Executive Summary & Research Methodology 
(20 pages)

Chapter 1:

Broadband Loses its Zing
OSS Troubles at the Heart of Broadband's Slump
The Voice-Over-IP Market Whisper
Convergence Arrives: Technical Boundaries Vanish

THE LARGE CARRIER MARKETPLACE
LEC Giant, SBC Communications, A Look at its Overall Business
Long Distance Continues to Freefall
The Impact of Telecom Mergers
The Organizational Challenge of Consolidation
Concert: A Consolidation Instrument Goes Out of Tune
The Scale of Incumbent Operations
Baby Bells are Thwarted by Inflexible OSS's
Why Legacy Replacement has Failed

THE TELECOM STARTUPS
The Downfall of Telecom Startups: What and Who's to Blame
The OSS Debacle at CLECs
Business Problems that Startups Face
Adapting to Shifts in Business Strategy
The Startup's Ownership Strategy
Startups Within the Larger Telco Organization

THE INDEPENDENT OPERATING COMPANIES or IOCs
Time for Rural and Independent Telcos to Shine
CenturyTel Leverages its Provisioning Expertise

PRIVATE DATA SERVICES & VIRTUAL PRIVATE NETWORKS
The Private Line: Where Telecom and Enterprise Networks Meet
The Hype Over Yipes: The Ethernet Private Line
Why Enterprises are Looking to IP Virtual Private Networks
How IP Provisioning Software Enables IP-VPNs
The QoS Capabilities of MPLS Routing
The Multi-Vendor Limitation of MPLS
Telecoms Gravitate to IP-SEC
Internet Reliability Lowers Demand for QoS
The VPN Connection Guys at Netifice Communications

WIRELESS INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS
The Promise of a Wireless Data Boom
The Wireline Phone Replacement Market and Pre-Paid
Big City vs. Rural Operators -- The Stakes of Wireless Competition
Making Sense of Wireless Transmission Standards
Roaming Technology, Systems & Clearinghouses
Over The Air Activation (OTA) and Its Threat to Small Operators
Delivering IT Efficiencies Across Wireless Regions
Managing Multiple Products and Handsets
Number Portability Comes to the Wireless Market
Two Sets of Wireless Numbering Systems - the MIN and MDN
Wireless Portability Crisis: Customer Churn

Chapter 2:

TACKLING THE PROVISIONING PROBLEM
Why the Superhighway Leads to a Dead End
Telecom as High Tech Skyway
T1 Connection - Decades Old, Still Tough to Provision
From Manual to Automated Provisioning

PROVISIONING CONVERGENCE NETWORKS
From Voice to Data -- The Spike in Network Complexity
Multi-Vendor + Multi-Box = Multi-OSS Opportunity
The History and Evolution of Virtual Private Networks
From Connectivity to Revenue Generation
Data Layer Routing vs. Transport Layer Provisioning
The Overlay Nature of IP Networks
IP Provisioning and Content Monitoring
Voice vs. Data: The Cost of Maintaining Multiple Skill Sets

HOW BROADBAND SERVICE CREATION WORKS
The Manual Configuring of IP Networks
Service Creation of "Video-Conferencing Gold"
Routing the Service Across Multi-Technology, Multi-Vendor Networks
Business Rules in Service Activation
Aligning OSS Operations with Business Goals

OPTICAL TRANSPORT PROVISIONING
The Provisioning Limitations of SONET/SDH
The Intelligent Routing Character of DWDM
Comparing the Provisioning Virtues of DWDM and SONET

LOCAL LOOP PROVISIONING
The Copper Local Loop Becomes Strategic
Competitive LECs Struggle to Provision DSL
The Operational Benefit of Outside Plant Integration

NETWORK RESOURCE MANAGEMENT & NETWORK INVENTORY
Inventory - It Means Different Things to Different People
Asset Inventory, Engineering Inventory, Capacity Inventory
The Emergence of Capacity Inventory
Network Resource Management -- the Cramer Model
The Problem of Inventory Accuracy
The Myth of Flow Through Provisioning
Inventory's Jolt from Java 

THE AUTO DISCOVERY OF TELECOM NETWORKS
Trusting the Eureka Factor -- Syndesis and Auto Discovery
Uploading Physical Topology
Associating Network Assets with the Services That Ride on Top
Revenue & Asset Recovery -- Reconciling with Billing
The Benefit of Accurate Inventory
Limitations of Auto Discovery - Passive vs. Active Components
Auto Discovery & Switch Manufacturer Collaboration
The Service Assurance Benefits of Accurate Inventory 

PARTNER RELATIONSHIP & FIELD SERVICE DELIVERY SYSTEMS
Partner Relationships in the Ecosystem
Partner Management & Motivation
An Outside Plant that's Gone Bananas
The Tracking of Field Service Delivery 
Wireless Dispatch and Reporting
A Large Carrier DSL Equipment Nightmare
Playing the Field Service Metrics Game

