Running on ODA
for CSPs

A faster way for CSPs to drive growth, improve efficiency, transform customer experience but above all innovate.

ODA makes the leap from concept to credibility

To recognize CSPs that are successfully using ODA in real-world environments to drive efficiency and growth, TM Forum’s Running on ODA award is presented to those CSPs that have passed a joint (TMF and CSP) ODA evaluation of their organization:

Update: BT Group’s Digital Unit announced that its modernisation programme to simplify and enhance BT Group’s technology architecture has achieved TM Forum’s prized ‘Running on ODA’ status.

Read press release for more information.
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Early adopters gain a significant advantage

ODA transforms business agility, customer experience and operational efficiency by creating simpler IT solutions that are easier and cheaper to deploy, integrate & upgrade.

By removing the massive technical debt of legacy architecture and the costly integration/upgrade processes, CSPs can focus on growth.  Taking a customer centric approach CSPs can quickly take ideas from concept to cash.

There are also significant marketing benefits from achieving RfODA status, including Gold Odie both physical and digital to showcase your status, social media coverage, showcased at media events and inclusion in marketing collateral.

Find out more about the additional marketing benefits
Communication Service Providers running on the Open Digital Architecture (ODA)
Communication Service Providers running on the Open Digital Architecture (ODA)

Discover why Running on ODA is so important to our members

Don't just take our word for the benefits of ODA. Discover how our members describe some of their real-world use cases, or learn more by reading our blogs and Inform articles.

CityFibre: How RoODA brings speed and flexibility

CityFibre’s Victoria Higgin, Chief Digital and Information Officer explains how RoODA will enables them to new deliver services

Deutsche Telecom fulfilling customer needs with ODA

Deutsche Telekom’s Andreas Bohmann on how ODA helps collaboration with its partners through a scalable, fast changing architecture to deliver for their customers.

ODA heroes: ODA adoption is critical

TM Forum members explain why they support the Open Digital Architecture (ODA), the innovation it enables and their vision of how the industry can collaborate for the benefit of operators, vendors and customers.

Telia COO discusses “Running on ODA’

Dr Rainer Deutschmann, Group COO, Telia Company talking to Nik Willetts, CEO TM Forum about why they excited to be recognised as ‘Running on ODA’ and the benefits it brings to their organization.

Telstra benefits of RoODA

Mark Sanders Cheif Architecture at Telstra why RoODA ensures they can define and implement growth across all the business

TELUS: Next CSP ‘Running on ODA’

TELUS’s Hesham Fahmy, Chief Information Officer, explains why TM Forum Open Digital Architecture (ODA) is a key part of achieving TELUS’ vision, reducing costs and time-to-market

CityFibre: How RoODA brings speed and flexibility

CityFibre’s Victoria Higgin, Chief Digital and Information Officer explains how RoODA will enables them to new deliver services

Deutsche Telecom fulfilling customer needs with ODA

Deutsche Telekom’s Andreas Bohmann on how ODA helps collaboration with its partners through a scalable, fast changing architecture to deliver for their customers.

ODA heroes: ODA adoption is critical

TM Forum members explain why they support the Open Digital Architecture (ODA), the innovation it enables and their vision of how the industry can collaborate for the benefit of operators, vendors and customers.

Telia COO discusses “Running on ODA’

Dr Rainer Deutschmann, Group COO, Telia Company talking to Nik Willetts, CEO TM Forum about why they excited to be recognised as ‘Running on ODA’ and the benefits it brings to their organization.

Telstra benefits of RoODA

Mark Sanders Cheif Architecture at Telstra why RoODA ensures they can define and implement growth across all the business

TELUS: Next CSP ‘Running on ODA’

TELUS’s Hesham Fahmy, Chief Information Officer, explains why TM Forum Open Digital Architecture (ODA) is a key part of achieving TELUS’ vision, reducing costs and time-to-market

How does my company get assessed as Running on ODA?

Those members that have not only supported ODA by signing the manifesto and worked on creating and consuming its content but have also evolved their organizations to implement ODA are able to apply for a Running on ODA assessment. Through a comprehensive, outside-in assessment using the ODA Success Framework, these leading service providers have demonstrated their expertise and ongoing commitment to the development, use and conformance to ODA, to achieve this new mark.

RoODA qualifying

To be considered for a Running on ODA assessment a member must meet the following criteria:

  • Sign the ODA Manifesto
  • Meet a membership-tier-dependent threshold of ODA Producer Points*.
  • Meet a membership-tier-dependent threshold of ODA Consumer Points.

