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W48F	Wednesday, June 4 · 2:15 pm - 3:45 pm

Network and Service Management in IP Networks Service providers competing in the digital economy must endure chaos, uncertainty, intense competition, and rapidly evolving, diverse technology options. Two of the most expensive and painful problems facing service providers' network- and service-management systems are multivendor interoperability issues and system flexibility. In fact, these problems are gateway factors in the successful deployment of next-generation services. To meet these challenges, next-generation service providers are realizing great value by deploying a new breed of operational and business support systems whose goals are to eliminate network complexity and streamline the business processes associated with network and service management from an end-to-end perspective. Panelists will discuss the technical and business implications of: these and other topics related to IP network and service management: Service-enabling platforms (SEPs): Web-based middle-tier software and hardware technologies Flow-through provisioning/configuration management Network visibility, troubleshooting, and self-healing Billing and customer self-service Business processes associated with network and service management Chairperson Richard Morin, Senior Industry Consultant, EDS, is responsible for developing industry-specific service offerings and business opportunities, with an emphasis on wireless communications. In his 24 years of service, he has helped found the company's global communications industry practice and has served as the principal consultant for major international engagements in the areas of telecommunications, wireless, and converged communications. Speakers Alan Clark, Chief Executive Officer, Telchemy Incorporated, is the founder and president of Telchemy, a company focused on the management of multimedia services such as VoIP. Bob Francis, Business-Development Manager, Cisco Systems Steve Rago, Principal Analyst Networking, iSuppli, has more than 25 years in the communications industry and 15 years in the communications semiconductor industry. Joseph Cronin, Director, IBM, is currently responsible for developing strategic business alliances and relevant partner industry offerings with telecommunications industry network equipment providers and ISVs. Robin Zak, Senior Solutions Planning Manager, Spirent Communications, works with service providers to identify requirements for fault, performance, and test management solutions for IP, MPLS, and ATM networks and applications.