Chapter 3:

ORDER MANAGEMENT
Maintaining Eight Million Customers with a Manual OSS
Where Order Processing Got Sidetracked at the CLECs
Bell Company Order Management -- the Voice Side of the House
The Hybrid Approach to Next Generation Provisioning
- Order Entry, Order Analysis, Facilities Assignment, Service 
  Activation, Technician Dispatch, Update Billing
Service Promotions & Order Management Flexibility

ELECTRONIC BONDING & THE ORDER GATEWAY
The History of Local Exchange Order Gateways in the U.S.
The Frustration of Maintaining ILEC Business Rule Changes
The Role of Order Gateway Vendors
Will XML Make Electronic Bonding Go Away?
Surprise: Cooperation Rules in Wireless Carrier Interconnect

CUSTOMER CARE, THE CALL CENTER & CRM
The Integrated Customer Service Desktop: Hype vs. Reality
Boosting Efficiency in the Call Center
Integrating Customer Care with Provisioning & the Local Loop
Outsourcing the Call Center
The Shift from Customer Support to Customer Cultivation
The Distributed Country Store
Churn Reduction by Direct Marketing & CRM Analytics
Verizon's Sales Service Negotiation System
Fighting Back CLECs in Australia
Corporate Hierarchy and Wholesale Relationship Tracking

SALES FORCE AUTOMATION
Inside the Telecom Sales Organization
-- Global accounts, National accounts, Mid-Market, Small Business
Large Account Selling Without Tools
Sales Quotation and Administrative Systems

SALES GUIDANCE SYSTEMS
Bringing Technical Knowledge & OSS Coordination to Sales
Ordering a VPN Service from ABC Telecom
The Product Catalog Nightmare
How a Sales Guidance System Works
Developing a Library of Service Order Scripts

MERCHANDISING & DECISION SUPPORT BENEFITS
The Disconnect between Financial and OSS Systems
Creating the Data Warehouse for Decision Support
The Real-Time Use of Data Warehouse Data
Customer Keeping Systems: The Time to Invest is Right

Chapter 4:

TELECOM E-COMMERCE
Why Telecom's a Laggard in E-Commerce
Why Complex Provisioning Systems Drag Down E-Commerce
The Security Bottleneck
Where Telcos are on the E-Commerce Maturity Curve
-- The Three Phases: Attract, Interact, Transact
The Components of a Telecom E-Commerce System
- Robust and reliable infrastructure
- Content Management
- High availability & reliability
- Legacy integration
- Customer information database
- Product catalog/service availability interface
- Integrated Channel Synchronization
Telecom's E-Commerce Shangri-La: Web Self-Provisioning
Bringing Web Self-Service Down-to Earth
Customer Profiling, Content Filtering, and the Telecom Portal

TELECOM E-BUSINESS
The E-Business Paradigm Shift
E-Business as an Application
Transforming Backend Legacy into an E-Business Solution
Electronic Forms Bring E-Efficiencies to Telcos
Partitioning Saves Hardware Platform Savings
Some Pitfalls of Migrating to E-Business

WHAT'S DRIVING TELECOM E-BUSINESS
E-Business & Call Shedding
Getting Out of the Middle of Web Transactions
Corporate Users Demand Better Ordering & Trouble Ticket Status
Boosting Telecom Reseller Channel Efficiency
Telecom's e-Business Biggest Payoff

THE E-BUSINESS LINK TO DISTRIBUTORS AND PARTNERS
The Breadth of Telecom Reseller and Distribution Channels
Serving the Retail Outlets and Major Corporate Chains
Keeping Customers Informed of Pending Order Status
Resellers Create Value Added Bundles of Services

THE ENTERPRISE OSS
Will OSS and Enterprise Network Environments Merge?
The Problem with Traditional Centrex Services
The Arrival of E-Centrex
Enterprise Customers Bicker Over Telecom Billing Issues 
AT&T and Large Enterprise Billing

ENTERPRISE APPLICATION INTEGRATION
EAI and the Advent of a "Componentized" Telco Infrastructure
How EAI Performs an E-Commerce Credit Check
How EAI Can Help Large Carriers in Software Migration
Case study: EAI for Billing Consolidation and BEA elink

ADDRESSING MIDDLEWARE MANAGEMENT PROBLEMS
EAI: When Reality Catches Up to the Hype
EAI Approaches: Startup vs. Incumbent
Kabira and the Adapter Factory Approach to EAI Maintenance           
The Pros and Cons of an EAI Business Process Engine
Managing EAI Systems in Real-Time