*The ODA producer points are given in recognition of a member organization's commitment to leading and contribution to creating ODA content within collaboration projects, Catalyst projects or the production of Open APIs.

Contact us to find out more
RoODA Assesment

The criteria for Running on ODA are assessed jointly by the CSP and TM Forum’s CTO office using the ODA Success Framework – a light but rigorous evaluation based on 6 key dimensions necessary for delivering successful business outcomes using ODA. The 6 assessment dimensions are:

  1. Principles and rules
  2. Skills
  3. Open APIs
  4. Components
  5. Agile governance
  6. Process models
Contact us to find out more

5 Steps to reaching Running on ODA status

Everyone’s journey towards RoODA is different and is based on your own key challenges and objectives. However, the more you engage with the Forum to improve your business, the faster you will progress to eligibility. Your Engagement Manager (EM) will help create a bespoke pathway for you. To find out more contact your EM, here, and they will get back to you.

The steps to reaching “Running on ODA (RoODA)” status are few and straightforward:

  1. Reaching eligibility: Reaching eligibility is achieved through making full use of your membership throughly engaged. Activities that your company undertakes to support the collaboration and use of ODA principles and concepts will earn ‘points’. These points are gained for contributions to the Forum solutions and consuming/implementing Forum solutions. The more of your people that are engaged, the quicker your journey to reaching eligibility.

Your Engagement Manger can provide you with your current eligibility status and work with you to develop a plan to get you to the right level for RoODA assessment status. To find out more contact your EM, here, and they will get back to you.

  1. ODA Success Framework Self-assessment: Once the eligibility threshold for your Corporate Band has been reached you will be ready for OSF (ODA Success Framework) self-assessment.
    • You will be provided with a self-assessment document to complete, in which you will provide additional evidence of your implementation of ODA within the company.
    • Getting the right people involved is really important - for CSPs we recommend the lead is a senior architect and is supported with executive sponsorship from your CIO.
    • Your EM will provide you with your self-assessment documentation and talk you through the process.
  2. TM Forum review: Once you have completed your internal self-assessment – you will be invited to your formal review (normally within 1 month of you submitting your self-assessment) with our one of the Forum’s senior leadership team. This is a collaborative meeting where you will be invited to present the evidence of your RoODA compliance findings from the self-assessment.
  3. What happens next:
    • Accordance: If the assessor considers that you are operating in accordance with ODA then you will receive RoODA status, and your company will be given significant marketing benefits to demonstrate your success to the industry.
    • Non-accordance: If for any reason you are not successful you will be given key written feedback and a plan of action from the assessment on the key aspects needed to reach RoODA status. Your Engagement Manager will be glad to support you.
  4. Maintaining your status:
    • The RoODA status is valid for 2 years, with 1-year health checks to make sure everything is still going fine.
    • Your membership will continue to provide you with all the tools you need to meet new eligibility criteria and this is a great driver to keeping your ODA journey on track.

Your Engagement Manager is your point of contact throughout this assessment journey. To find out more contact your EM here, and they will get back to you.

The industry needs a common understanding

Communications service providers (CSPs) are facing a dilemma. While their revenue and growth continue to stagnate, they are under tremendous pressure to simultaneously cut costs, deploy 5G, create differentiated customer experiences and overhaul the way they develop and deliver new services. From the defining their business needs, through designing information systems and implementing Open APIs and data models, to managing the actual deployment with their software technology partners, Telcos who want to move from the bottom left quadrant in the diagram below to TechCos in the top right need an industry-wide common understanding such as the Open Digital Architecture (ODA).

ODA provides the building blocks for growth and efficiency

ODA replaces traditional operations and business support systems (OSS/BSS) for CSPs with a new approach to building software for zero-touch interoperability and creating a dynamic plug and play environment through its components and canvas concepts. These concepts provide the building blocks for CSPs to evolve towards a TechCos company through:

ODA for efficiency: ODA supports CSPs to automate their operations so they can focus on improving customer experience while still improving productivity. Using AI and Open APIs to enable automated closed-loop intent-based automation, CSPs can focus on providing real-time zero-touch operations to drive towards digital efficiency.

ODA for growth: ODA enables CSPs to become digital enablers, working with ecosystem partners to create zero-touch partnering solutions for vertical markets (smart factories, autonomous vehicles, digital healthcare…) based on 5G, network slicing, edge computing, AI and other advanced technologies.

Telco to Techco graph