NICE, France May 22, 2007 - The TeleManagement Forum (TM Forum) and the Internet Protocol Detail Record Organization (IPDR.org) announced today their agreement to integrate the work programs and strategic direction of both organizations. As part of the agreement, IPDR.org will become a key-working program within the TeleManagement Forum. As a key component within the Forum, the IPDR technical program and enabling technology will provide a pivotal point to deliver the TM Forum long term strategic vision of becoming the industry association for all players in the delivery of end to end services (including telecom, cable, content and information service providers, and their suppliers plus device manufacturers.)
IPDR.org and its members will bring to the Forum expertise in accounting and usage management for IP based next generation services as well as a technology that will enable the rapid launch of many content-based revenue-generating services. IPDR.org is made up of leading service providers, equipment vendors, system integrators, and billing and mediation vendors who collaborate to facilitate the exchange of usage and control data between network and hosting elements and operations and business support systems by deployment of IPDR standards.
"The TM Forum-IPDR.org union further underscores TM Forum's strategic commitment to expanding its relevance into new markets over the coming years," said Martin Creaner, President of the TeleManagement Forum. "In addition to its strong pedigree in the billing space, IPDR.org brings to the Forum expertise in the cable and next generation content services space, that enables service providers to deliver end-to-end advanced IP services to their customers. This strongly supports the TM Forum's long-term strategic vision of becoming the industry association representing all players in the management of end-to-end services."
"The integration of IPDR.org technologies into TM Forum's framework will deliver immediate impact to the communications industry by leveraging TM Forum's expansive presence globally. This will expedite the adoption of protocols and specifications that are required for services such as next generation television, communication and entertainment. This proves a valuable capability for service providers" said Kelly Anderson, President of IPDR.org.
The overall benefits of this collaboration are expected to catapult TM Forum into areas where IPDR.org already has a strong foothold. For example:
- Cable - IPDR Streaming Protocol is certified by Cable Labs and widely adopted
- ANS certified standard VoIP and IPTV interface
- Wireless handset data sharing and gaming
- Content Settlement and advertising
- Operational issues in key networking areas such as IPTV and VoIP
- Relationships with industry associations not already working with TM Forum
About the TM Forum
With approximately 600 members in 65 countries, the TM Forum is the world's leading trade association focused on management of telecom, media & information services. The TM Forum provides leadership, strategic guidance and practical solutions to improve the way that services are created, delivered, assured and charged. Members include service providers, network operators, software suppliers, equipment suppliers and systems integrators.
The TM Forum currently facilitates over 80 technical programs and provides extensive training, conferencing and information services to its members. Through its initiatives to help providers move to 21st century 'lean' processes, the Forum helps its members automate business processes by deploying operational systems that will work seamlessly across various parts of the service delivery chain. The organization provides industry benchmarks, guidebooks, process and software frameworks and specific 'plug and play' standards. These give service providers the direction and specific roadmaps to achieve much greater business efficiency and operational flexibility.
For further information regarding the TM Forum, related programs such as the Prosspero initiative and TM Forum's Management World conferences, please visit www.tmforum.org
About IPDR.org
IPDR.org is the only collaborative industry consortium exclusively focused on developing and driving the adoption of next-gen IP service usage exchange standards worldwide. IPDR.org developed the Internet Protocol Detail Record (IPDR) interface used by IP network and service providers to capture valuable network data usage information. IPDR.org's members consist of leading service providers; software and equipment vendors; system integrators; and billing and mediation vendors who are collaborating to facilitate service usage exchange by implementing de-facto standards, which have been adopted by leading industry organizations, including CableLabs®, the cable industry's research and development consortium; and ATIS, the telecommunication industry's research and standards body. A member-driven nonprofit organization, IPDR.org continuously seeks comments on its specifications, implementation and protocols. The IPDR.org publicly available documents can be downloaded from the IPDR.org web site at www.ipdr.org.
Media Contact:
Juliet Shavit
TeleManagement Forum
215-504-4272
jshavit@tmforum.org