By Tim Young,  Editor-in-Chief, Pipeline Magazine

There’s a great deal to do in Nice, and a great deal to see at the Acropolis during this year’s Management World.  However, those interested in TM Forum’s ongoing collaborative projects should certainly make time to visit Forumville. 

Located in the center of the lower level of the expo, you’ve no doubt seen Forumville, unless you’ve been lured elsewhere by cocktails and canapés. It serves as a central venue for exploration and discussion on the Forum’s Catalyst projects, Content Encounter and other transformation and standardization efforts. 

Forumville has undergone a bit of a facelift since we last saw it at Management World in Orlando last November. It’s got an open floor plan and contains two theaters, as well as exhibition and discussion areas based around six key business problems that are being dealt with by CSPs, even at this very moment: Business Transformation, Software Development, Service Innovation, Revenue Management, Customer Experience and the Digital Media Value Chain. These six areas are Forumville’s titular “Six for Success”.

“Forumville is the place to show our support for TM Forum and kick the tires and brainstorm with other members on what the industry needs in the end-to-end management of the new value chain,” says Alcatel-Lucent’s Johanne Mayer. “We all bring our expertise in different areas and work together solving real issues proactively. It is the best opportunity for service providers to bring their challenges and let their favorite suppliers solve the issues in a cooperative environment at no cost to them!” 

With that in mind, there are a few items that could make Forumville all the more advantageous:

• Follow your interests:  This year’s exhibit is subdivided based on interest area, so hone in on a core business challenge you’re facing, and see all sorts of information based on that real-life business case.
• Take in a little theater:  Forumville contains a Demo Theater, which will house all sorts of demonstrations from the Content Encounter and Catalysts, as well as a Program Theater, which will showcase the Forum’s activities
• Prosspero Lives Long:  Check out the latest news on old Forum favorites.