Agilent Offers Open Source OSS

NICE, France -- Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE:A - News) today announced the first deliverable from a collaboration to assemble and build the communication industry's first set of open-source software components to support implementation of Telemanagement Forum (TMF) New Generation Operations Systems and Software (NGOSS) standards. These components will provide an open-source "sandbox" of NGOSS- and OSS/J-compliant software as part of the OpenOSS initiative to drive industry collaboration on OSS implementation, thereby lowering integration costs. Agilent, through its open-source components, has demonstrated simplified integration between its NgN Analysis System and systems from other OpenOSS Catalyst participants.

"An open-source approach offers a valuable, complementary route to help test and realize NGOSS standard interfaces," said Mick Reeve, group technology officer for BT. "BT is pleased to be sponsoring this activity."

"While OSS/J has been proven in some network and service management domains, there are still unknowns regarding its applicability to other key functions," said Kevin Scarr, principal systems developer at Vodafone UK. "Through the OpenOSS Catalyst, Vodafone UK aims to validate these areas of OSS/J and promote the uptake of open standards by the industry."

As a primary participant in the TMF OpenOSS Catalyst Project, Agilent used OSS/J and the NGOSS standards to create open-source components for simplified integration between the Agilent OSS NgN Analysis System and systems from other catalyst participants. This solution will be demonstrated this week at TMW as part of the TMF Catalyst Showcase Booth CS3 in Hall #1, in the OSS/J Booth 81, Hall #2, and in the Sun Microsystems Booth 117, Hall #1. The open-source software developed for this project and the associated documentation will be freely available to the industry to encourage re-use and continued open development.

"The primary goal of the OpenOSS initiative is to promote the uptake of OSS standards," said Martin Creaner, chief technology officer at TMF. "The catalyst demonstrations, open-source components, openly shared knowledge and invaluable feedback into the TMF NGOSS standards committee will offer service providers and ISVs a path to more easily integrate business-critical systems."

Agilent Technologies Inc.