Tellabs Inc. (Nasdaq: TLAB; Frankfurt: BTLA) announced today that its 6400 transport switch has completed the Osmine certification process with Telcordia Technologies Inc. (see Tellabs Passes Osmine).

Osmine is a set of operations support system (OSS) software designed to manage ILEC (incumbent local exchange carrier) service networks. Today's news telegraphs that Osmine certification continues its grip on the ILEC market, despite hopes by many suppliers that the grip may be loosening. The Osmine approval process can take many months and typically costs millions of dollars, making it tough for strapped companies and startups to qualify (see Telcordia's Osmine Goldmine).

That hasn't changed, according to Tellabs. "You cannot sell to the incumbents without Osmine," says Edward Kennedy, Tellabs' senior vice president, metro networking group. "This opens the door to the incumbents, the people who have the money."

Kennedy is the ex-CEO of Ocular Networks, the company that built the 6400 before being bought by Tellabs last year (see Tellabs Nabs Ocular).

"Yes, Osmine is still a key requirement to sell to an RBOC," writes Brian Van Steen, senior analyst at PointEast Research LLC, in an email. "RBOCs willnot deploy Sonet/WDM/DCS equipment in their regulated network unless itis Osmine certified. The RBOCs are also very hesitant to test/trial thistype of equipment unless the vendor has at least started the work withTelcordia to achieve the certification."

Tellabs says its OSMINE compliance consists of integrating the 6400 management capabilities with Telcordia's TIRKS System for provisioning, NMA System for monitoring and troubleshooting, and the Transport Element Activation Manager system for switch configuration.

The length and expense of Osmine is all to the good, in Kennedy's view. He says the effort took a year and a half and cost "significant dollars," and he sees that as a feather in Tellabs' cap. By throwing its limited resources behind completing the Osmine work for the 6400, Tellabs is sending a clear message that the platform is strategic to Tellabs and the company will do all it can to make it attractive to the company's prize constituents.

What's more, Kennedy sees the effort of getting "Osmined" as a competitive advantage. "Anyone who doesn't have Osmine now is a year and a half and millions of dollars behind," he asserts.

Kennedy says Tellabs has been "in contact" with all of the RBOCs, and while he's not saying anything about contracts, he indicates some carriers have been waiting for the 6400 to get its approval. "This is a ticket to widescale deployment inside the ILECs."

Tellabs isn't the only company to trumpet its Osmine sticker, though. Interestingly, LuxN Inc. also announced OSMINE compatibility today (see LuxN Passes Osmine), specifically compliance with the TIRKS System. A stream of other suppliers have released Osmine news this year, sometimes only on the basis of making an initial milestone in the certification process (see LuxN Passes Osmine, Santera Nears Osmine Completion, Sycamore Completes Osmine, Ciena Completes Osmine, Actelis Hits Osmine Milestone, Marconi Passes Osmine Process, and Metro-Optix Passes Osmine).

But questions hover over how much real traction Tellabs and others are seeing, or are likely to see, from their Osmine efforts. As the capex crunch continues, ILECs aren't moving quickly to replace their installed legacy equipment -- the stuff that's chiefly managed via Osmine OSSs -- with next-generation gear, such as the 6400.

— Mary Jander, Senior Editor, Light Reading
www.lightreading.com