Operations Support System (OSS) performs management, inventory, engineering, planning, and repair functions for tele-communications service providers and their networks.
For traditional telecom service providers, Operations Support Systems (OSSs) were mainframe-based systems designed to support telephone company staff members to automate their daily jobs such as order processing, line assignment, line testing and billing, etc. The complementary term Business Support Systems (BSS) is a newer term and typically refers to "business systems" dealing with customers, supporting processes such as taking orders, processing bills, and collecting payments. The two systems together are often abbreviated BSS/OSS or simply B/OSS. B/OSS plays a critical role to support operations of a service provide and its increasing business services including voice, data, VOIP and multi-media.
Functions of an OSS solution may include the following components:
- Order processing, accounting, billing and cost management
- Network inventory, service provision, design and assign
- Network discovery and reconciliation, trouble and fault management, capacity management
- Network elements, asset and equipment management, field service management
Most of the Operation Support Systems are designed based on the Telecommunications Management Network (TMN) model. To better define OSS and BSS for future business and technology development, the TeleManagement Forum is working on a newer model to replace the aging TMN. This new model is called TOM (Telecoms Operations Map) or eTOM (enhanced Telecom Operations Map).
OSS: Operations Support System
Related Terms: Telecommunications Management Network, TMN model, BSS, OSS, Operations Support System, Business Support System, TOM, eTOM
Reference Links:
http://www.itu.int: Specification documents for TMN and FCAPS (M.3000, M.3100, M.3200, M.3400)
http://www.tmforum.org: Specification documents for TOM and eTOM