Evidian is First with Customer-Centric Service Assurance Solution for New-Generation OSS Management.

Business/Technology Editors

BILLERICA, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 21, 2001

New OpenMaster for Telecom 6.0 software helps improve quality of

high-value services to increase operational efficiency, market

competitiveness of all players in global OSS domains

Responding to telecom market demands for fast deployment and maximum quality of high-value services while also optimizing operations, Evidian, a leading supplier of secure operational support system (OSS) management software, today introduced market-leading service assurance capabilities in Release 6.0 of its widely-installed OpenMaster(TM) for Telecom management software suite.

In today's fast-paced telecom world, service providers need to upgrade existing services as fast as possible while also moving quickly to deploy new, high-value services for the new generation of OSS, such as Internet hosting, multimedia and wireless services. If they can't keep up with changing technology, or fail to meet stringent customer demands for quality of service (QoS), they will lose customers to those who can.

In particular, the new generation of OSS needs end-to-end management to support complex, multi-service, multi-technology environments - ranging from IP-based services to core wireless technologies, such as UMTS, GPRS and GSM - with equipment from multiple vendors.

OpenMaster for Telecom 6.0 is unique in that it delivers a comprehensive, real-time service assurance solution for customer-centric management of OSS networked environments. The software can launch management operations automatically when problems occur within the infrastructure. In addition, providers can determine very quickly what services are related to the infrastructure problems and what the service level agreement (SLA) cost impact will be for affected customers. By avoiding service disruptions, this approach helps providers keep their networked services running in compliance with customer SLAs, while also controlling operating costs to increase profits and competitiveness.

In addition to service providers, Evidian is targeting system integrators and telecommunications equipment manufacturers, who require standards-based development tools to rapidly integrate advanced OSS management capabilities for their clients and in their new-generation products.

"Service assurance is a competitive tool for service providers because it increases operational efficiency, helps reduce customer churn and improves the bottom line," said Henry Ancona, Evidian president and CEO. "Customers expect that their voice, data and multimedia services will be `always on,' be secure and be easily accessible from any location. Through its customer-centric view of complex OSS infrastructures, OpenMaster for Telecom 6.0 helps service providers meet customers' quality of service expectations."

Maintaining Service Quality

In this context, network service providers face three main issues in delivering their services:

-- Comprehensive service descriptions, including all information to properly
manage activated services

-- Flexible service object database to allow description of new kinds of
services

-- Describe services independently of the infrastructure technology, which may
change over time.

The service quality assurance applications of OpenMaster for Telecom 6.0 address these requirements by using a service modeling approach. OpenMaster enables telecom service providers, infrastructure providers, and equipment manufacturers to deploy a management solution that has been designed to meet their specific needs, and can be adapted and extended as necessary.

OpenMaster for Telecom improves service quality by facilitating and accelerating service impact and root-cause analysis. Instead of having to search multiple systems to find the source of a problem, OpenMaster for Telecom provides an integrated, customer-centric view of all the running services. By correlating all events using a single set of applications, the software allows rapid problem identification and resolution.

Evidian has proven its expertise in new-generation wireless and IP services environments through its commitment to 3GPP standards and via various projects, such as the Mobile Common Configuration Management (MCCM) Catalyst Project. In the MCCM Project, mobile network operators use a single management tool to maintain continuity of service in a multivendor GSM UMTS wireless environment.

New Features of OpenMaster for Telecom 6.0

OpenMaster for Telecom 6.0 includes new applications that help service providers to develop service assurance solutions for the new generation of OSS. These include the SLA Conformance Controller, which measures the actual-service quality of the infrastructure; and Service Manager, which provides a single point of access to the whole set of OSS and related applications (e.g., sales, billing, configuration, problem handling, monitoring, etc.).

For system integrators and equipment manufacturers, new Solution Builder toolkits streamline the development, customization and deployment of new services and products, and also improve integration capabilities at the component level.

OpenMaster for Telecom also includes a service inventory that dynamically reflects the status of the network and its usage. The service inventory automatically gathers data in real time about customers, services, network elements and contracts, and can be synchronized with service fulfillment processes or other OSS inventories. The service inventory is kept up-to-date thanks to the advanced fault management capabilities of OpenMaster for Telecom, and interoperation with third party service fulfillment processes.

