear that HP would have the most to lose from supporting an open architecture. Instead, the company has supported open architectures and is driving the market toward interoperable devices.

"For HP to remain the market leader, it will have to continue to cater to its carrier customers, and carriers are focused on protecting their equipment," said Gopalan. "A company that identifies itself as having an open architecture is most likely to win in the test market."

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