Open APIs
TM Forum’s Open API program is a global initiative to enable seamless connectivity, interoperability and portability.
As Communication Service Providers (CSPs) drive transformation and invest in new technologies such as AI to enable automation, they face significant challenges. These include the integration of new systems with existing legacy infrastructure, which can be complex and costly.
To enable the telecoms industry to address this challenge, the Open API Project by TM Forum is an exclusive initiative designed to bring together Communications Service Providers (CSPs), developers, technology vendors, and ecosystem partners to foster innovation and accelerate the deployment of interoperable telecom solutions. Through this project, TM Forum offers a collaborative environment where partners can work together to leverage standardized APIs that streamline digital services, reduce time-to-market, and enhance service delivery across complex ecosystems.
Open API directory
Access the TM Forum Open APIs directory where you can find specifications, downloadable code, test kits for Rest, Async and domain specific APIs
Open API conformance and leaderboard
Open API conformance certification for suppliers verifies the successful implementation of Open APIs in commercial products and real-world deployments, and demonstrates to clients and partners your commitment to industry standards.
Built by the Members, for the Members
With more than 1,100,000 API downloads by over 60,000 software developers from 2,900 organizations, TM Forum’s Open APIs have been widely adopted to drive standardized interoperability.
Over 100+ REST-based, Event driven and Domain Specific Open APIs have been collaboratively developed by TM Forum members working within the Open API project. The team is creating a full set of assets for members to implement Open APIs - from guidelines, to specifications, to usable code, through to compliance test kits. All current assets are held in the Open API directory.
These APIs are technology agnostic and can be used in any digital service scenario, including telecommunications, Internet of Things (IoT), healthcare, energy and more.
API partnerships
Simplifying access to mobile operator networks: TM Forum, GSMA and CAMARA
Collaborative efforts between TM Forum, GSMA, and CAMARA are driving a unified approach to API development, to reduce divergence and complexity. TM Forum’s definition and development of Open Gateway Operate APIs, together with our joint Conformance Certification offering in partnership with GSMA, underscores our commitment to re-enforcing standardization and harmonization across the industry, to foster innovation and accelerate digital transformation.
Enabling Network as a Service (NaaS) opportunites: TM Forum and Mplify (formally MEF forum)
Network as a Service (Naas) offers allow enterprises to utilize network infrastructure from CSPs on a subscription basis, which removes the need for them to deploy and manage their own infrastructure. This provides new revenue opportunities for CSPs and allows their customers to offer increasingly diversified services.
To accelerate delivery of NaaS, TM Forum and Mplify are partnering to align APIs and service models. This partnership unifies TM Forum’s Open Digital Architecture (ODA) and Open APIs, and Mplify’s Lifecycle Service Orchestration (LSO). It is delivering standards alignment and support for a future-proof foundation to enable a full NaaS automation suite.
API data models
TM Forum's Open APIs are based on a shared API data model, the TM Forum Data Model, which is maintained separately from the API definitions.
The TM Forum Data Model is based on the TM Forum Information Framework (SID), which is used across ODA and by the Open APIs. The data model is published as a set of JSON Schema definitions, which can be found here: Open Source TMF Open API Git.
API governance
Our API governance creates a consistent approach to the lifecycle management of an API catalogue across processes, standards, policies, and guidelines while putting compliance mechanisms and measures in place. This ensures that APIs follow industry standard principles such as abstraction, reusability, discoverability and developer-friendliness.
API governance includes planning the development of new services and updating current services, through service submission and change requests, and management of the API lifecycle to ensure that service specification updates are consistent and interoperable through gated review and publication.
Develop your skills with focused certifications
TM Forum plays a leading role in certification for the industry to allow innovative new approaches to accelerating digital transformation. Our dedicated API courses will help you understand how to get the most out of our API directory.
TM Forum Open API fundamentals certification
The TM Forum Open API fundamentals certification introduces the key concepts of Open APIs and provides examples of how they are used in real-world scenarios, how they are structured and how they relate to TM Forum Open Digital Architecture
Open API practitioners’ certification
The TM Forum Open API practitioners’ certification provides participants the opportunity to practice using and extending the TM Forum Open APIs, as well as the techniques used when implementing the APIs. It takes participants through detailed lab-based exercises to ensure a significant depth of knowledge and practical skills are attained.
Find out more about TM Forum's Open API program and the adoption of Open APIs by organisations worldwide.
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