"OpenMaster for Telecom has been successful because it provides proactive, integrated network and service management OSS capabilities for multi-technology wireline and wireless networks of any size," Ancona said. "With the new 6.0 release, we further differentiate our offer by adding customer-centric service assurance applications, using service modeling techniques, that can support multiple services. These capabilities are essential to deliver the quality of high-value services found in the next generation of OSS. Evidian is well positioned to help service providers improve their competitiveness by delivering new services faster and more cost effectively, while meeting the ever-higher demands of business customers."

OpenMaster for Telecom is used by major service providers and equipment manufactures worldwide, including: Deutsche Telekom, Embratel, Ericsson, France Telecom, Globalstar, GlobeCast, Intermedia Communications, Lockheed Martin, Matra Nortel, Motorola, Orange, Retevision, SITA, Telia and Wireless Facilities, Inc. (WFI).

Availability and Pricing

OpenMaster for Telecom 6.0 is available now on Sun Solaris, HP-UX and IBM AIX. Entry pricing for OM4T 6.0 core services is $31,500. Pricing for the Service Manager and SLA Conformance Controller are $31,500 and $21,620, respectively.

About Evidian

Evidian is a leading vendor of secure OSS and e-infrastructure management software that helps unite "brick and click" IT environments for organizations of all kinds. Products include: OpenMaster for Telecom, for service assurance; OpenMaster(TM); for business-centric service level management; AccessMaster(TM), for enterprise security and Internet management; PortalXpert(TM), for secure portal management; plus SafeKit(TM), for load balancing and auto fail-over for Internet and enterprise applications.

Based in Billerica, Mass., Evidian has research and development, sales, marketing, and service operations in the U.S. and Europe. More information on Evidian and its products is available via www.Evidian.com, via email at [e-mail] or by calling toll-free at 877/5Evidian.

Evidian, OpenMaster, AccessMaster, PortalXpert and SafeKit are registered trademarks or trademarks of Evidian in the U.S. and other countries. All trademarks, service marks and company names are the property of their respective owners.

Industry Reaction to Evidian's OpenMaster for Telecom 6.0 Announcement

"Service providers, both established carriers and new entrants alike, are aggressively competing for customers in the lucrative next-generation domains of IP-based and wireless services. But this new realm is a buyers' market; customers dictate terms to providers through service level agreements, and they are prone to change providers if the quality of service falls below their expectations. OpenMaster for Telecom 6.0, provides a way for service providers to manage service quality of their multi-service, multi-technology infrastructure in a cost-effective and customer-centric manner."

-- Robert J. Rich, Executive Vice President, Yankee Group

"One of the key requirements in the introduction of 3G wireless is to provide end-to-end quality of service, from wireless radio and core services to IP and content services. With the OpenMaster for Telecom 6.0 release, we will be able to integrate these new technologies and allow service providers to improve customer retention and optimize their operations by the automation of customer-facing and network-facing processes."

-- Manfred Mackert, Director, Consulting OSS, Integris

"Backed by Evidian's top-notch support services, OpenMaster for Telecom 6.0 meets our needs for a standards-based, highly scalable and easily customizable telecom management platform. We will build on this foundation to help mobile network operators meet the challenge of managing end-to-end service quality in the diversified environment of voice, video and data convergence."

-- Declan Fox, Executive Chairman, Comnitel Technologies

"Service assurance is both a customer retention tool and service differentiator. But its business promises can only be realized if service assurance software, such as Evidian OpenMaster for Telecom 6.0, brings network and customer-facing management under control. Meeting these objectives is important in a time when customer loyalty is becoming critical to service providers."

-- Paul Bugala, Research Analyst, Network & Service

Management; IDC

"OpenMaster for Telecom 6.0 addresses the need for service providers to both manage and differentiate levels of service for their customers. This service assurance capability is a key component for a complete operations support system (OSS) capability, and provides a significant way to add to the value of services."

-- Mike Jude, Senior Industry Analyst, Enterprise

Management Associates

"Management has become a critical component in integrating the new multi-service network into operators' existing management systems. As a part of the telecom management capability of our ENGINE solution family, Ericsson has selected Evidian's OpenMaster for Telecom product. We have chosen OpenMaster based on the strength of its ability to meet our needs today for a robust and adaptable management solution, but particularly because its forward-looking design approach and core technology complement the very roadmap of ENGINE itself."

-- Shane Fanning, GM, Telecom Management, Multi-Service

Networks Division, Ericsson