President's Message

With spring in the nation’s capitol, we at ATIS’ headquarters are working to complete those items progressed during AMOC 2010 as well as many other important initiatives.

The pace continues to impress. Between AMOC 2009 and AMOC 2010, ATIS successfully generated 210 new standards. This is a significant level of achievement, and at the same time, such levels of accomplishment are necessary. As we know, the industry is shifting and evolving at a breakneck pace – next-generation wireless technologies will soon come to market, 3D TV is a reality, and cloud computing holds the promise of making true convergence possible and saving our members real dollars.

Companies across the communications space are engaged in these technologies’ deployment. From the biggest service providers to niche vendors – each player’s contribution to the value chain is vital. At ATIS, we take pride in convening all industry segments in the development of tomorrow’s technologies. In fact, even during these economically uncertain times, ATIS still enjoys support from diverse industry elements. Going forward, that widespread support from all levels of the ICT community will ensure our continued standardization leadership, and collective ability to realize next-generation solutions and technologies.

My best wishes for a healthy and productive spring,

President & CEO
Susan M. Miller

TOPS Council Launches New IPv6 Task Force

ATIS’ TOPS Council recently formed a new Task Force to consider IPv6 implementation across the ICT space. In May, this group held several meetings in order to evaluate the current IPv4/IPv6 landscape in light of the recent announcement from the Number Resource Organization (NRO) concerning the near-term exhaust of assignable IPv4 addresses.

In order to address these issues, the group will look at the current IPv6 environment in relation to ATIS’ earlier work program on IPv6, assess the long standing challenge around the use of Networks Address Translation in an IPv6 environment and subsequently ascertain the availability of IPv6-ready applications/services.

For more information about this initiative, please contact Tim Jeffries at: tjeffries@atis.org

Facilities Consolidation Task Force Releases Report

Recently, ATIS announced that its Facilities Consolidation Task Force (FC-TF) completed its Facilities Consolidation Assessment and Recommendations Report.

The FC-TF, an activity of the TOPS Council, began this work in July, 2009 and is comprised of the following ICT companies: Alcatel Lucent, AT&T, Cisco, Ericsson, Juniper, Nortel, Qwest, Telcordia and Verizon. The FC-TF identified multiple benefits to facilities consolidation, including: potential capital cost reduction and improved return on investment; increased quality of service as next-generation technologies are deployed; increased bandwidth capacities and IP-based service availability; and expanded offerings in the home networking, social networking, advanced video services, and geo-location service areas.

Going forward, the FC-TF will consider facilities consolidation’s technology, business and regulatory implications.

For more information about this work, please contact Tim Jeffries at: tjeffries@atis.org

IIF Co-Locates with TelcoTV

ATIS’ IIF will co-locate its next meeting at TelcoTV, a premier IPTV industry event. TelcoTV 2010 is scheduled for November 9-11, 2010, at The Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.

IIF leaders will share their expertise in an educational session at TelcoTV. Further, the IIF is tentatively planning to hold select meetings open to the public, as to allow interested TelcoTV participants to attend.

For more information about this event, please contact Maria Estefania at: mestefania@atis.org

IIF Brings IPTV Standardization Expertise to Singapore

In April, IIF representatives (Richard Brand of NEC and Kinney Bacon of Cisco Systems) traveled to Singapore to participate in the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore (IDA) and the Media Development Authority of Singapore (MDA) Forum on IPTV Standards.

Singapore is seeking to include IPTV in their Next-Generation Nationwide Broadband Network. As such, they are seeking to leverage established IPTV experts in order to help define their path forward.

IIF representatives were contacted by the IDA in March to participate in the event. While in Singapore, our representatives shared their recent work, discussed the importance of adopting open and international standards, and promoted the IIF’s industry leading standardization activities.

