Infranet

TM Forum is a non-profit industry association for service providers and their suppliers in the telecommunications industry. Members include communications and digital service providers, telephone companies, cable operators, network operators, software suppliers, equipment suppliers, systems integrators and management consultancies. As of June 2017, the Forum had over 850 member companies that collectively generate US$2 trillion in revenue and serve five billion customers across 180 countries. TM Forum is a non-profit industry association for service providers and their suppliers in the telecommunications industry. Members include communications and digital service providers, telephone companies, cable operators, network operators, software suppliers, equipment suppliers, systems integrators and management consultancies. As of June 2017, the Forum had over 850 member companies that collectively generate US$2 trillion in revenue and serve five billion customers across 180 countries. TM Forum provides an open, collaborative environment along with practical tools and information to help its members in their digital transformation initiatives. Its services include collaboration programs and proof-of-concept projects, industry research and benchmarks, technology roadmaps, best-practice guidebooks, business process guidelines and open APIs, as well as certified training, conferences and publications. The Forum also provides its member community with marketing and networking opportunities. TM Forum's work includes Frameworx, Business Process Framework (eTOM), Frameworx Shared Information/Data Model (SID) and Telecom Application Map (TAM). The Object Management Group endorsed some of the TM Forum's specifications in a telecommunications special interest group by 2004.As the term 'cloud computing' became popular, in 2009 TM Forum joined a group called the Cloud Standards Coordination Working Group. The TM Forum expanded its scope of activities to include digital transition. In this context, it defined in 2016 the Digital Maturity Model (DMM) and launched several initiatives and projects to address the sectorial or horizontal needs of digital consumers: The OSI/Network Management Forum was founded in 1988 by eight companies to collaboratively solve systems and operational management issues with the OSI protocols.In 1998 the name was changed to the TeleManagement Forum. A group called the Infranet Initiative Council was created by Juniper Networks in April 2004.The group said it was concerned with quality, reliability and security interfaces between telecommunications service providers that were providing services for the Internet.Pradeep Sindhu used the term 'infranet' to compare the public Internet to more traditional physical infrastructure.Juniper was joined by British Telecom, China Unicom, Ericsson, France Télécom, Hewlett-Packard, KT Corporation, Siemens, Telenor, and Tellabs.The IPsphere Forum was founded in June 2005 at the Supercomm 2005 trade show in Chicago with those members.Cisco Systems and Alcatel were added when it adopted the IPsphere name.Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT) joined in 2007,and it established a liaison with the Tele-Management Forum later that year.IPsphere was mentioned by executives in a trade show during 2007.By September 2008 IPsphere Forum merged with TM Forum. The TM Forum held marketing events called 'Content Encounters' at the Management World trade shows in 2007 through 2009.