Introduction
32.1403GPPRelease 17Subscription Management (SuM) requirementsTelecommunication managementTS
The present document is part a TS-family covering the 3rd Generation Partnership Project; Technical Specification Group Services and System Aspects; Telecommunication management, as identified below:
TS 32.140: "Subscription Management (SuM) requirements".
TS 32.141: "Subscription Management (SuM) architecture".
TS 32.171: "Subscription Management (SuM) Network Resource Model (NRM) Integration Reference Point (IRP): Requirements".
TS 32.172: "Subscription Management (SuM) Network Resource Model (NRM) Integration Reference Point (IRP): Information Service (IS)".
TS 32.176: "Subscription Management (SuM) Network Resource Model (NRM) Integration Reference Point (IRP); Solution Set (SS) definitions".
TS 28.751: "Subscription Management (SuM) Network Resource Model (NRM) Integration Reference Point (IRP): Requirements".
TS 28.752: "Subscription Management (SuM) Network Resource Model (NRM) Integration Reference Point (IRP): Information Service (IS)".
TS 28.753: "Subscription Management (SuM) Network Resource Model (NRM) Integration Reference Point (IRP); Solution Sets (SS) definitions".
Subscription Management (SuM) is a feature which will develop over a number of 3GPP releases. It is intended to permit Service Providers, Value Added Service Providers and Mobile Operators to provision services for a specific subscriber. The feature is necessary to allow Service Providers and Operators to provision, control, monitor and bill the configuration of services that they offer to their subscribers. SuM focuses on the OAM processes to manage subscription information. These correspond to the ‘Fulfilment’ Process areas of the TeleManagement Forum Telecom Operations Map [3].
Within the current version of the present document this is limited to a single operator’s network.
SuM is an area of service operation management that sets a complex challenge for Service Providers and Operators in their support of new or existing subscribers during their every day network operation.
In 2G solutions the main repository of the subscription information is in the Home Locations Register (HLR). However the management and administration interfaces for controlling this information is proprietary to each vendor. The use of proprietary interfaces is inconvenient for those Operators using multiple vendors’ equipment since their provisioning systems have to accommodate multiple proprietary interfaces, which perform essentially identical functions. Moreover, it makes it more difficult to generate customer self care applications that allow subscribers to provision, and amend subscription data.
The 3G environment requires more complex service delivery mechanisms than in 2G and SuM is no longer simply an internal matter for a single operator but a capability that is achieved by linking together features across multiple Service Providers and Operators Operations Support Systems (OSS). Historically, the services provided by Operators have been defined within standards groups such as ETSI or 3GPP. With the advent of Open Services Access (OSA) being adopted by 3GPP the User Service Definitions will be replaced by Service Capabilities traded amongst Service Providers and Network Operators. This will allow Operators and Service Providers to define customized service environments that roam with users as they move amongst networks – this is the Virtual Home Environment (VHE) 3GPP TR 22.121 [9]. This customized service environment means that subscription information is held in a number of locations including the Home Network, the Visited Network, the User Equipment, Application VASP Equipment (e.g. servers accessed by the subscriber for content and information based services) and the Operations Systems of the Service Providers, and Operators supporting the subscriber’s service subscription.
Service delivery and support across multiple vendors’ solutions and organizations is a feature of other industries, and the solutions adopted are secure supply chain solutions based upon mainstream e-commerce principles, methods and technologies.
Integration Reference Points (IRPs) are specified in separate TSs.