Service Delivery Frameworks: The Service Provider’s Mashup

by Wedge Greene & Trevor Hayes

Service Delivery Platforms (SDP) are being built by dozens of vendors. And dozens more are contributing bits and parts to various SDP. Yet every SDP is different and mutually incompatible. Further, some SDPs support and leverage IMS while others do not. Into this mess, the TMF has stepped forward with a powerful vision called a Service Delivery Framework (SDF). SDF will aim at interoperability. SDPs allow the rapid creation of services. SDF is planed as a broad glue using SOA to link otherwise incompatible SDPs with other resources and enablers. SDP is used to build a service. SDF, as conceived, allows services to be mashed up: service calling service, calling service, each being delivered by smart network enablers. However, neither SDP nor SDF is a BOSS application, so why is the TMF doing it? And given the scope and meager progress, is this just another group of OSS platitudes? We hope not, because this work could be a ray of hope for Web 2.0 beleaguered service providers - becoming the Network Operators Mashup and enabling a new strategy for network owing operators that we call the “garden club”.

Wedge Greene is a consultant for LTC International.