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF XML TO ENTERPRISE INTEGRATION
Mastering Inter-Generation Software Changes in EAI
How XML Solves Inter-Generation Problems
Why Software Vendors Favor a Migration to XML
Why XML and EAI Still Doesn't Solve World Hunger

THE CONVERGENCE OF EAI & E-COMMERCE
Orchestrating the E-Commerce Platform with Legacy OSSs
Query-and-Response vs. Fire-and-Forget EAI

Chapter 5:

THE BUSINESS OF TELECOM SYSTEMS INTEGRATION
Accent- your Past: The Glory Days of Telecom S.I.
Off-the-Shelf Software Reels in the Integrators
Multi-Year, Megabuck Projects Lose Their Luster
Promoting the Pre-Integrated OSS Suite
Enter the Contrarians: Integrators with Homespun Values
Integration Can Still Make or Break a Software Installation
The Challenges of Integrating OSS Solutions
Turf Battles and the OSS Product Catalog
The Role of OSS Operations Consultants

LESSONS LEARNED FROM FAILED INTEGRATION PROJECTS
Integrators and Large Carriers: The Moat of Misunderstanding
The Peril of Not Identifying System Work-Arounds
The Pressure to Consolidate Data Centers
Flexible Architecture & Strategic Thinking
Reconciling Multiple Product Lines & Priorities

INTEGRATION OPPORTUNITIES, METHODOLOGIES & STRATEGIES
IT Infrastructures Meet the E-Marketplace
Biting Off Digestible Chunks of Integration
The Demand for Creative Financing
Opportunities at Startup Telcos

OSS DELIVERY
The Fusion of Systems Integration and Process Efficiency
Aligning Business Strategy with IT Plans
The Ten Major Causes of Telecom Project Failure
1. Inadequate Planning
2. Lack of proactive user involvement
3. Lack of experienced project managers and experts
4. Carrier executive changes
5. Inadequate change control management
6. Poor communication
7. Lack of Visibility into Vendor Processes
8. Development Resource Diversions
9. Expansion of project scope
10. Overly aggressive development schedules

Client Commitments & the Sales/Deployment Team Partnership
Training and Knowledge Management Systems
The Future Role of Systems Integrators

Chapter 6:

CHOOSING THE RIGHT OSS ARCHITECTURE
OSS Software Solutions: Canned vs. Flexible
Toyota Corolla: Basic Transportation for Startup Carriers
Toyota Lexus: Custom Systems
E-Business Drives the Move to Off-the-Shelf
Best-in-Breed: The Advantages
The Drawbacks of Best-in-Breed
The Telco-in-a-Box Solution: Integrated from the Start
Telco-in-a-Box Flexibility for Pricing Changes
Caveat Emptor: No Solution's Integration is 98% Pure
The Danger of Service-Specific Provisioning Solutions
Outsourcing the OSS to Service Bureaus

APPLICATION SERVICE PROVIDER
Dotcom Mega Sites Drive Mega Data Centers and ASPs
Is There Such a Thing as a Pure ASP?
The Telecom-in-a-Box on an ASP Model

THE PROPER SELECTION, CARE & FEEDING OF OSS VENDORS
Procurement Breakdown: Why OSS Buyers Got Clumsy
Tips on How to Dig Deep in Product Evaluations
Information Gathering at Conferences & User Group Meetings
Buyer Evaluations -- Separating Practical Facts from Gut Feelings
Weighing the Maturity Factor of OSS Solutions
Buying Software that was Developed Close to Telecom Users
Napoleon: On the Virtue of OSS Software Maintenance
EAI Software Selection: Adapters vs. Vendor Track Records
Price vs. EAI Tool Robustness
Choosing the Right EAI Integrator

Chapter 7:

TELECOM STARTUP BUYING CYCLES
Understanding the Buying Cycles of Startup Telcos
1. The Pre-Launch Phase
2. The Post Launch Phase
3. The Established Startup Phase
IT vs. User Group Controversy

THE FINANCIAL DYNAMICS AT STARTUPS
How IT Competes for Capital Funds
Fiscal Year Cycles & ROI Considerations       
Financial Danger Signals at Startups

THE PSYCHOLOGY & PURCHASING STYLES OF OSS BUYERS
The Understaffing Predicament at Small Startups
Inside the Persona of Startup Carrier Executives
Inexperienced Startup Executives: the Telltale Signs
Measuring Teamwork at a Startup
Dealing with the Unrealistic Deadline People
Pinpointing the Telecom Entrepreneurs
Large Carrier Bureaucracies and User Groups
Getting on the Right Side of Political and Budgetary Battles

MARKETING TELECOM OSS SOLUTIONS
Gaining OSS Market Visibility
Speaking at industry forums
Alliances with Other Companies in the Buying Stream
Keeping in Touch with Market Influencers
Sharing Information - Cultivating Long-Term Partnerships
Buttons to Push: Tips on Getting Known in the Industry

SALES TECHNIQUES
Communicating Benefits for the Product House 
Tailoring the Sales Message to Operations, Product, and Development
Winning IT Support for Your Awe-Inspiring Solution
From Sales Pitch to Benefit Performance
A Meeting of the Minds with the Customer
Persuading the Telecom Sales Force - Bartering for Support
How the Smart Guys Win the OSS Contract 
Focus on What Makes You Different
Selling Your Knowledge of the Business
The Interoperability Differentiator
World Class Program & Project Management
Preparing a Stellar Presentation
Fixed Price, Time & Function Contracts
The Cultural Fit: Do You Want this Business?

