NBN Co buys Comptel code for OSS project

NBN Co's operations support system architecture has started to take shape after acquiring software and services from Finnish vendor Comptel and the project's systems integrator IBM.

Comptel revealed overnight that it would deliver fulfillment software for the NBN Co OSS "in collaboration with partner Alcatel-Lucent".

"This is a major agreement with a new customer," the vendor said in a statement, adding that the contract would run over multiple years.

"NBN Co will use Comptel's catalog-driven fulfillment solution, including logical and service inventory and service lifecycle management, to ensure wholesale services are delivered fast and efficiently on the network to the retail channels.

"The solution will support the delivery of IP services on the ground-breaking broadband network NBN Co are currently deploying."

NBN Co said last month that its BSS/OSS project would involve "other subcontractors and a range of software providers". Comptel was the first vendor to publicly emerge from that process.

Comptel touted "open interfaces and standards" as a key differentiator for its product – something NBN Co may have considered to be of value, considering its plans to piece together OSS and BSS systems and integrate them with other business systems such as enterprise resource planning (ERP).

Last month, NBN Co named IBM Australia as the prime systems integrator for the network builder's three-year $200 million operational and business support systems project.

IBM appears to be adding its own technology elements to support NBN Co's OSS mix.

NBN Co is on the hunt for a "dedicated Netcool specialist" which would report to the Head of OSS development.

Netcool is part of IBM's network management stack. The technology was acquired from Micromuse for US$865 million in 2005.

The job advertisement indicated that Netcool had been "deployed" at NBN Co's network surveillance operations centre (NSOC) in Docklands, Melbourne.

The NSOC was expected to be formally opened later this month, although staff have been using the facility since March.

Further comment was being sought from NBN Co.