This monograph is the final report of the European RACE II Research Project PREPARE, devoted to designing and implementing prototype telecommunication management systems over real testbeds. The excellent results presented are a major contribution to advancing the state of the art in the field and have been widely acknowledged by standards bodies, manufacturers, operators, service providers, and academics. Prospective readers of the book include those concerned with the design, development, delivery, and maintenance of telecommunication services in the global service market as well as those with a general theoretical or practical interest in multi-domain management issues.

Telecommunication Systems and Technologies theme is a component of Encyclopedia of Physical Sciences, Engineering and Technology Resources in the global Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS), which is an integrated compendium of twenty one Encyclopedias. Telecommunication systems are emerging as the most important infrastructure asset to enable business, economic opportunities, information distribution, culture dissemination and cross-fertilization, and social relationships. As any crucial infrastructure, its design, exploitation, maintenance, and evolution require multi-faceted know-how and multi-disciplinary vision skills. The theme is structured in four main topics: Fundamentals of Communication and Telecommunication Networks; Telecommunication Technologies; Management of Telecommunication Systems/Services; Cross-Layer Organizational Aspects of Telecommunications, which are then expanded into multiple subtopics, each as a chapter. These two volumes are aimed at the following five major target audiences: University and College students Educators, Professional practitioners, Research personnel and Policy analysts, managers, and decision makers and NGOs

This monograph is the final report of the European RACE II Research Project PREPARE, devoted to designing and implementing prototype telecommunication management systems over real testbeds. The excellent results presented are a major contribution to advancing the state of the art in the field and have been widely acknowledged by standards bodies, manufacturers, operators, service providers, and academics. Prospective readers of the book include those concerned with the design, development, delivery, and maintenance of telecommunication services in the global service market as well as those with a general theoretical or practical interest in multi-domain management issues.

Effective project management tailored to the needs of the telecommunications industry "In our rapidly changing world, the information and communication technologies and services have an immense impact on virtually all aspects of our lives. . . . With his deep understanding of the telecommunication services, and his rich experiences in both standardization activities and teaching practice, [Dr. Sherif's] book provides a very clear analysis of development projects in telecommunication services. I believe the readers will find this book very useful and interesting." —Houlin Zhao, Director, Telecommunication Standardization Bureau,International Telecommunication Union "Dr. Sherif's book is an important contribution to the project management literature. With the domination of the service economy in recent years, the book addresses the unique features of telecommunication services, a critical pillar of the service sector. Development projects in telecommunications require combining good knowledge of the fundamentals of project management with clear understanding of the complexities arising from fast-changing technology, deregulations, standards, accountability, and supply chain management difficulties. This book addresses the much-needed integrative approach very well." —Tarek Khalil, President, International Association for Management of Technology (IAMOT) While there has been much written about project management, the vast majority of the literature focuses on industrial design and production. In Managing Projects in Telecommunication Services, Mostafa Hashem Sherif effectively demonstrates the unique requirements of projects in telecommunication services and, consequently, the benefits of an integrated approach to project management that is specifically tailored to the telecommunications industry. Managing Projects in Telecommunication Services draws from a wide range of disciplines, including organizational management, motivation, quality control, and software engineering. All the theory and practical guidance that an effective telecommunications project manager needs is provided. The text is divided into three main parts: Chapters 1 through 3 set forth the special characteristics of telecommunications projects, including technology life cycle, type of innovation, and project organization Chapters 4 through 10 cover the areas that the Project Management Institute has standardized in its publication A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK® Guide), focusing on the issues specific to telecommunications. Chapters address scope, schedule and cost, information and communication, human resources, quality, vendor management, and risk Chapters 11 and 12 integrate and summarize all of the concepts for the planning and delivery of a project Chapters are loaded with examples and case studies, many from the author's personal experience, that demonstrate the benefits of good project management and the consequences of poor project management. Each chapter includes a summary of key points. References are also provided to facilitate further research and study. For project managers as well as students in telecommunications, this text is unsurpassed. It not only covers the theory and practice of effective project management, it also tailors its discussion specifically to the unique needs of the telecommunications industry. (PMBOK is a registered mark of the Project Management Institute, Inc.)

Places OSS software in the context of telecommunications as a business Gives a concrete understanding of what OSS is, what it does and how it does it, avoiding deep technical details Frequently relates OSS software to business drivers of telecom service providers