London, UK — TM Forum, the industry association driving digital business transformation through collaboration, today announced that Accenture, Axiata Digital Labs, Global Wavenet, Globetom, Oracle Communications, Orange, SigScale, Sysbiz Technologies, Vodafone and Whale Cloud are collaborating to build a test platform for TM Forum’s Open Digital Architecture (ODA). The platform will be used by TM Forum members to validate ODA-compliant software components in order to help communications service providers (CSPs) deploy agile, cloud native software-based networks, speed up innovation and monetize 5G.

ODA-compliant components are interoperable software building blocks that run service provider businesses, enabling the industry to invest in IT for new and differentiated services instead of maintaining customized legacy code and interfaces.

Built under the umbrella of a new ODA Component Accelerator project, the test platform is a significant step toward TM Forum’s goal of developing a new software model and market. The project underpins the Forum’s continuing drive to create practical, machine-readable assets for its members.

The test platform’s roots stem from one of TM Forum’s award-winning proof-of-concept Catalyst projects called BOS – an implementation of ODA Core Commerce Management, which implemented a Business Operating System that allows CSPs to focus on innovation instead of integration issues. The evolution from proof of concept to test platform to a market for standardized interoperable software components exemplifies the importance of collaboration in accelerating innovation and developing best practices and standards.

Accelerating Open Digital Architecture components

“As a founder of the ODA Component Accelerator project, Oracle believes in the importance of collaborating with service providers to expedite the effectiveness of the ODA in driving innovation and unlocking growth,” said Jason Rutherford, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Oracle Communications, Applications. “Oracle looks forward to extending our contribution to the award-winning BOS Catalyst in building an ODA reference implementation and continuing to provide these important components as part of our portfolio.”

“An important part of our commitment to enabling the ODA is providing the means by which CSPs can validate and standardize their software components in a neutral third-party test environment,” said George Glass, Chief Technology Officer, TM Forum. “The output from the ODA Component Accelerator project will increase CSPs’ ability to quickly deploy multi-vendor IT and network systems, enabling them to accelerate delivery of new services while dramatically reducing software procurement and integration costs.”

“The ODA Component Accelerator is a first step toward a reference implementation platform for TM Forum,” said Laurent Leboucher, Vice President Digital IT, Customer Relations and Global Architecture, Orange. “At Orange, we are very committed to this initiative as it paves the way toward true software building blocks. It will help to reduce the integration burden, to improve time to market, and simplify procurement.”

“The ODA Component Accelerator provides a much-needed neutral sandbox environment where CSPs and solutions suppliers alike can come together and work to build the market for software components needed to manage and operate our future IT and network systems,” said Carlos Valero, Global Director of IT Strategy and Architecture, Vodafone. “In addition to helping CSPs understand the best approach to building out their cloud native IT, the ODA Component Accelerator will also help shape current and future R&D.”

“An appropriately crafted sandbox environment that enables an ODA backed by industry giants brings a massive step towards accelerating digital transformation while enabling rapid innovation at much lower total cost of ownership and reduced time-to-market,” said Thushera Kawdawatta, CEO, Axiata Digital Labs. “As a front-runner with development experience in a telco specialized API management platform, Axiata Digital Labs is happy to be part of this winning journey, advancing together with the ODA Component Accelerator project.”

“Similar to foundational initiatives like Open APIs, Accenture is thrilled to be a part of this important initiative designed to promote collaboration, interoperability and standardization across the communications and media industry,” said Boris Maurer, Europe Comms & Media Industry Lead, and Adriano Poloni, Chief Technology Officer, Comms & Media Industry, Accenture. “The ODA Component Accelerator is critical for an industry moving rapidly toward standardized, software-based, cloud-native networks that will speed innovation and, at long last, bring the promise of 5G to life.”

“The ODA Component Accelerator provides a much-needed neutral sandbox environment where CSPs and solutions suppliers alike can come together and work to build the market for software components needed to run the network of the future,” said Zhengcang Xiao, Chief Technology Officer, Whale Cloud International. “We are delighted to participate in the ODA Component Accelerator project to facilitate collaboration with CSPs, partners, suppliers and other stakeholders with zero-touch integration and full interoperability.”

“Becoming an API-led organization is now a business imperative for successful digital service provider transformation,” said Philip Stander, Group CEO, Globetom. “The ODA Component Accelerator initiative will help to create an interoperability environment to catalyze and support this transformation.”

“It is critical for CSPs is to speed up time-to-market by getting rid of the headaches of integration and lack of interoperability of components,” Suren Pinto, CEO, Global Wavenet. “The ODA Component Accelerator will smooth these challenges and provide a platform for rapid innovation.”

“As part of our digital transformation journey, we needed a reference implementation platform to validate and standardize our software components,” said Sujit Shekhar, CEO, Sysbiz Technologies. “The ODA Component Accelerator fulfills this need and much more. Sysbiz is committed to working with industry leaders to create an ecosystem of software components based on industry standards.”