NBN Co has appointed IBM as the prime systems integrator of its operational and business support systems under a three-year agreement.

 

IBM will develop systems that will enable retail service providers (RSPs) to order new services, report faults or perform service qualification checks via business-to-business interfaces and/or portals designed to allow transparent and flexible management of their own services on the national broadband network.


The systems will also allow NBN Co to monitor the performance of its network and bill RSPs for the services they order and operate.

The overall operational and business support project also involves other subcontractors and a range of software providers. The total cost of the overall project during the next three-years is estimated at over $200 million.

NBN Co Head of Network Operations, Steve Christian the project would be developed in close consultation with RSPs so the systems are delivered and optimised across business-to-business interfaces and/or portals, allowing each RSP a high level of flexibility in terms of their choice to automate on their side of these interfaces.

Implementation work has already started, and will be completed in four releases. The awarding of the contract followed a procurement process that started with request for capability statements in February 2010 followed by a request for proposal last July.

Further information is at www.nbnco.com.au