For more information about this item, please contact Maria Estefania at: mestefania@atis.org

TMOC Releases IPTV Ordering Standards

Recently, the Telecom Management and Operations Committee (TMOC) issued a standards document which provides descriptions of all ordering activities associated with IPTV services, which segues into prioritized API development. This work, conducted at the CIO Council’s direction, was led by TMOC representatives with contributions from Ordering and Billing Forum participants. Participants from these respective committees previously worked together on an initial document providing high-level requirements and architecture for all IPTV OSS/BSS functionalities.

This most recent standards document satisfies the CIO Council’s identified need to define a generic Ordering Framework and the corresponding APIs. This standards document will improve efficiency of IPTV support systems and operations, and encourage vendors to introduce analogous standards solutions.

For more information about this item, please contact Maria Estefania: at mestafania@atis.org

STEP TEE Representatives Share TEER Work in Argentina

Two ATIS representatives joined the U.S. delegation to the ITU Study Group 5 meeting in Argentina. This meeting addressed global standards for ICT Climate Change.

John Messina from AT&T and Mahmoud Elkenaney of Huawei – both Sustainability in Telecom: Energy and Protection, Telecom Energy Efficiency (STEP TEE) subcommittee leaders – traveled to Argentina to share the TEE’s Telecommunications Energy Efficiency Ratio (TEER) work. The TEER provides a comprehensive methodology for measuring and reporting energy consumption, and uniformly quantifies a network component’s ratio of “work performed” to energy consumed.

As a result of this meeting, the ITU, and the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), are seriously considering adopting the TEER for use in global and European standards. Further, our work’s positive reception reinforced ATIS’ strong standing with the U.S. State Department.

For more information about this initiative, please contact Maria Estefania at: mestafania@atis.org

NRSC Issues Biennial Report

In April, the NRSC released its 2008-2009 Biennial Report.

This Biennial Report reviews the industry’s network reliability actions and related trends during the 2008-2009 period. It also provides guidance and recommendations for improving existing network reliability practices and processes on a going forward basis. Materially, the report provides in-depth analyses of network outages’ major causes – and subsequently identifies specific, actionable countermeasures – to achieve immediate, positive changes across the industry.

The report also signals the NRSC’s shifting focus to acknowledge the industry’s rapidly changing technical and operational environments. As the industry increasingly shifts towards broadband and wireless services, issues such as emergency communications (e.g., Enhanced 911 or E911), control networks (e.g., Signaling System 7 or SS7), network resiliency, and emergency preparedness are magnified – and next-generation solutions become necessary.

For more information about this work, please contact Maria Estefania at: mestafania@atis.org

ESIF Releases RFAI Standard

In May, ATIS' Emergency Services Interconnection Forum (ESIF) developed a Request for Assistance Interface (RFAI) standard. This standard will enable the expansion of E9-1-1 services and their functionality within the Emergency Services Next-Generation Network.

The RFAI supports the transition from today’s legacy systems into IP-based networks, and may be used by Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) CPE vendors and network equipment providers. It is of particular interest to those whom are implementing IP-based solutions as part of the evolution to Next-Generation 9-1-1 emergency services (NG9-1-1).

Materially, the RFAI is a session initiation protocol which replaces the legacy trunks between the E9-1-1 router and an IP-based 9-1-1 PSAP. The RFAI standard is designed to operate in today’s telecommunications networks, while simultaneously allowing for the evolution towards additional next-generation technology.

For more information about this work, please contact Maria Estefania at: mestefania@atis.org

DHS Designates CMAS Gateway Specification as National Standard

In late March, ATIS and the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) announced that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) approved the Joint ATIS/TIA Commercial Mobile Alert System (CMAS) Federal Alert Gateway to Commercial Mobile Service Provider (CMSP) Gateway Interface Specification (J-STD-101) as a DHS National Standard.

This standard was developed through substantial collaboration between ATIS and TIA. When fully implemented by communications service providers, this specification will provide anyone with a CMAS-capable mobile device an additional method to receive alerts during emergencies or natural disasters. The specification will benefit end users by allowing wider proliferation of 90 character text message emergency alerts and warnings of imminent threats to life and property, Amber Alerts, and Presidential emergency messages.

