HP Updates Core OSS, Teams With Cisco

HP has proved the adage that no matter how good you are, there is always room for improvement. The company recently released a new version of its TeMIP network management software as well as a new version of its Service Activator Software. The company also joined with Cisco to offer a managed services solution.

HP TeMIP Software 6.0 and HP Service Activator Software 5.0, are part of the HP Next Generation Operations Support Systems (NG OSS) portfolio, formerly known as Integrated Services Manager. The new releases are designed to improve upon the speed of service activation and mean time-to-repair for its 400 customers.

Richard Arthur, senior manager of OSS strategy at HP, said the company is tired of quietly leading the market and wants to start noisily leading the market. “We have been winning a lot of business across activation and network assurance in the last year, but haven’t made a lot of noise about it.”

TeMIP has a long history in fault and network management. But HP’s new release helps diagnose problems faster and gets information through the process flow better and faster to those who need it such as field technicians and operations center personnel.

HP accomplishes this by addressing three areas of problem resolution: the hardware, software and professional services. This new release focuses on the software and the services while new hardware advancements are expected around mid-year. On the software side, HP added a new problem diagnostic capability that further automates the root cause analysis process.

“We can’t have human operators sifting through thousands of alarms trying to find the cause of a problem,” Arthur said.

To this software enhancement, HP has added consulting services in order to apply lessons learned from one account to another and thereby fine-tuning the root cause analysis process. “Customers don’t like open-ended consulting projects, so we are able to say, ‘Here is our methodology and here’s the timing of the project.’ People understand that and like that approach,” Arthur said.

HP also has increased support for new protocols such as MTOSI and interfaces such as OSS-through-Java (OSS-J) and XML/SOAP OSS/J.

Roni Babikian, head of the Network Operations Center at Mobiltel, said in an interview that TeMIP provides end-to-end control of his Umbrella Network Management System (UNMS) that supports his wireless network in Bulgaria. “With success in Bulgaria, we were able to extend UNMS so that we manage, from a single console, all infrastructures including transport for MAG operators in other countries,” he said.

HP’s service activator product has less history than TeMIP and officially comes of age with the new 5.0 release, Arthur said. This version streamlines the service fulfillment process by further automating core activation processes and integrating them with order management and inventory. The inventory component also is new.

HP Service Activator will also be available as a managed service through a relationship with Cisco Systems Inc. Called the HPSA-MSS, this version will integrate with Cisco’s CNS Configuration Engine, Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series for Small Business, Cisco 800, 1800, 2800 and 3800 Series Integrated Services Routers, Cisco Unified Communications Manager and Cisco Unified Communications Manager Express, among other products in order to support IP-based services such as VoIP, wireless LAN and security services being offered by service providers to their business customers.

HPSA-MSS is available initially in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Cisco Systems Inc. www.cisco.com
HP    www.hp.com
Mobiltel  www.mtel.bg