Business Services (NGOSS Contracts) - Finally Coming of Age

Jeannie and I took a “road trip” to east Texas last week.  And, I got down to business trying out CFS, not Customer Facing Service, but Chicken Fried Steak.  For those of you not familiar with this southern delicacy, it is a pounded steak, usually round steak or cube steak, which is breaded, deep-fried, and topped with cream gravy.  Here is a link for those that want to learn more about CFS... http://www.google.com/images?q=chicken+fried+steak&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&oe=UTF-8&rlz=1I7WZPA_en&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&sa=X&ei=EQiMTZzkEcma0QGy342xCw&ved=0CE8QsAQ&biw=1259&bih=497.  It is often served with mashed potatoes, also smothered with cream gravy, and corn or a green vegetable, such as breaded and deep-fried (again) okra.  You have to try this meal!

A number of TM Forum groups, including the Cloud Services Initiatives, teamed up with the Interface Program (TIP), are getting down to finally specifying Business Services.  They are often referred to a Biz Services, but as acronyms are always popular (hmmm…), I like to refer to them as BizS, pronounced “bizz’es”.

I say finally because the first incarnation of BizS was introduced way back around 2000-2001 as NGOSS (New Generation Operations Systems and Software) Contracts.  The concept of Contracts was appealing, but little was done to develop actual instances until now.  They began to become “real” with the chartering of the Architecture Harmonization team about five years ago.  The team developed a concepts and principles guide, along with a user guide book, and a categorization scheme, which all likely need to be and are being re-visited.  But still, the BizS’ presented were still examples and not the real thing, although the team initiated what is now referred to as the “tool chain” that enabled the automated specification and generation of BizS’.

The Cloud initiative and TIP are specifying BizS', and the Forum is getting down to business!  There are a number of ongoing discussions on the TM Forum Community, including one you can find using this link…http://www.tmforum.org/community/groups/integration-program/forum/t/163779.aspx.  This work makes BizS’ real.  I invite you to check it out and get involved!

I’ll be on the road again next week, doing some teaching in Johannesburg, South Africa, for five days.  It’s another great place for steaks, but not of the chicken-fried variety.