DHS’s designation of this specification as a National Standard - made possible through the collaborative efforts between industry and government - demonstrates that private sector-developed standards can meet DHS, FEMA, and other Federal agency needs as they seek to protect our citizens. Further, DHS’s adoption also establishes confidence in, and increases the visibility of, industry consensus standards within the homeland security community.

For more information about this work, please contact Maria Estefania at: mestefania@atis.org

NRSC Expands Cybersecurity Work

Recently, the Network Reliability and Interoperability Council (NRSC) began an assessment of networks’ potential cybersecurity threats. This work defines intrinsic vulnerabilities in the areas of power, environment, hardware, software, networks, payload, policy, and human behavior. Once this work is complete, the NRSC will identify best practices to mitigate the identified vulnerabilities. This new work builds upon previously developed best practices.

Going forward, the NRSC’s work will be shared with the FCC’s Cyber Security Working Group, which is part of the new federal advisory council on Communications Security, Reliability and Interoperability (CSRIC). Note that ATIS is well-represented in this space. ATIS President and CEO Susan Miller sits on CSRIC, and several ATIS Committee Leaders participate on the cybersecurity working group.

For more information about this work, please contact Maria Estefania at: mestefania@atis.org

ATIS Comments on "Disaster Information Reporting System" and "Outage Reporting" Proceedings

In May, ATIS filed comments under the Paperwork Reduction Act regarding the burden associated with the collection of information under the FCC’s Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS). Based on NRSC’s expertise in communications reliability and outage reporting, ATIS noted that the FCC has underestimated the projected burden associated with the DIRS information collection. ATIS suggested that the FCC’s estimates may fail to take into account the resources required by respondents to search data sources and properly provide the requisite information. When the totality of theses efforts are considered, ATIS believes that total annual burden would significantly exceed the FCC’s estimate.

In March, ATIS filed comments and reply comments at the FCC in response to a request by the State of California for access to data in the FCC’s Network Outage Reporting System (NORS). ATIS’ comments noted that key issues must be addressed before direct state access to the NORS could be provided, including the need to ensure that NORS data remains confidential and that protection are in place regarding the sharing of, access to, and use of this data. ATIS also urged the FCC to deny direct state access to NORS data by states that have reporting requirements that are inconsistent with those that have been adopted by the FCC. In its reply comments, ATIS noted that there was broad recognition of the need to protect NORS data and support for the safeguards that ATIS had identified. ATIS also noted its support for additional safeguards concerning the storage of and access to NORS data by states as recommended by other parties.

For more information, please contact Tom Goode at: tgoode@atis.org

ATIS Reacts to National Broadband Plan

In late March, ATIS released its reaction to the Federal Communications Commission’s National Broadband Plan.

“Widespread broadband access is fundamental to our nation’s – and our industry’s – continued global leadership. The Commission’s continued support of collaborative, consensus-based and industry-driven solutions will ensure the Plan’s ultimate realization and success,” said Susan Miller, ATIS' President and CEO.

Beyond the above statement, ATIS also noted the significant technical work required to make the proposed plan a reality. Areas including e911, cybersecurity, network reliability, and sustainability must be comprehensively addressed to ensure the plan’s successful implementation.

For more information, please contact Tom Goode at: tgoode@atis.org

ATIS Launches Marketing Council

In March, ATIS launched its Marketing Council. Per a Board directive to survey the evolving ICT tradeshow landscape, the Council’s initial action was to gauge member companies’ views on the International CTIA Wireless Trade Show, and define possible steps to encourage the expansion of CTIA to embrace the converged communications industry. To this end, the Susan Miller recently issued a correspondence to CTIA urging them to correspondingly widen their tradeshow’s focus. This communication was positively received, and conversations with CTIA are ongoing.

Going forward, the Council will work to ensure that ATIS’ corporate and marketing communications – and educational programming – reflect our members’ priorities and current initiatives.

The Council counts the following participating companies to date: AT&T, ALU, Aviat Networks, Cisco, Ericsson, Fujitsu, GENBAND, Goodman Networks, Huawei, Hitachi, Nokia Siemens Network, Syniverse, and Qwest.