SELLING, DISTRIBUTING & IMPLEMENTING OSS SOFTWARE
Why Large Carriers Hesitate to Buy Off-The Shelf
Selling Into the Feudal Organizations at Large Carriers
The Trend Towards Off-the-Shelf Solutions
The Maturity of the Telecom Software Business
Should ISV's Let the Systems Integrator In?
The Software Certification of Systems Integrators
Secrets to Successful OSS Software Implementation
Relationships, Knowledge and Value for the Dollar


Chapter 8:

Provisioning Promise vs. Telecom Naysayers
Prospering in the Telecom Ice Age
If It's the Ice Age, It Must Be Time to Hunt Mammoths
Hiding the Uglies: The Less Glamorous Side of E-Business
NEXT GENERATION NETWORKS
The Voice-Over-IP Market Whisper
Monopoly Lessons from Microsoft: Unseating an Incumbent Technology 
And the Two Separate Worlds Shall Become. . . Two
The High Cost of Supporting Two Technology Cultures
THE IMPACT OF BROADBAND AND IP ON THE TELECOM BUSINESS
Internet Success vs. Broadway Bombast
IP Killer Apps vs. SuperHighway Toll Collectors
Telcordia vs. the World
What Large Carriers Want in a Next Generation OSS
Crystal Ball Gazing: Who Will Compete with Telcordia?
Application vs. Telecom Service Providers
EIGHT HOT OSS SOLUTIONS
FIVE HOT OSS BUSINESS IDEAS
Vendor Capabilities Table

Chapter 9: 

Market Sizing & Forecast Tables 

Market Sizing & Forecasts

Provisioning & EAI/E-Commerce Software Market (2000 to 2005) with 7 Breakouts:

Order Management & Workflow
Network Inventory & Service Creation
Service Activation
Interconnect Gateway
Field Service Delivery
IP Provisioning
Telecom EAI/E-Commerce

Provisioning Software Market (2000 to 2005) by Delivery Type:

Custom Software; Off-the-Shelf Best of Breed; Off-the-Shelf Integrated; and Service Bureau/ASP

Worldwide Vendor Market Share (2000)

OSS/Provisioning Software
Telecom E-Commerce/EAI Software
OSS/Provisioning Systems Integration & Business Process Consulting

Geographic Market (2000 & 2002)

OSS/Provisioning Software
Telecom E-Commerce/EAI Software
OSS/Provisioning Systems Integration & Business Process Consulting

5 Breakouts: N. America, Latin America, Asia-Pac, Europe, Other

Service Provider Type (2000 to 2005)

OSS/Provisioning Software
Telecom E-Commerce/EAI Software
OSS/Provisioning Systems Integration & Business Process Consulting

7 Breakouts: Large LEC  & Long Distance, Medium & Rural LEC, Competitive LEC, Large Wireless, Small Wireless, Cable TV/DBS, Other

Other OSS Software Breakouts (2000 and 2002)

Direct vs. Indirect Distribution
Database Supported (Flat file, DB2/UDB, Sybase, Oracle, NT/SQL, Other)


Survey Data

Integration Market

6 Strategic Direction of Billing & OSS Integration
8 Factors Slowing the Pace of Enterprise Application Integration (8 Factors)
Top 21 Priorities for Systems Integration Projects in Next 2 Years
Top 10 Reasons Billing & OSS Projects Fail
11 Technical & Business Factors Driving Greater Systems Integration

Marketing, Sales & Distribution

Toughest 10 Obstacles faced by Salespeople Approaching OSS Buyers (Ranked High to Low)
10 Most Productive Market Channels in Telecom Industry (Ranked High to Low)

Distribution & Partnering

Top 13 Systems Integration Partners Generating Telecom Revenues for OSS & E-Commerce/EAI Vendors


Color Wall Maps of OSS System Diagrams

Four full color posters (Size 17 x 22 inch) are included with the report as follows:

• Telecom OSS Systems Pyramid

• Telecom Sales to Network Interface

• Telecom Billing Systems

• Telecom Electronic Bill Presentment & Payment Systems
  
  

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