For more information about this initiative, please contact Lauren Layman at: llayman@atis.org

Annual Meeting of the Committees (AMOC) 2010
Wrap-Up

On Aril 19-23, ATIS successfully hosted its 7th Annual Meeting of the Committee (AMOC) in Orlando, FL. The event saw with approximately 300 committee members in attendance, representing over 79 companies and three federal agencies.

It was a multifaceted and dynamic event. Beyond marking the first AMOC for our newly reorganized committees: STEP (Sustainability in Telecom, Energy and Protection Committee); COAST (Copper/Optical Access Synchronization and Transport Committee); NGIIF (Next-Generation Interconnection Interoperability Forum) and the recently reworked OBF (Ordering and Billing Forum), AMOC 2010 also included a legal training for Committee Leadership by ATIS’ General Council, and played host to multiple standards development efforts. In fact, AMOC hosted 14 committee meetings, 30 subgroup meetings and eight joint meetings. Participants attended a number of special events including a Committee Leadership Town Hall meeting, and the much-enjoyed Annual Awards Luncheon.

Lastly, ATIS also wishes to thank Ericsson, Alcatel-Lucent, AT&T, Cisco, Qwest and Verizon for their AMOC 2010 sponsorship.

For more information about this event, please contact Maria Estefania at: mestefania@atis.org

2010 Annual Awards Winners Announced

AMOC 2010 also served as the venue for ATIS’ 2010 Annual Awards. These awards celebrate the important contributions of ATIS’ members to its multiple committees and forums.

Awards were given in three categories: the Award for Leadership in Standards Development; the Award for Outstanding Contributions to an ATIS Forum or Committee; and the President’s Award for Outstanding Contributions to Strategic Initiatives.

The Award for Leadership in Standards Development Award was given to Randy Sharpe of Alcatel-Lucent and Stacy Hartman of Qwest, as leaders responsible for one or more major initiatives, and whose vision and leadership over the past 12 months resulted in the creation of ATIS Standards.

Twelve individuals received an Award for Outstanding Contributions to an ATIS Forum or Committee. This award is presented to individuals who have provided valuable contributions to the development or completion of ATIS standards during the past year. The recipients of the 2010 ATIS Award for Outstanding Contributions are as follows: Khaled Dessouky of TechnoCom Corporation; Mark Desterdick of Verizon; Nag Rao of Nokia Siemens Networks; Niranjan Samant of Motorola; Bruce Wilson of Qualcomm; Robin Howard of Verizon; Robin Meier of AT&T; Syed Mubeen Saifullah of NeuStar; Andy Fitzsimmons of Telcordia Technologies; Lee Cosart of Symmetricom; John Messina of AT&T; and Trevor Bowers of ADTRAN.

The President’s Award was given to Mike Nawrocki of Verizon, whose support, advice, and strategic insight have made significant contributions over the years to ATIS and its ability to provide world-class standards.

For more information about this event, please contact Maria Estefania at: mestefania@atis.org

ATIS Webinar Series Continues

ATIS continues its robust educational programming with a series of industry-driven Webinars. Intended to examine the ICT ecosystem’s continued evolution, these interactive presentations will explore how Next-Generation networks, all-IP infrastructures, and multivendor environments will reshape the communications industry’s status-quo. Currently scheduled Webinars include:

June 10, 2010
Multi-Directional Networking – Linking Data Center and IP Next-Generation Networks
Sponsored by Cisco

 

 

 

 

June 22, 2010
IPTV Webinar is An Open Framework: Ensuring IPTV's Interoperable Content Security

July 15, 2010
Multi-Vendor Care Services: Reduced Complexity Ensures Optimal Efficiency
Sponsored by

 

September 16, 2010
Taking Subscriber Data Management to the Next Level

Sponsored by

To learn more about ATIS Webinars, visit: http://www.atis.org/events/webinars

For more information about ATIS’ educational programming, please contact Lauren Layman at: llayman@atis.org